Really want to touch my toes...

LittleMissAlx

I am insanely inflexible, it's ridiculous. I've heard yoga is good for improving that, and I've tried it, but I'm not sure I'm really seeing any benefits from it. Maybe I'm not being consistent enough? I go through phases where I'm like, must do yoga, and then I forget about it for a couple of months, and this repeats. Would doing it every week help?

Should also mention, I've never been to a class yet, I've been using the Daniel Miller Simply Yoga app - I really want to try a class but (I know this sounds daft) I don't really want to go by myself lol, because I wouldn't really know what I was doing. Maybe the app doesn't have poses that specifically target flexibility - does anyone know of some I should look up and practice?

Or anything else I could try to increase my flexibility?

Thanks x

LittleMissAlx

Just wanted to bump this to see if anyone had any ideas??

bacamacho

Stretch a little bit daily and you'll increase your flexibility. I have been trained to stretch before and after every workout/training session. It really makes a difference for me. At 40, my range of motion is pretty good and it helps for when I play soccer and have to swing my limbs around in all kinds of directions quickly. I've had very few injuries in my life that weren't impact related, AKA a hard tackle in a soccer game.

ZugTheMegasaurus

I'd actually recommend the class because you don't really know what you're doing! I took some yoga classes back in high school, so there would be about 10 students and the instructor would go around the room and correct everyone's posture as we did the poses. It's amazing how much the little tiny corrections made a difference. I could be doing it about 95% right and not have to move much, but just a little shift in the hips or a fraction of an inch back on the heels made a very noticeable improvement. So I'd suggest doing a class or two first and then doing it at home, just to make sure you're doing it to the best of your ability.

MFPBrandy

I have never been to a yoga class where the instructor didn't know who was new and help them out. Also, even when no one is new, the instructors walk through poses in increasing levels of difficulty, and the people who are ready take the pose to the next level; everyone else stays at the easier levels. Yoga is so adaptable; please don't be afraid to go to a class without a friend in tow.
For home practice, one thing you might try is getting your butt right up against the wall and laying down on the floor with your legs straight up the wall, knees straight. Once that's comfortable, put a light, flexible weight (like a small sandbag) on your feet to increase the stretch. Make sure it's not something that's going to hurt if it falls off on you -- we have sandbags in yoga class, and at home I use a really squishy medicine ball. Heck, a bag of flour would work; you don't need any special equipment.
Once you're good with that, try moving to an outside corner so that one leg can stay up the wall while the other leg lays flat on the ground.

bcmallwalker

I started doing yoga every morning a couple of weeks ago. I had never done it before. I found my favorite yoga class on youtube it is for beginners and is only 28 mins. long. I've seen a lot of improvement already. It is called Yoga for Complete Beginners - 30 minute Yoga Class, you can find it here: http://youtu.be/xPr4g7o46DY

Through the advise of someone from MFP, I also found a really great yoga website: http://www.doyogawithme.com/
This is a wonderful resource for free online classes for everyone from beginners to advanced. You can find classes that target your needs. I've done the Bend & Stretch class (beginner's) with Melissa Mcleod, it is great. Also did her
Oceanside Restorative Yoga class last night, soooo relaxing!

There are tons of free classes available on youtube and the internet. I don't think I would even bother buying a dvd or taking an actual class because there is such variety available and it is so convenient. I do think you need to be consistent to see progress though. I know that I feel so great when I get done with a class that I am hooked now.

Best wishes, I hope that this helps you.

LittleMissAlx

Hey everyone

Thanks for the advice and the links, I shall definitely check them out because I'm away from my home at the mo and it would be great to get started.

I'll look into finding a class at my gym - maybe because it's part of the uni, there'll be more new people starting in September so that might be a good time to start without feeling too self conscious?