Flexible exercise makes women 5 years younger

Flexibility is a lifelong lesson for women

For women, the pursuit of beauty can be said to be the "ultimate goal" of life. Yoga is currently popular among urban women, with the purpose of building flexibility. Many people compare yoga to "folk rhythmic gymnastics", which is indeed very vivid. Rhythmic gymnastics cannot be practiced by ordinary people, but its many principles are still of great reference significance to our exercises, especially flexibility exercises.

Zhong Ling, a well-known rhythmic gymnast in China and a champion of rhythmic gymnastics on four continents, is currently working to apply these common principles and methods to the physical exercise of children and office workers. "To practice flexibility, the most obvious thing is to correct and exercise the spine." Zhong Ling said,"Many office workers sit for eight or even more than ten hours at a time. They don't move their necks or eyes. Their cervical and lumbar vertebrae are overloaded and 'working'. Over time, they naturally age and become stiff. Therefore, these people should practice more 'string'."

Some office workers complained to Zhong Ling that they felt like their bodies were like "stagnant water" and did not have the vitality they should have when they were 20, 30 and 40 years old. "For these adults, I would suggest that they practice more yoga, stretch their muscles and press their legs more. Although this will not make you lose weight quickly, the whole person will look energetic. The body is elegant and the steps are light, and you look at least 5 years younger than your actual age." Zhong Ling added: "If there are conditions, it is best to practice flexibility from an early age. If you practice well when you are a child, you will not only grow taller, but your bones will also become stronger. When you get old, you will have fewer diseases."

Flexible, you can practice anytime, anywhere

Perhaps many people will say that ordinary people do not have the "foundation" of athletes, and their muscles will become sore after stretching for a while. In this regard, Zhong Ling said that even trained athletes like her will be tired and feel very painful when practicing flexibility. I felt miserable when I was a child, but when I grew up, I no longer felt painful when I felt that these exercises were no longer a task. After the muscles are pulled open, it will not hurt anymore.

Some people are born with soft constitutions, while others are trained after the day after tomorrow. "Human flexibility can be seen from your hands. For example, pulling your fingers back and forming a 90-degree angle with the back of your hand means good flexibility." However, even people who are naturally weak in flexibility don't have to worry."Practice the day after tomorrow is still the key. Even if you are over 40 now, there is still time." Generally speaking, if you persist in practicing for more than half a year, you will find that your body has changed significantly."Many women tell me that after practicing for a while, they become more and more fond of looking in the mirror."

For office workers, Zhong Ling suggests that as long as they stretch lightly, they don't have to press too hard. Sitting and lying down, you feel stretching, even if you stretch your muscles. "Even if you only do a little bit every day, you must persist. Good flexibility cannot be achieved in a day or two. You must never stop at the beginning." After stopping practicing, it is easy to return to your original appearance. Working women can use tables and chairs to do some stretching movements anytime and anywhere, without having to go to the gym. She recommended an action: palms forward, fingers rush down, hands on the table, body close to hands, waist down, legs extended back, the weight of the entire body pressed against hands, and the waist was completely lengthened. This action is very helpful for the spine.

Principles and precautions for practicing flexibility

So, for people who practice flexibility themselves, what should they pay attention to? Zhong Ling introduced several principles:

"First of all, we must do within our capabilities. Some yoga movements are exaggerated and cannot be forced. Some people practice for a few days, but their legs will end up on their heads, while some fail after a few years of practice. As long as you can practice and feel it is good. Secondly, warm up before practice and feel that your body is hot before you can start pulling. Whether it's summer or winter, take a jog first and feel a little sweaty before starting."

When the reporter asked, do men need to practice flexibility? Zhong Ling said: "It is necessary. Yoga can help men relax and relieve stress, and for men who are inherently less flexible, yoga can also hone the will."

Practicing yoga has health effects

For Zhong Ling, in addition to training projects, her favorite flexibility lesson is yoga. "The movements of yoga are very similar to our basic training of rhythmic gymnastics. It is a kind of health care project that can massage internal organs, detoxify toxins, and make people not want to eat greasy food. In this way, the comprehensive effect of health care is achieved. If you simply stretch the tendons, it will not have a health effect."

In addition, Zhong Ling also compared meditation in yoga with psychokinetic training in rhythmic gymnastics. Everyone already understands that meditation has a very obvious effect on sorting out people's thoughts and emotions. "The psychokinetic training we do before the game is the same thing as yoga meditation. Coach taught me this since I was a kid. Every time I have two players in front of me on the field, I start to meditate on the sidelines. This allows me to concentrate well, gain calm, and find confidence and strength, which is very helpful for the performance of the game." (Internship Editor: Wu Jinyu)