So inflexible:(

P

pumper06

Cathlete
I think I may be the most inflexible person in the world. I can't even touch my toes!! What have you done to improve flexibility?

I just bought the biggest loser yoga dvd, and have done 1 segment (I also have the p90x yoga dvd, but it is waaay too long and hard for my short attention span!). Will this help? How many times a week?

Thanks for your input!
 
I am hoping you get some responses because I am pretty sure I am just as inflexible!!! I do all cathe's workouts and go to her classes and I STILL can't touch my toes. Here's wishing someone can help us!!!

ellie
 
Oh it is to good to hear other people experience this too. I can barely touch my shins let alone my toes. I would love to hear what has worked for other people.

Jean
 
Hello. I can tell you what has worked for me, . . I do have a bit of an edge condsidering that I took ballet when I was younger and as a teen, . . .and although it seems like that was eons ago I've managed to maintain my flexibility (I can do the splits) by stretching after my cardio workout when my muscles are warm. Like anything you have to practice, practice, and practice some more. I will do a stretch go to the point where I can really feel the muscle stretching, and hold it for about 30 seconds. Stop and repeat. I never stretch to the point where my muscle shakes because I know that means I've gone to far. Yoga is wonderful for increasing flexability since a lot of the poses really help to stretch out the muscles. You have to hold the poses and practice breathing through that stretch. Ballet stretches are great.
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/36079_ballet-steps-stretches.htm
Grande Battement or ballet kicks are what helped me to do the splits though when I was younger. I did a ton of these and then one day I was just able to to the spilts.
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/36080_ballet-steps-grande-battement.htm
Practice is definitely the key though. I can tell you when I don't practice I have to work up to being increasing my flexibility back to where it was.
 
Another inflexible checking in!

I've never been overly flexible, but I have found that the more I run, the less flexible I get... most especially my hamstrings and hip flexors. I do stretch, but it's pretty laughable when I'm doing a cool down on a workout. I look pretty lame compared to all the instuctors and crew.
 
ita w/ practice, practice!

when i am faithful in doing classical stretch (classicalstretch.com) im amazed at the difference in my body!
as soon as i lag in doing it tho im right back to zero.

good luck!
 
Any stretching will help, but you need to invest the time. I would shoot for yoga 3 times a week. Cathe's Stretch Max is pretty good too, though I would hold the stretches a little longer than she does.

I'm bendy, so I can't speak from personal experience, but my daughter and husband are wickedly inflexible. DH made some great progress by working yoga poses into his post-workout stretch, eventually getting to the point where he could touch the floor.
 
Try doing a few stretches anytime you are warm. You should always stretch after a workout, but also stretching in the shower, after a warm bath (actually I'm small enough that I stretch when I'm taking a bath). Make stretching a part of your day and stretch a few times whenever you think about it. And like someone else said never push hard enough to shake or when your muscles are cold. For me once I've been up and moving around for awhile my muscles can usually handle stretching.
 
pumper06 said:
I think I may be the most inflexible person in the world. I can't even touch my toes!! What have you done to improve flexibility?

I just bought the biggest loser yoga dvd, and have done 1 segment (I also have the p90x yoga dvd, but it is waaay too long and hard for my short attention span!). Will this help? How many times a week?

Thanks for your input!
Click to expand...

I, too, have problems with flexibility. Any regular stretching routine will help improve your flexibility. You may never be able to do splits, but it has more to do with your particular muscle attachment sites and muscle length, etc. (genetics included!) I find when I stretch daily for at least 10-20 mins. my flexibility improves. Assisted stretching should help you even more.
 
That yoga is flexibility training is a misconception.

Yoga works synergistically on flexibility, balance, strength, endurance. Vinyasa (flowing from pose to pose) can even have a cardio effect based on how the routine is put together.

The type of yoga poses you practise can emphasize flexibility versus the other aspects.

Athletic stretching is also a good way to develop flexibility, but yoga is what has worked for me, so I recommend it.

Any yoga practice DVD that emphasizes flexibility will help you more than a yoga DVD that has more holistic-training objectives.

I personally like the Yoga Zone titles (they are old but still great DVDs, available quite affordably at amazon) that have a flexibility focus.
Stretching for Flexibility
Flexibility and Stress Release

I also recommend Rodney Yee's AM yoga for your week. It has five 20-ish minute session so it can be tagged on after a strength or cardio workout. Each session has an emphasis - forward bends, backbends, twists, etc. So you get to work on each plane in rotation. The cueing is outstanding. It isnt specifically for flexibility but the emphasis on other aspects is more muted.
AM Yoga For Your Week

You could also try Yin yoga/restorative yoga with props, but I find it very boring. You get into and hold a yoga pose for a long time in yin styles of yoga. Un-propped, I like it, but it isnt suitable at all for those with limited flexibility. The props ensure you dont over-extend and actually help you slowly develop range of motion, but they make it sooo cumbersome.
 
This is an area I need to work on also. I used to be pretty flexable in my teens, touching beyond my toes and touching the floor. Not sure if age or workingout has tightened my hips and hamstrings...


The yoga and stretch X DVDs from P90X is why I admire the whole P90X program, it really is a complete program focusing on all areas of fitness.
 
I do the same as Janie1234. I will stretch at least 20 minutes after a cardio session when my muscles are still warm, holding each stretch 30-60 seconds and breathing deeply. You can actually feel the muscle stretch, lengthen and let go.

I am very flexible and always thought being so would keep me healthy and injury free. Not always true and according to my physical therapist, being over-flexible can be problematic for certain types of sports. I tore my hamstring where it attaches to the sit bones (ishial tuberosity) throwing a sidekick at karate which I had been doing for years. My PT's explained that in my case, when I threw out that explosive kick, the muscle should have tightened and contracted but because I was overly stretched, it just continued to lengthen and the force caused the attachment to tear.
 
I am glad to see I'm not the only one who's inflexible!!

I am going to try adding a stretch max segment after cardio and see if that helps. And Vee, I will check out the AM Yoga DVD on collage. Thanks for the tip!
 
i am enjoying the extended stretch from STS immensely! i do it after my runs now.

stretching before & after my running has kept me quite flexible.. i stretch every day.. and i did prenatal yoga every day during my pregnancy and the nurses helping me deliver my son were amazed at how flexible i was! thank you crunch fitness prenatal yoga :)
 
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