How to Gain Muscle Elasticity?

First of all, it is important to clarify 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 they are actually 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 efficient and effective movements. 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 elongate, while elasticity implies 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 poses 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: Incorporate 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 any training and muscle recovery.

The importance of muscle elasticity

In sports, we often overlook muscle elasticity exercises due to lack of time. This is not a good idea, as these exercises help us achieve greater range of motion. These factors will allow us to perform at a higher level in any sport or activity we do. 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 to gradually increase movement and, at the same time, prevent as much as possible the shortening that occurs from repeating a specific movement in our favorite sport.

That is, in my case, with the running motion repeated every day and with each stride, I cause shortening of the muscles in my leg. I try to recover or prevent this shortening as much as possible through exercises where I stretch them again to return them 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 about doing them well and achieving the intended goal.

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...

Outside of sports, the most common stretches could be for the back. The back is one of the body parts that loses muscle elasticity the fastest, and stretching 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 can recover from fatigue with daily stretches and gradually restore their muscles to the correct size. If we follow all these steps, we will find the answer to the main question: How to gain muscle elasticity?

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

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