Has touching your toes become a Herculean task? Is your neck and shoulder constantly stiff? Are your suffering from unrelated and ever changing aches and pain?

Do sudden movements or jerks cause you muscle pull or cramps? Do you feel heaviness and resistance in

your movement instead of lightness and fluidity?

You are not alone. Lack of exercise, improper posture, stressful lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits and long hours in front of the computer causes your muscles and joints to stiffen and lose its flexible ability. Hence your body’s ability to freely move hinders, obstructs proper circulation and holds on to tension and toxins. Flexibility is your joints ability to move in full range of motion with the aid of relaxed and stretchable muscles. It’s a base state of fitness and a major contributor in keeping you functional, stress and injury free, and healthy.

So whether you are an absolute beginner or an advanced practitioner you have to stretch and stretch properly. Following are a few tips that I have put together to begin your journey towards a pliable body.

1. Before stretching, warm up your muscles to prevent injury. Your muscles become pliable when it’s hot. You should perform at least five to 10 minutes of aerobic exercise before your stretch. Even running on the spot will do.
2. Get into a stable starting position so that you can fully concentrate on stretching. Find the correct stretch position by moving slowly and carefully.
3. Inhale deeply through your nose before each stretch and exhale through your mouth as you move into a stretch. Never hold your breath.
4. Stretch slowly and smoothly. Avoid ballistic or bouncy movements.
5. Do not overstretch - stretch to the point where you feel mild tension in your muscles. You should not feel pain when you stretch.
6. Hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Concentrate on relaxing the area being stretched.
7. Breathe deeply (slowly) and regularly as you hold your stretch. Deep breathing increases your flexibility by helping you to relax and by sending fresh blood to your muscles.
8. Perform at least one stretch for every major muscle group.
9. When doing weight bearing exercises, you can stretch the muscle targeted after each set. You should stretch all your muscles at the end of your workout (cool down).
10. To maintain your flexibility over the long run, you must stretch regularly. You should stretch at least thrice a week, and if possible, stretch every day. Stretching regenerates the body, causes no physical strain, and improves your overall health.

I always tell my students that should there be only one form of exercise as a choice, I would choose stretching. It is a fundamental movement of the body and even if you look at the animal kingdom, it is the most evident movement. A pliable body allows a free flow of energy and helps you create balance in your overall being.

The author is a certified professional fitness instructor, founder and master trainer at Rage Fitness and a fitness columnist who specialises in mixed martial arts