A) Why is Flexibility Important?
Flexibility is such an important topic that it deserves its own chapter, not just a section mentioned after a workout. It effects every movement we make each and every day - when we bend over to pick up our laundry off the floor, raise a child onto our shoulders or to grab a can on the top shelf of the cupboard - all these movements require a degree of flexibility and range of motion (ROM). Its also essential to our athletic performance and can be used as an indicator of our progress over time.
In this chapter I’ll explain why we need to focus on flexibility during and after our workouts, and how to do it properly. It has to be part of every workout we perform - in the warm-up, during the actual exercises and the cool down.
Proper flexibility training includes warming up with light cardio before your daily workouts, stretching afterwards, and including techniques like pilates, yoga or tai chi in your fitness program for optimal benefits.
B) The Warm-up
Let’s begin with the warm up. A light warm up should be done before each and every work out or sports game. This is so for 3 reasons:
1. Injury Prevention: Warming up your body before any strenuous activity increases the synovial fluid in your joints (e.g. knees, shoulders). This fluid provides extra lubrication to ensure your joints, which are flexing and extending rapidly during the course of a game/race/workout, are protected against this stress. Think of a rusty door hinge being oiled up. Warmer muscles are more flexible and can stretch better. This is important for the times we’re pivoting, jumping, reaching, throwing, etc. You’re much more likely to pull a muscle if its cold.
2. Overcoming the fatigue response: The increased physical exertion of a hard workout or game will tax the energy reserves in your body. These energy reserves are typically stored in your body’s cells as a molecule called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). In order to access this ATP energy source you need oxygen. The harder you work, the more oxygen you need to access your ATP energy, and this is why you tend to breath faster and your heart rate increases with work load respectively. If you warm up adequately, and take deep controlled breaths, your body will be saturated with oxygen and ready for peak performance when the time comes. That’s why pro-athletes always warm up before a race or the big game. Its often called ‘overcoming the fatigue response’. Isn’t the first ten minutes of every game the hardest? I think so. And that’s why.
3. Focus: A good warm up will help you focus on the task at hand. A light jog around the track will help clear your head and focus on what you have to accomplish in the immediate future. People who focus and visualize performing a task, even just mentally during a warm up are much more likely to perform better than those who don’t.
A light warm up doesn’t have to take up too much time or energy. A few minutes of light cardio (e.g. jogging or cycling) combined with gentle stretching (e.g. limbering up) is all it takes.
C) The Cool Down
Your post-workout cool down and stretch is also an important time for you to focus on your flexibility training. This is the time when you should take a few minutes to bring your heart rate back down to your normal level, and you can do this while stretching out the muscles you just worked on during your training workout. This is important for both cardio and strength training sessions discussed in previous chapters.
Post-workout your muscles are primed for stretching, and in doing so you can:
- increase their flexibility and range of motion (ROM),
- decrease next day stiffness
- reduce risk of further injury
Below I’ve attached a list of stretches for each of the major muscle groups in your body that you should perform as needed. Its important to be aware of what muscles you exercised and to stretch them accordingly. These stretches will benefit anyone about to fight a zombie or cooling down after encountering one.
Simple stretches that target each major muscle group in your body:
Neck - gentle head roll side to side
Shoulders - shrug and roll, or pull across gently across front of body
Chest - 90 or 180 degree arm press against wall
Arm Biceps - pronate arm forward then reach and press down gently
Arm Triceps - bend arm reach elbow up behind head, gently press back
Glute - one legged seat squat or the figure four posture
Hip flexors - kneeling lunge
Thighs - crossed legged twist
Hamstrings - a) runners stretch (put leg up against wall bar), b) touch your toes
Quads - bend knee behind, gently pull foot up towards buttocks
Calves - extend leg, drop heel and raise toes with bent knee
Upper back (deltoid/lats) - pole reach and stretch
Lower back (erector muscles) - laying on back pull knees into chest
This figure provides an illustrated guide of some basic stretches:
Each stretch should be held for 10-30 seconds, and you should take slow deep breaths during the stretch. To improve your flexibility even more, try reaching deeper into the stretch when you exhale a breath. Focus completely on each muscle you are stretching.
D. Advanced Stretching Techniques
i) Partner-Assisted Stretching (PAS):
Another method to increase your range of motion (ROM) would be to incorporate partner-assisted stretching (PAS) after your workout. This will help you reach even deeper into a stretch than you would be able to by yourself making the most out of this activity.
One person assumes the stretch, then after breathing into the stretch on their own for about 10 sec or whenever you feel ready, you ask your partner to gently apply force to the muscle group that you’re focussed on, typically by gently pressing or pulling on a limb. Communication between partners is important as too much force can cause injury. Only apply gentle pressure and stop before any pain is felt. Hold for 5 seconds then release. Repeat as needed. I find that three times works well, but always go at your own pace.
ii) Pilates (and other stretching exercises):
Pilates is a body conditioning routine that may help build flexibility, muscle strength, and endurance in the legs, abdominal, arms, hips and back. It puts emphasis on spinal and pelvic alignment, breathing, and developing a strong core or center, and improving coordination and balance. Pilates' system allows for different exercises to be modified in range of difficulty from beginning to advanced. Intensity can be increased over time as the body conditions and adapts to the exercises (Source: Wikipedia).
Activities such as pilates (as well as yoga and tai chi) are excellent exercises for stretching which increase flexibility. You can take a class or play a DVD whenever you have the time for it. Its quite affordable to practice as well, since all you really need is a comfortable roll up mat.
Pilates, yoga and tai chi can be an efficient and relaxing way to develop your flexibility as each discipline incorporates movements that often target multiple muscle groups at once. These Pilates stretches can save you time and effort in your routine. Yoga & Tai Chi are discussed further in Chapter 5 - Body, Mind & Spirit.
Here are some of the pilates stretches I recommend to practice for those training for the zombie apocalypse. These stretches will increase entire body flexibility:
- Shell into Cat into Camel stretches - laying face down on floor pull knees into chest, arch back and reach above head on the floor (shell), then shift to all fours with a neutral spine (cat), then still on all fours arch back (camel).
- Ab roll up - lay flat on back on floor, start with arms stretched above head still on floor, then slowly bend at waist rolling up and try to touch your toes while still sitting.
- Dynamic hamstring - laying flat on back on floor, pull on leg in to 90 degree angle, then straighten that leg reaching up to the ceiling, bring back down to 90 degree then flat to floor. Repeat with other leg.
- Single leg pull in with bent knee - laying on back, pull knee into chest, then stretch down to floor, repeat with other leg.
- Scissor leg kick - laying on back, splay your legs in the air, kicking up and down alternating.
- Half-split with cobra push-up - splitting your legs on the floor as far as comfortable, reach your arms out in front but still touching ground, raise chest and head up.
- Saw - sitting, arms and legs out in V shape in front, touch opposite arm and leg, switch.
- Seated spine twist, with stretch forward - sitting, legs stretched out in front, move arms to one side, then opposite.
- Mermaid - sitting to one side, raise arm up above head and lean to one side.
- Pretzel - sitting crossed legged, stretch arms out in front and bend down to the ground
- Double leg kick - laying flat on stomach, kick legs into your buttocks and back down. Do once with hands open, then closed.
- Rolling like a ball - sitting down, tuck arms and legs into body, gently roll back and forth in a controlled motion.
- Open leg rocker - sitting, spread both your arms and legs in a wide V, gently rock back and forth in slow controlled rolls.
- Leg circles - laying on one side, rotate your top leg in circles in the air, switch sides
An excellent guide illustrating these pilates stretches can be found online at:
Try to add some simple stretches and some pilates moves into your daily routine and you’ll be reaching higher and further than ever before. You’ll have better posture and be walking taller and with more confidence before you know it. You don’t have to reach all the way to the stars, just try to reach your toes!
Remember you’re going to have to be agile, nimble and flexible to get away from those very determined zombies.
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Morgan’s Story - “Reaching Further Than Ever Before”
Chapter 4. Flexibility
After so much running and zombie dodging already today, Morgan decided that a quicker form of transportation was in order. She peeked out the front window of the house towards the driveway and saw no sign of her parents car. Damn. She assumed they must have took it with them when they fled. The only other transportation option she could think of were the bicycles they kept in the garage. She carefully made her way to the garage attached to the kitchen and slipped through the side entrance. She was in luck. The set of mountain bikes were still hung on the wall where they were usually stored. At least one thing was working in her favor today.
Sensing the tension in her legs she quickly stretched out her quads, hamstrings and calves before hopping on the bike. Christ they were tight after the morning she just endured. She knew even this slight stretch would help ease the tension that was about to come in her ride to the community centre. Tightening the heavier than normal backpack over her shoulders as she slipped her feet into the pedals, she rode out of the familiar surroundings of her family home and into the unknown of her hometown.
One last thing before she left the garage - she decided to detach the bell that her mother had placed on the handle bars for the usual road and pedestrian traffic. Normally a great idea for safety, but not under these circumstances. She didn’t want to be ringing any literal dinner bells this day.
Morgan coasted along the side streets scanning the vicinity for lurkers as she pedaled on her way to the community centre. She was glad she happened to pick out a pair of faded green pants and black t-shirt that somewhat blended into the background. She had covered a fair amount of distance, and perhaps getting a little overconfident, she began to restrict her field of vision to a narrower path in front of her, tunnel vision almost, instead of scanning the entire field of view. She reached a fork in the road and when she spotted a few zombie walkers on the left side she impulsively turned right, not being careful enough to thoroughly scan that street ahead on both sides, which was a mistake.
By the time she saw the zombie she was speeding right in its direction. Jamming the breaks she skidded out and slammed head-on into the beast. She fell off the bike and crashed into the pavement - her, the bike and the zombie all a tangled mess. She looked at the zombie which fortunately had its limbs tangled in the spokes of the bike tire and was fumbling to get out of the mess. She reached down to her belt to grab the hatchet so she could kill the zombie but found it had slipped out of her belt on the impact of the bike crash and was just out of her reach. Quickly assessing the immediate situation she noticed that the bicycle chain had popped off its gears so she snatched that up and wrapped it around the throat of the entangled zombie while she still had the advantage of time. It took a few minutes but with her continued pressure the metal chain tore through the flesh and base of the skull, leaving the zombie dead, still tangled in the bike.
But she had no time to celebrate her victory as the sound of the crash had attracted another zombie who was approaching from the sidewalk. She scrambled over for her hatchet but the zombie had managed to grab hold of her pant leg and she fell over again, this time with the zombie just inches from her face. It stank just as awful as the others, she had to stop herself from retching. Using her right hand to close around the throat of the beast and hold it off of her, she reached back with her left hand, searching for the hatchet. She knew it was so very close. She felt the end of the handle with her fingertips, agonizingly just out of reach. So she breathed deeper and stretched harder and further into her left side and was barely just able to grasp the handle of the weapon. Tightening her grip on the handle she flexed her bicep and swung the blade forcefully into the cranium of the zombie. It stopped snarling as the blade sunk deep into its temple and she pushed the corpse off her and quickly stood up and moved away from the beast.
Sensing no more zombies nearby, she took a moment to gather her things that had scattered over the asphalt when she skidded out on the bike. She attempted to pick up the bike but the zombie had bitten through the front tire and it was impossible to ride anymore. Damn it! she cursed. It looked like she was on foot once more. Rolling her shoulders a few times to work out the kinks from her most recent fight, she began jogging down the road again towards the community centre and the faint hope for any sign of human life.
Out of breath, but still in one piece, she finally made it to the community centre. The centre was a wide-spanning single story building, that was build the same time as the rest of the subdivision went up, about thirty years ago. However, the building looked to have aged a hundred years since she saw it a mere week ago. The windows were all broken out and the doors hanging from their hinges. As if a riot had taken place. The parking lot was occupied with abandoned cars blocking off the entrance and exit ways. As if everybody had given up and run off when the roadway had clogged. It reminded her of the REM video for ‘Everybody Hurts’.
Tiptoeing through the main entrance of the building, her fears were confirmed. The place was empty, not a single sign of life from within. Morgan felt crushed. She truly had hoped to find somebody here. If not her parents, then at least a government representative trying to put some method to the madness. But cruelly, there was nothing for her here, only more despair.
She wandered down the hallways looking for any indication of what everybody had done from this point onwards but all she found around her was more devastation and isolation. Tables and chairs tipped over, papers, pens and pencils thrown about in chaos. She picked up some of the scattered papers and read them over, they looked like generic registration forms with columns for names, addresses, phone numbers and health card numbers. Not much help there.
Peering further down the corridor she noticed the pictures of past christmas concerts were still hanging on the walls, although most were tilted, their glass frames broken. Her eyes welled up with tears when she saw the snapshot of her two little nephews dressed as elves for last years Christmas concert. Nervous smiles on their faces as they made their way out onto the stage acting as if working in Santa’s workshop at the North Pole. Her fingertips caressed their precious faces through the broken glass. She wondered what happened to them and her sister, Karen. Did they make it out of town in time? Where they with her parents? Where they even still alive? She couldn’t bear to think about it anymore. She turned away from the photograph and willed away her tears. Steeling herself against the grief and pain.
Continuing down the corridor, she wanted to check in the main auditorium where the performances were normally held. Just to be sure there was nobody left, though she had little hope there would be, she just had to know. Turning the corner she approached the auditorium doors. They were pulled closed. Gingerly, she turned the knob and peeked around the door frame. When she saw what was inside she suddenly wished she hadn’t even looked. The fold out seats were filled with dozens of zombies! Some were dressed in civilian clothing, others in army fatigues, but all wore the same unmistakable mask of the undead on their face. They turned to look at Morgan peering through the door, then all at once, ever so stiffly, rose and lurched towards her. Morgan spun on her heels and pulled the door shut behind her, but she knew that would not stop them. She had to get somewhere safe and fast!
She bolted back down the hallway, and ran into the directors office, which she knew was empty as she had passed it on her way down to the zombitorium. Entering the small office she quickly closed the door behind her. Reflexively, she turned the lock and then grabbed a chair and propped it against the door, then pushed the heavy wooden desk up behind it to serve as a block for anything trying to gain entry. But with the glass window in the door panel she doubted her actions would keep the zombies out for very long.
She heard the shuffling and moans rising from the hallway and a greater sense of urgency rose inside her. She looked around the room and saw the window in the back wall of the office. She pulled up hard on the handles trying to move the glass panel up and open but it wouldn’t budge. Some idiot had painted it shut. Well that’s just great she sighed to herself. Probably a lazy mans idea of an anti-theft tactic. Pounding began to emanate from the door, and seeing no other option, she grabbed a hard cover book off the shelf and used it to protect her hands as she smashed out the glass from the window frame. Being careful not to cut her hands on the broken glass, she pulled her body up and over the window ledge and leapt down onto the grass. She was sure to bend her knees fully and tuck into a roll as she fell to absorb the impact of the landing. The last thing she needed was a broken or sprained ankle. It might be a fatal injury considering her current predicament. She was lucky the office was on the ground level, unlike her own apartment which was ten floors up.
With the community centre being a total loss, all she had to hope for now was the ferry terminal and harbor port at the edge of town. With one last look back at the office window ensuring there were no zombies barging through yet, she turned her back on the building and took off sprinting away from the community centre death trap. She had to keep moving forward.
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