I really need help with flexibility. I am 48 and can tell that things don't move as well as they should. Does anyone know of an at home program that helps with this? I have all of Cathe's stuff but I think I need more help in this area. I'm so used to the video way of working out - I would love something that really works for flexibility.
Flexibility
- Thread starter slenamond
- Start date
Lastics and Advanced Lastics with Donna Flag.
Fit-N-Bendy by Kristina ?? I love her "quick and dirty series" (Bendy Booty, Bendy Back, Bendy Hips, along with her full length videos Get Bendy and Bendy Body)
Gravity Yoga with Lucas Rockwood (for me, by far the best! It isn't Yoga, per se, but holds each pose for several minutes really getting a good stretch. He has several for several body parts. They are about 15-20 min each, but I feel thoroughly stretched.) (I have only found this exact series on FMTV.com. This is the only membership site I belong to, and for me his series alone makes it worth it.)
{Edited to add: I just googled Gravity Yoga to see if you could find the series somewhere besides FMTV.com. Please know it is not the gravity yoga that pops up all over google (circus-like movements with swings, belts, equipment, etc. For Lucas Rockwood, you only need your body and minimal props if required (strap, block, chair).}
Fit-N-Bendy by Kristina ?? I love her "quick and dirty series" (Bendy Booty, Bendy Back, Bendy Hips, along with her full length videos Get Bendy and Bendy Body)
Gravity Yoga with Lucas Rockwood (for me, by far the best! It isn't Yoga, per se, but holds each pose for several minutes really getting a good stretch. He has several for several body parts. They are about 15-20 min each, but I feel thoroughly stretched.) (I have only found this exact series on FMTV.com. This is the only membership site I belong to, and for me his series alone makes it worth it.)
{Edited to add: I just googled Gravity Yoga to see if you could find the series somewhere besides FMTV.com. Please know it is not the gravity yoga that pops up all over google (circus-like movements with swings, belts, equipment, etc. For Lucas Rockwood, you only need your body and minimal props if required (strap, block, chair).}
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Do you feel the Gravity Yoga series is lacking since it only covers certain muscles?
ginny mahaney
Active Member
I feel your pain! I'm 49 and have really been struggling with this for the last 2 years. Particularly I feel like I am constantly dealing with tendonitis issues in my achilles, elbow, shoulder, and this year it's also been bursitis/tendonitis in my left hip flexor. So I've been working really hard this year to improve flexibility in my back and hips. What I've realized is that yoga and static stretching aren't helping nearly as much as mobility training. Steve Maxwell's Encyclopedia of Joint Mobility and Mark Lauren's Mobility RX are my go to DVDs right now. They are helping tremendously, I highly recommend. I've become a firm believer in the importance of mobility training. Good luck!
Jessica Smith has a few stretching dvds and free workouts on youtube. There is Cathe's Stretch Max, I like to do 2 segments back to back. Other dvds I like for stretching are Suzanne Bowen's Strengthen & Stretch, Karen Voight's Full Body Stretch and Tracie Long's Focus Series Reach Further.
I don't feel that each individual stretching video is lacking, since it does only focus on one body part at a time and does it really really well (for me). I guess I could say the series is lacking in that it doesn't have MORE individual workouts. But the series does have individual workouts for the back (which also gets the quads), the hamstrings, the shoulders, the hips, and wrists/twists/ankles - so he does cover a good amount of body parts. I would like to see him add an individual workout for the neck and maybe more twisting/upward motion.
Great, thanks. Last question, how often do you do them? And all at once or spread them out?
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mrsmel
Cathlete
I lost a lot of flexibility and mobility after I had a total hip replacement about 18 months ago. I'm finally back to a regular routine and the thing that helped me the most was stretching for 10-15 minutes after every work out; rather than 3-5 minutes. It's made a huge difference for me. It took about 2 to 3 months to notice the difference. I started doing the extended stretches from Cathe's LITE series and noticed I was moving a bit better, so I added extra stretching every day and now I think I'm even more flexible than I was before surgery.
I use the 2 extended stretches from LITE as well as the basic stretch from the Total Body Stretching DVD. I also have OnDemand and created a 15 minute stretch with all the stretches from the Fit Tower work outs. For some reason, I really love those stretches so I look forward to doing them. I also found a shared stretch in OnDemand. It's 3 of the stretches from the ICE work outs. That one is about 14 minutes, I think.
I am surprised at how much I've been able to improve in this category of fitness. I assumed what I had lost was gone forever, so it's been encouraging to regain some of the movement I had before surgery.
I use the 2 extended stretches from LITE as well as the basic stretch from the Total Body Stretching DVD. I also have OnDemand and created a 15 minute stretch with all the stretches from the Fit Tower work outs. For some reason, I really love those stretches so I look forward to doing them. I also found a shared stretch in OnDemand. It's 3 of the stretches from the ICE work outs. That one is about 14 minutes, I think.
I am surprised at how much I've been able to improve in this category of fitness. I assumed what I had lost was gone forever, so it's been encouraging to regain some of the movement I had before surgery.
Speaking of flexibility--it doesn't only apply to doing yoga and stretching. What you in your daily life and workouts matter. At 49 I'm way more flexible than when I was 29. It helps to stay flexible when my job has me moving more as opposed to standing at a work bench. I find low impact workouts really help hamstrings stay flexible. I never sit for long because that causes stiffening to happen (and who has time to sit aroung anyway?). Just keep on moving!
Denise R
Cathlete
I've looked at Mobility RX and wanted to ask what you think is different from Mark's training versus regular flexibility training. (or say Essentrics) I might be interested in adding this dvd to my routine.
ginny mahaney
Active Member
This DVD uses dynamic movements rather than static stretching and it does a really nice job of hitting the whole body, including achilles, hips, back, and shoulders. I haven't done Essentrics so I can't compare, sorry! If you Google flexibility vs mobility that might help (that's what I did, lol). It's not a strength DVD but improves your strength throughout the range of motion and increase range of motion as well.
Well.....how often do I do them or how often SHOULD I be doing them?!? Life has gotten in the way recently and I am stiff as a board.
Ideally (and when I got the best results), I would do a full 60-ish minute stretch once per week (could be all or multiple Gravity Yogas in one set or another stretch video I like to equal approx. 60 min) and then daily I would do an individual Gravity Yoga (each are about 15-20 min). I would rotate a different Gravity Yoga daily and would sneak it in while dinner was cooking, while on a break if I worked from home that day, or just set aside 20 minutes a day to do it. I felt SO GOOD when I would do this daily. Once in a great while, I would pile them all together for a full body stretch.
I just started them back up again about 10 days ago and already feel so much better.
I will say FOR ME, they are not relaxing at all...until you are done. Many stretching videos I find very relaxing during the workout (Lastics, Mobility RX, Fit n Bendy). These Gravity Yogas I find tough and that is because I am so stiff and you hold the moves for so long. I find the Shoulders and Back workouts the toughest for me. I do find the Hamstrings, hips, and Wrists/twists/ankles more relaxing, but that is because I am very flexible in those areas. Whereas my guy who sometimes does them with me finds them ALL horrifyingly tough and he curses and sweats throughout them all. To be fair, a piece of steel is more flexible than he is. But we both agree when we are done doing each stretch, we feel so much better.
I also feel and see results very quickly. I am not sure why it is called Gravity "Yoga", as it is very different than any Yoga video I have ever done.
It's not what I expected, but Kayla Itsines BBG has increased my mobility and ROM quite a bit. In the program there is stretching after each workout, low impact cardio every other day, and foam rolling with stretching. While the foam rolling & stretching help, I think it's the bodyweight exercises that really help with movement. You're doing the same or similar movements over & over and you gain slightly more and more strength & flexibility as you go.
I also do yoga several times a week, and that certainly helps too. BBG condensed to high impact jumping, leg work like step ups, walking lunges, pushups in many variations, and ab workouts with sit ups, straight leg lifts, with variations, the repetition has led to much less stiffness, if any, and much more mobility. It's pretty intense though so it's not dread-free. the workouts are at least as intense as Cathe's, but mercifully shorter than most of hers. You could easily do a similar workout with the blender or select Cathe premixes.
I think I remember P90X3 having a similar effect, there with plyo, strength, dynamix, and yoga weekly. Also, fairly short workouts, zero dread. You do repeat the workouts for 3 weeks, a recovery week, and the last block is also mostly repeated workouts in a different order I think.
Is there a theme then, lots of bodyweight exercises & repetition.
I also do yoga several times a week, and that certainly helps too. BBG condensed to high impact jumping, leg work like step ups, walking lunges, pushups in many variations, and ab workouts with sit ups, straight leg lifts, with variations, the repetition has led to much less stiffness, if any, and much more mobility. It's pretty intense though so it's not dread-free. the workouts are at least as intense as Cathe's, but mercifully shorter than most of hers. You could easily do a similar workout with the blender or select Cathe premixes.
I think I remember P90X3 having a similar effect, there with plyo, strength, dynamix, and yoga weekly. Also, fairly short workouts, zero dread. You do repeat the workouts for 3 weeks, a recovery week, and the last block is also mostly repeated workouts in a different order I think.
Is there a theme then, lots of bodyweight exercises & repetition.
nickisteen
Cathlete
I got on UTube and looked at Mark Lauren's Mobility RX. Looked great so I just ordered the DVD from Amazon Smile. Should be here Tuesday. Can't wait to get it!! Thank you, Ginny for your recommendation!