The stunts, jumps, tumbling, twists, turns, and so many other physical activities that come along with cheerleading require an individual to be incredibly flexible. Cheerleading isn’t just cheering and acting happy and excited, there are so many physical aspects that come along with it, and being able to be flexible will help to accomplish all of these.
A person can become flexible for cheerleading quickly if they adopt an exercise routine filled with a variety of calf and thigh stretches which they practice daily. Most stretches can be done without special equipment, and productive rest can be kept while alternating muscle groups.
Flexibility is important to the sport, and if you do not train your body to be more flexible while participating in it, you can cause serious injury to yourself, and even to your other team members. Exercising and stretching are key points in keeping your body in the shape it needs to be able to properly master the skills required to be a cheerleader. There are several ways that you can keep your body flexible, and remaining focused, and practicing a lot, are what will help you to master the ability the cheerlead the right way.
How Flexible Do You Have To Be For Cheerleading?
In a simple way to answer this question, a cheerleader needs to develop the same type of flexibility that is required of a gymnast. You are going to be turning, jumping, twisting, and moving your body in such a way that your body needs to be able to handle it safely. A gymnast is incredibly flexible because of the exercise and practice that they conduct every single day. The only way for them to be able to perform properly is to make sure that their body is able to handle the types of physical attributes that the sport calls for.
Cheerleading is no different than this. The way that a cheerleader has to make their body move, can cause damage if someone is not practicing enough. Stretching and exercise is the only way to train your body to be able to handle the movements of cheerleading. Conducting all of the physical activities that cheerleading requires, is what makes a cheerleader who they are. Part of entertaining a crowd or audience during a game is going to involve an extensive amount of flexibility and stretching your body.
How Do You Get In Shape For Cheerleading?
There are 3 major things that you can do to get your body into shape, and they aren’t difficult. The number one thing is your diet. You don’t want to have an increased amount of fat stored up around the midsection of your body. This is going to limit your ability to perform properly, and it’s unsafe. Cutting down on your carbohydrates and your processed foods will help to eliminate the fat build-up around your midsection, and give you the ability to perform properly without injury.
Of course, exercise is always important when building up your flexibility, and there are several ways to exercise that will help you keep your body toned for the sport. Glute Bridges, Half Press Ups, Reverse Lunges, Star Jumps, and Squats are all perfect ways to keep the body toned, help you to stretch out the right areas of your body, and help you to build up the flexibility that you need to complete the activities that you will be using in cheerleading. The 3rd thing that helps with getting into shape for cheerleading is simply sleeping. For your body to be able to perform optimally, you need to gain anywhere from 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day.
Sleeping is the time that our bodies have the time to repair themselves, such as our bones, cells, and tissues and so a good extended amount of sleep helps with this. It also decreases fat levels and increases muscle tone. These 3 steps are important for gaining the flexibility you will need to perform in the cheerleading sport.
How Do You Become A Flexible Flyer In Cheerleading?
It doesn’t matter if you are brand new to cheerleading, or you have been doing this sport for several years, when it comes to improving anyone should take the advice and practice what they need to when they are wanting to become more flexible. There are cheerleader captains and cheerleader coaches who are always going to be available for you to train you to reach your flexibility goals.
Consistently training is key to becoming more flexible in cheerleading. Flexible flyers need to develop muscle control and also to gain muscle memory and strength to be able to accomplish this. Becoming a flexible flyer requires the individual to stretch both sides of their body, whether they are dominant on one side more than another, this is what it is going to take to become a successful flexible flyer. They will need to develop the knowledge it takes to determine how to distribute their weight onto each foot and to consistently move about on their feet to distribute this weight. If a flexible flyer starts showing that they have plenty of control over their body, they can begin to practice to unique, yet complicated, twists and turns that it takes.
How Do Beginners Become Flexible?
Cheerleading is a hard sport to accomplish, however, by making sure that you train all of your different muscles to accomplish them, you will be able to move any way that you wish. If you are ever feeling any pain, however, you need to stop what you are doing immediately. Pain can mean that you are injuring that part of your body, and this is something that any cheerleader will want to avoid. There are several ways that you can help yourself train your body in to using it in very flexible ways.
Learning to conduct the splits is one of the most popular moves that a cheerleader will want to accomplish. It can be a difficult task to conduct, however, with plenty of practice and exercise, an individual can accomplish this with ease. Using the “frog stretch’ will help you to loosen up your groin and your hips. As you continue to conduct this type of stretch, you will be able to give those muscles the right amount of “loose” that you will need to accomplish the splits. Stick to it, and don’t back down if you are wanting to do the splits. Take your time to train your muscles properly. Do a seated forward bend, which includes you sitting with your legs stretched out in front of you, and you slowly reaching out to your toes.
This is another exercise that requires patience and time. Lunges are a perfect stretch to incorporate into you daily stretches. These help to loosen the proper muscles, as well. Yoga is a perfect activity to participate in to help you loosen up all of the necessary muscles it takes to be able to become more flexible in your cheerleading routine. It’s all about willpower, patience, and daily exercising stretches that will help you reach the level of flexibility that is required.
Conclusion
In conclusion, when it comes to being flexible in cheerleading, it is important to remember all of these beneficial aspects of stretching and exercising. The only way to accomplish anything is to keep at it, exercise, stretch, and practice a lot. You won’t get anywhere just sitting around waiting for it to happen, you are going to have to get up, get moving, and begin to stretch out all of your body’s muscles. This is what is going to help aid you in your desired flexibility. Conduct the necessary lunges, stretches, and exercises that is going to loosen up the muscles that are needed to complete the desired flexibility that you require.
Always be sure to loosen up your body because you will not want to cause any damage or injuries that you may not be able to repair. This is why when you are getting into the sport of cheerleading, take it seriously, and practice as often as you can. There are so many routines that can cause you to harm yourself, and this is not a goal that a cheerleader wants to reach. Your goal is to reach the right amount of flexibility to be able to conduct the sport safely and sufficiently. This sport is all about positivity, fun, excitement, and team spirit, and you don’t want to injure yourself in the process.
