Muscle Imbalances and Flexibility

Muscle Imbalances and Flexibility

Muscle imbalance or lack of flexibility is the primary cause of injury. If you’re not training with balance in mind, it could lead to an imbalance that will eventually hurt you. Have you ever felt like your muscles were tight or weak? Maybe it feels like you can’t extend your arms or legs, or perhaps you feel like your balance has gone awry. When there is a muscle imbalance, you may have one or more muscles that are overactive and one or more muscles that are underactive. Poor muscle flexibility and muscle imbalance are responsible for many injuries. Failing to keep your muscles balanced can lead to pain and injuries and limit your ability to do what you love. The good news is that you can quickly correct any muscle imbalances with some self-awareness, patience, and the right exercises.

Everyone knows that you need to work out more if you want to be in better shape. But what does that even mean? How can you work out more? The truth is that most people aren’t working out hard enough. Are you lifting heavy weights? Probably not. Cardio? Not either. Even stretching, considered one of the most basic forms of working out, is often overlooked. There are several reasons for this. Some people don’t have access to a gym, and others don’t have the time or motivation. Some people don’t even know that they have a problem. But the truth is that most people aren’t working out hard enough. That is why muscle imbalances occur. To get the best results from your workouts, you need to work them out correctly. Luckily, there are several easy ways you can become a more active person.

Flexibility and Muscle imbalance

If you’ve ever done any regular physical activity, you’ve probably experienced a muscle imbalance and a limitation in your flexibility. Maybe you started a new exercise routine and were excited to see how your muscles would respond. Perhaps you were trying a new stretch and suddenly realized that your flexibility was way below average. Or maybe you were just out of practice and forgot how much your body had changed since you started exercising regularly.

Either way, signs of imbalance and a general decrease in flexibility are common, especially when people incorporate new exercises or return to a regular workout routine.

Flexibility is a measure of the ability of a muscle to stretch beyond its normal range of motion. It is essential for almost every movement we make, demonstrating our athleticism in a sport or performing the most straightforward task like tying our shoelaces. The human body is an amazingly intricate machine. Besides its impressive ability to walk upright, maneuver through tight spaces, and run like the wind, the human body is also incredibly flexible. Flexibility allows us to perform acrobatic stunts and other complicated movements.

We bring our body and mind together to strengthen and tone our muscles when we work out. Sometimes, however, we might work out muscles without thinking about our technique. In other words, we might be working our muscles in an imbalanced or un-coordinated manner.

When we work with an imbalanced muscle group, our body swings between opposite ends of the spectrum. 

I was talking about that project coming up.

Another person involved in Kevin Yates.

Here is a clip from Kevin’s webinar on lower body assessment for muscle imbalances

Flexibility Over 40 Handbook