The Essential Element Often Overlooked in Flexibility Yoga
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Chapter 1: Understanding the Shortcomings of Yoga for Flexibility
While yoga is widely appreciated for its benefits, there’s a critical aspect that often gets overlooked.
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Section 1.1: The Strength Gap in Yoga
Yoga can certainly help relieve muscle tension, improve stretching tolerance, and calm the nervous system. However, a significant flaw lies in its lack of strength training. Now, before the yoga enthusiasts rush to defend their practice, let’s delve deeper into this concern.
Functional Strength in Flexibility
The term "functional" has been distorted by marketing, but it is crucial to discuss its relevance to flexibility.
Passive range of motion refers to how far you can stretch your body with assistance, such as a partner or a resistance band. In contrast, active range of motion is the degree of movement you can control independently, necessitating both mobility and strength to maintain that position.
Evidence suggests that a significant gap between passive and active range of motion can elevate the risk of injury. This makes sense because a larger difference implies reduced control in vulnerable positions. Essentially, passive movements often rely on assistance, which can diminish the strength needed to hold those positions.
If your flexibility routine does not promote strength and control along with mobility, it lacks functionality, as it doesn’t equip you with usable flexibility. While it may offer temporary relief, the true goal should be enhanced performance, not just comfort.
Section 1.2: The Role of Strength in Joint Stability
Muscle strength tends to decline with age. When muscles can’t generate sufficient force, their ability to control joint motion diminishes. This highlights a critical issue with many flexibility programs that neglect to incorporate adequate strength training.
Often, mobility concerns may stem from stability issues. Different areas of the body are designed for mobility or stability, as outlined in the joint-by-joint approach. When one part of the kinetic chain lacks stability, the body compensates by stiffening adjacent areas to create a false sense of stability.
The last thing the body wants when it becomes weaker is to gain more range of motion that it cannot manage.
Chapter 2: The Need for Force in Flexibility Training
Most flexibility training programs fail to enhance the muscle’s ability to generate force. If we cannot produce force from a specific position, how beneficial is that range of motion? This distinction is crucial when considering passive versus active range of motion.
The first video, "The Missing Link: Runners Yoga Flexibility Routine," explores how to bridge the gap between flexibility and strength in yoga practices, emphasizing the importance of functional movements.
The second video, "A Big Part of Yoga You Might Be Missing Out On," discusses the essential components of a well-rounded yoga practice, focusing on the interplay between strength and flexibility.
In my next article in this series on flexibility, I will further explore the complexities surrounding range of motion improvement.