What to do if the ligament is too stiff

As our bodies grow, our ligaments develop. Especially in our daily life, we don't often stretch our ligaments, so it is very common for the ligaments to be too stiff. Ligaments that are too stiff can be a problem for some friends who want to learn dance or play sports. So, what should we do if the ligament is too stiff? In fact, we can make ligaments softer through exercise.

The most scientific and effective flexibility method nowadays is considered to be the 'isometric stretches' which was created by American sports neurologist Dr. Tomas Kurz after long-term research. The advertisement for this has been published in the American 'Black Belt' magazine for ten consecutive years and is still continuing! This method has helped many older martial arts enthusiasts to perform splits smoothly, such as the famous George A. Dillman, a 9th-degree master of karate, who is one of the beneficiaries.

This method is actually not that complicated, but flexibility exercises must be arranged systematically to achieve good results! It is mainly divided into two parts. First, spend 4 to 15 minutes every morning doing dynamic flexibility exercises, that is, moving the joints, doing straight leg lifts, backward leg lifts and side leg lifts. But never do static leg stretches! Second, do 11 to 23 minutes of equal flexibility exercises twice a week. Simply put, symmetry exercises are a more special way of doing the splits. After your legs are split to the maximum, hold them for no more than 30 seconds and then slightly retract them. Use the muscles in the upper thighs for about 3 to 5 seconds, and feel as if you are letting your legs support your body. Then relax and slowly press down to the limit, hold for no more than 30 seconds, then pull your legs up with a little force, repeat this about 5 times. In my own experience, the pressure should be lower each time. But don’t be too anxious. If you feel muscle pain the next day, it means you have over-trained and you need to pause until your muscles no longer hurt! According to records, it takes an average person about 3 to 6 months to be able to do the splits successfully, depending mainly on one's flexibility. Some people can even do the splits in just 9 days! Of course, this method also has a lot of auxiliary training. For example, it is recommended that you run more, which can improve muscle elasticity. You should also do more abdominal and back muscle exercises, which can help you raise your legs easily. Weighted squats and other leg strength training are also necessary. Another thing you need to do every day is to lie on your back, raise your legs, and then spread your legs to the limit, then put them together, and then spread your legs again, repeat 100 times. After one month, put weight on your ankles and raise your legs 50 times a day, and increase the weight every month. This method is very helpful for splits.

How to stretch ligaments scientifically

1. Warm up. First move the joints of your head, hands, waist and legs, then jog for 15 minutes. (I agree with this, because that’s how it was taught in school. Ligaments are more likely to loosen after jogging.)

2. It is to stretch the ligament. It is carried out in several steps.

First, the ankles. Sit down, place your left foot on your right knee, hold your left ankle with both hands and move it for two eight beats. Then, maintain the position, press your knee down with one hand, back and forth for two eight beats. Then keep the position and put down your left leg, then press your right leg, trying to stick your belly to your leg. Four eight beats. Switch feet, same thing.

Then the legs. Stretch your legs out and press your body downward, following the same requirements as above.

The third is the vertical split. Go as deep as you can, preferably close to the ground, with the back of your feet touching the ground and your upper body upright. (Legs)

The fourth is the horizontal split. Keep your heels on the ground and your feet curled up. The rest of the requirements are the same as above.

The fifth is to press the hips. (The posture is ugly. Have you seen the frog? It’s not quite the same but it’s not far off. But the effect is very good.) Put your knees on the ground and spread them apart as far as you can. Be careful not to lie flat on the ground. Support yourself with your hands, and press your waist and hips backward and downward. The highest level is to be close to the ground.

Six is ​​the instep. Kneel on the ground with the soles of your feet touching the ground, then lie back. The highest level is when your back is on the ground. Be careful not to lift your knees.

Another method is more theoretical:

When exercising your ligaments, you must pay attention to warm-up exercises and avoid exercising too fast or too hard. Especially in winter, you should move your limbs before exercising. If you don't warm up before exercising, it is easy to cause muscle or ligament strain or sprain. The best time to practice is at night before bed. First, do some warm-up exercises, starting with the most basic leg stretching, which can be divided into fast and slow stretching. Slow pressure takes thirty to forty seconds each time, gently stretching the muscles until you feel slight pain. Rapid pressure is to stretch your legs quickly until you feel the pain. If you can't reach the target area with your hands during exercise, don't force it. You can add a rope to assist in the exercise.

1. Sitting ligament stretching: bring the chest close to the knees, and do not bend the knees. When you feel soreness in your leg ligaments and back, stop stretching, take two deep breaths, and slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the action 12 times.

2. Ligament stretching in lying position: slowly pull up and straighten your left leg without bending your knee. Tighten your buttocks and thigh muscles until your thigh is at a right angle to your body. Stop stretching, take two deep breaths, and slowly return to the starting position.

3. There is another simple movement that I like the most: stand up straight, open your feet as wide as shoulders, and open your toes outwards towards your legs. Do not bend your feet, bend your body downward, and touch your toes with your hands. Feel a stretch along the inside and back of your legs.

4. Spread your legs and feet apart, bend one leg and squat, straighten the other leg, and vibrate and press the body toward the side of the straight leg. When practicing, alternate between the left and right legs.

5. Split: Place your hands on the ground in front of your body, spread your legs apart in a straight line, and lie prone or sideways with your upper body. 7. Sit cross-legged with your knees bent, with the soles of your feet facing each other; hold your feet with your hands; and bend your upper body forward. As for ligaments, there are two ways to pull them. It depends on your age. Basically, there are differences in human ligaments before and after the age of 16. After the age of 16, bone development is basically completed, so the ligaments are also completed. Therefore, for young people, it is recommended that they use the vibration method. After getting into the stretching position, stretch the ligament to its limit through vibration exercises. The effect of pulling in this way is very obvious. However, for people with relatively mature bones. This method can only provide short-term ligament stretching. It is also very dangerous and easy to get injured. Therefore, for those over 16 years old, it is recommended to use static pressure method. Hold an extreme pose for 30 seconds, rest for a few seconds, and then hold the pose again. It is generally recommended that the extreme stretching position should not exceed 30 seconds. Otherwise, it may cause injury to the muscles in the opposite direction. This static pressure method will maintain the stable flexibility of the ligament for a relatively long time.

It takes at least 10-15 minutes of flexibility exercises at least once a day to fully stretch the ligament. This method is also a good way to relax after intense exercise. Your muscles will also become more elastic due to these simple stretching exercises. Flexibility exercises must be done gently, otherwise it is very easy to strain your muscles.