Flexibility

Flexibility, the ability to move a joint or joints through their full range of motion without pain, is  important in most sports, and can improve performance and prevent injury. 

Mental flexibility is even more important. Stretch your mind today. As time goes by, all too often while waists widen, minds narrow. Flexibility requires an open mind and a welcoming of new alternatives. If plan A does not work, use plan B. While staying committed to your goal, stay flexible in your approach.  Be ready to tack into the wind.

“Training for strength and flexibility is a must. You must use it to support your techniques. Techniques alone are no good if you don't support them with strength and flexibility,” stated Lee Jun-fan, commonly known as Bruce Lee (1940 – 1973)  a Hong Kong-American martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from Lee's experiences in unarmed fighting and self-defense - as well asZen Buddhism and Taoist philosophies.

“Let no one think that flexibility and a predisposition to compromise is a sign of weakness or a sell-out,” warned Paul Kagame (born 1957), a Rwandan whose sport is politics - and was the military. He is the 4th and current President of Rwanda, having taken office in 2000 when his predecessor, Pasteur Bizimungu (born 1950), who served as the third President of Rwanda, holding office from 19 July 1994 until 23 March 2000, resigned. 

It is good to learn how to be flexible in what I call ‘the languages of life’. Though you are the same person, the languages of your mind and body need to adapt to the varied scenarios of work, home – with spouse and children – and your mates out for a relaxing evening, or a football or rugby match.

 “Blessed are the bamboo-flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape” - a quote I picked up somewhere along my 86 (85and a half + 9 months in my mother’s womb) years on this planet.

Given any ‘New Normal,’ -a state to which an economy, society, etc. settles following a crisis, we need to change the way we think.World War I,World War II, changed the way society thought about women. Women were – in fact – able to do so many jobs men had thought was only for them.

After the9/11 attacks in 2001, the financial crisis of 2007–2008,COVID-19 pandemic and global warming – and who knows what comes next? -  we need to develop a bamboo textured mind so we can sway and bend when the winds of change increase in ferocity. 

When our hearts are rooted deep in the divine reality of life – we can survive and thrive. No matter what.  After all, humanity and humility both have their roots in humus, the Latin word for earth and ground.

Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson CBE   - Alex to his friends - was a master of flexibility: of substitutions. The Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjær - who cost a mere £1.5 million - scored 126 goals in 366 appearances; 150 as a substitute. 33 of those goals came in the last 15 minutes.  

Ever since he was sacked as Man U manager in 2021, Ole has been working as a technical observer for UEFA, where he analyses tactical formations and trends.He's also building a house on the Norwegian island of Kristiansund, where he spends time with his family.

Successful managers know they must be flexible and spot the right time to substitute players so as to defend a lead or sharpen attack to get back into the game; and, if all is going well, to give youngsters experience and thus build their confidence.

Sport management flexibility in The Off-Field Team: with diet, training, buying new player, changing the formation to suit the current (not yesterday’s) squad – and the new manager’s style of play, is essential to keep the club at the top of its game.

Coronavirus has tried to teach us many sound lessons about our tomorrows.  Clearly, the future is opaque. It is wise not to be surprised by the unexpected. We seem to have forgotten the unexpected financial crashes of 1929 and 2008; the start of The Great Famine – sometimes, mostly outside Ireland, referred to as the Irish Potato Famine - in 1845; as well as Black Death’s arrival in June 1348. 

To survive – let alone thrive – we need to be flexible in how we relate and where and how we work - on what. Our mindsets need to be more like that of the SAS than the infantry at Waterloo. The future is reliably unpredictable.  When, mid 2020, Foreign Affairs magazine asked experts whether C19 would be worse in January 2021, 22 said yes. Eight said no. The rest would not risk an opinion.

“You can train your mental strength just like you train your body. If your body looks fit or ripped, it looks strong, and you can flex your muscles. So, physically, you have a certain strength. Mentally, it's the same thing. You can train your psychological strength.” said Wladimir Klitschko,(born 1976)  a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2017. He held multiple heavyweight world championships between 2000 and 2015, including unified titles between 2008 and 2015. 

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change,” stated Albert Einstein ((born March 14, 1879, Ulm, Württemberg, Germany - died April 18, 1955, Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.),  physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity and won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect. He is best known to the general public for his mass - energy equivalence formula E = mc2, which has been dubbed "the world's most famous equation". Albert’s take on change is nothing new. 

Human nature does not change. However, individual humans change as they age.  “Freedom and happiness are found in the flexibility and ease with which we move through change” taught Gautama Buddha, founder of the world religion of Buddhism in the 5th or 6th century bce.

The wind of time blows youth away. I don’t know how to act my age. I have never been 85 and a half before. However, I do know that ageing gracefully, being flexible in the way I keep my balance (and much else) is vital for sustaining my good health. Flexibility is crucial to my fitness. Incorporating a good warm-up and cool-down into every session decreases my chances of injury. I use both dynamic and static stretching in my training. 

“I’ve starting doing a few yoga sessions which incorporates muscle strength and flexibility,”
admitted Samantha Jane Stosur (born 1984), Australian professional tennis player, former world No. 1 in doubles, a ranking which she first achieved on 6 February 2006 and held for 61 consecutive weeks. 

If, as I do, you believe “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Rm 8,28) you can concentrate on the here and now and - though ready for the unexpected - not worry about the future. As the old (I remember it well!) - 1952 Andrews Sisters - song put it, “Why worry? Worry gets you nowhere at all.”

An educational film that remains glued within my mind since the age of twelve, was the making of a samurai sword – with its repeated heating, hammering and folding the metal – that gave it its strength and flexibility. 

As the Japanese learned – often the hard way - it’s flexibility that makes buildings capable of surviving earthquakes.  

In dance and gymnastics:flexibility allows for complex moves and improves the performance

In football and hockey goalkeeping:flexibility helps goalkeepers stretch further to make more  saves. In racquet sports:shoulder flexibility allows for a greater range of shots

Some types of flexibility training include both static stretching - which involves moving into a position that lengthens a muscle and holding it for at least 15 seconds-  and dynamic stretching, involves moving the body in and out of a position to gradually increase the range of motion.Dynamic stretching can be a good  warm-up.

Active flexibility Involves assuming a position and maintaining it to stretch opposing muscles.

Ballistic stretching involves using the momentum of a moving body to force it beyond its normal range of motion.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching - quite a term! - involves both stretching and contracting a targeted muscle group – and is often performed with a partner.

Stretching can aggravate an existing injury, so if you're injured, you should consult a physical therapist or athletic trainer about an appropriate flexibility programme.

Then there is Emotional flexibility; the ability to adjust and regulate your emotions according to the situation, meaning you can adapt your emotional response depending on the context, allowing you to effectively navigate changing circumstances and challenges while maintaining a healthy mindset. Essentially, it's about being able to "flex" your emotions to fit the moment, rather than being stuck in one emotional state.

Imagine what flexibility can do to your heart!

Better psychological flexibility helps you manage your emotions more effectively. Instead of being controlled by frustration, anger, or sadness, you can acknowledge these emotions without letting them dictate your behavior.  It increases resilience in an unpredictable future.

Why not strive to be a flexible friend to all; certainly, your friends including your family?

Back to Blog Index