Novak Djokovic delighted by NBA star and fellow Serb Boban Marjanovic attempting his Novak Flexibility Challenge
Novak Djokovic appeared delighted with NBA player and fellow Serb Boban Marjanovic for completing his Novak Flexibility Challenge.
The World No.1 recently appeared on the CBS program 60 Minutes for an interview. The interview also featured a clip of his warm-up, in which a particular stretching exercise caught the eye of fans.
The exercise got so much traction that Djokovic ended up starting a flexibility challenge on social media, which has since gone viral.
"Hey guys! So, I had a lot of people asking me about the piece that I did with 60 Minutes particularly, there was one filming scene that we did in the gym where I was stretching. So, I thought why not start the ‘Novak Flexibility Challenge," he said.
Explaining the challenge, Djokovic said:
"So, here we are, for anybody who’s willing to do it, this is how it is going to look like. We’re going to try to replicate what I did there in 60 Minutes. So, [stand on] either leg, bend it like this. Touch the ground. Come back. Grab the foot, stand without falling whole for five seconds. That’s it. Show me what you got."
Boban Marjanovic decided to take on the Novak Flexibility Challenge. The Houston Rockets star posted his attempt on Instagram:
"Challenge time!😃@djokernole how I did?😂"
To this, Djokovic responded: "Idemo brate (Let's go brother😂you pass this test😂😂"
How Novak Djokovic achieved 'Real' flexibility
In his 2013 book, Serve to Win, Novak Djokovic gave tips and exercises that help one attain 'Real' flexibility. First, he described his routine before starting a workout, stressing on the importance of warming up the body first.
"For me, every practice, every workout, every match starts the same: ten to fifteen minutes of movement. That's running or biking, followed by dynamic stretching. None of this is too intense - it's just to warm up my muscles. "
Djokovic then explained what true flexibility is and how he feels dynamic stretching has helped him attain it.
"'Real' or 'True' flexibility isn't whether I can reach down and touch my toes. It's not about being a contortionist. It's about whether my body can execute the movements I need to win," he said.
"Dynamic stretching helps me get there because 'dynamic', or movement based, stretching is all about real-worldctions. That's why I love it: It makes everything I do easier," the Serb added.
Djokovic recommended doing five minutes of light jogging or stationary cycling to increase the heart rate before starting dynamic stretching. In dynamic stretching, one must start slow by doing 10 reps of each exercise without resting, and gradually increase the reps.
Finally, he mentioned the list of exercises and how to perform them. These include: jumping jacks, walking high knees, walking high kicks, squat thrusts, lunge with side bend, reverse lunge with backward reach, low side-to-side lunge, inverted hamstring and inchworm.