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Flexibility forms an important part of overall physical fitness. It is defined as the
maximum ROM (range of movement) around a joint or series of joints and is specific to a particular joint or set of joints.
Imagine sitting in a chair most of the day like a lot of us do: driving to work, performing a desk bound job, driving back home, sitting down for dinner and relaxing in a comfy chair in front of the television. If this sounds familiar then just spare a moment thinking about a very important set of muscles: the hamstrings (back of thigh). The hamstrings are being asked to do a permanent hamstring curl, which means they are contracted (shortened) most of the day. As the hamstrings are attached to the pelvis a person with shortened hamstrings may suffer with lower back problems sooner or later. 
Likewise, part of our modern lifestyle is the constant use of a computer may this be for business or during leisure time. A person using a keyboard a lot will have shortened chest muscles which will lead to rounded shoulders. This can very easily lead to upper back and neck problems. So what can you do to ensure a healthy upper and lower back? Well, this is actually very easy. The answer is stretching the muscles, which are contracted over a prolonged period of time due to our modern way of living.
Stretching should be done on a regular basis, i.e. 3 times per week for 10 to 30 seconds for each muscle or muscle group to a point of mild discomfort. By stretching regularly you can improve you quality of life considerably as a lot of the day-to-day tasks can be done in an easier and much safer way. It should always be done when the muscles are warm, in other words after a pre-exercise warm up or at the end of the exercise session.
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