How to gain muscle elasticity?

First of all, it must be clarified that muscle elasticity is not the same as muscle flexibility, and many people think they are the same when they are not. Muscle elasticity is a fundamental concept in the field of health and physical performance and is often confused with muscle flexibility, although in reality they are two different characteristics. In this article, we will clarify this.

What is muscle elasticity?

When we talk about muscle elasticity, we refer to the ability of muscles to stretch and return to their original size. It is an important physical quality that allows our muscles to perform movements efficiently and effectively. It is also a fundamental property for physical performance, injury prevention, and improving flexibility.

On the other hand, when we talk about muscle flexibility, we refer to the ability of muscles and soft tissues to lengthen; elasticity involves the ability to recover their original shape after being stretched.

How to gain muscle elasticity?

There are many ways to improve muscle elasticity, and some of them are these:

• Perform dynamic stretching exercises: Include controlled movements that take your muscles to their maximum range of motion. This will prepare your muscles for exercise and increase their elasticity.
• Incorporate yoga and pilates into your routine: These disciplines focus on stretching and strengthening muscles, which will help you develop both flexibility and elasticity. Take advantage of specific yoga postures and sequences, as well as pilates exercises, to improve your stretching ability and muscle recovery.
• Apply static stretching techniques: Dedicate time to performing static stretches, holding a stretch position for prolonged periods. This will gradually increase muscle elasticity as your muscles relax and lengthen.
• Perform muscle strengthening exercises: Muscle elasticity benefits from a solid strength base. Incorporate weightlifting and resistance training exercises to strengthen your muscles and connective tissues, which in turn will improve your elasticity.
• Practice bouncing exercises: Include gentle bouncing exercises on an elastic surface, such as a mat or mini trampoline. This type of exercise will stimulate the elastic response of your muscles, thus improving your elasticity through quick and repetitive stretches and contractions.

Among all these tips, we always recommend proper nutrition as well as a rest routine as the foundation of all training and muscle recovery.

The importance of muscle elasticity

In sports, many times due to lack of time, we overlook muscle elasticity exercises. This is not a good idea, as they help us achieve a greater range of movement. These factors will allow us to perform at a higher level in any sport or activity we undertake. Often, we prefer to run an extra kilometer rather than end the training and spend that time trying to recover the elasticity of our muscles.

From my experience as a “recreational runner,” I recommend including it in your training routine, gradually giving your muscles more movement and, at the same time, preventing as much as possible the shortening that occurs with the repetition of certain movements in our favorite sport.

That is, in my case, with the running motion, repeated every day and with each stride, I cause a shortening of the muscles in my leg. I try to recover or avoid this shortening as much as possible through exercises in which I try to stretch them again so they return to their original size.

Aspects to consider for improvement

An important aspect to consider is that all stretches we do to “stretch” our muscles again should be controlled. We should perform them slowly and with good technique. It is not about doing as many as possible in a limited time, but doing them well and achieving the goal we seek.

Never push too hard; you should not feel pain. Each stretch can last between 20 and 60 seconds to be effective; if we do not respect the minimum time, it will be of little use to us…

Outside of sports, the most common stretches could be for the back. The back is one of the parts of the body that loses muscle elasticity the fastest, and it is a good way to recover that elasticity.

The legs are usually another part that almost everyone needs to stretch. People who spend many hours standing at work or walk a lot during their workday. Through daily stretches, we can recover from fatigue and gradually give our muscles the correct size. If we follow all these steps, we will be able to answer the main question: How to gain muscle elasticity?

Another aspect to consider is sports recovery; with Sizen pressotherapy, we can help the muscles return to their resting state. If we perform proper recovery, the fibers will take less time to replenish and gain that much-desired elasticity.

Juan Pedro Mora is a recreational runner and ambassador of sports and aesthetic pressotherapy Sizen.