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Horrible flexibility: Is there Hope for me?

tomcornhole
tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
edited January 29 in Fitness and Exercise
So I put the P90X Stretch video on the iPad and failed to do any of it. I cannot touch my toes, not even close. I am not fat, but I am freakishly inflexible. Have never stretched before or after workouts. So, if I dedicate time to stretching, will I get more flexible? I would love to touch my toes and then be able to do some yoga.

Thank you for your input.

Tom

Replies

  • EmilyEmpowered
    EmilyEmpowered Posts: 650 Member
    So I put the P90X Stretch video on the iPad and failed to do any of it. I cannot touch my toes, not even close. I am not fat, but I am freakishly inflexible. Have never stretched before or after workouts. So, if I dedicate time to stretching, will I get more flexible? I would love to touch my toes and then be able to do some yoga.

    Thank you for your input.

    Tom

    I never spent any time stretching until recently, and have improved my flexibility quite a bit since starting to work on it. It is something that I work on a little every day. It does take time and patience, but overall my flexibility is improving so I am keeping with it! Good luck!
  • traceyfunk
    traceyfunk Posts: 86
    So, if I dedicate time to stretching, will I get more flexible?

    Tom

    Absolutely! Just make sure you're really warm before you start. (Don't try to stretch cold muscles) Go as far as you can comfortably, and then push just a teeny bit farther. Hold for as long as you can - like 20 or 30 seconds at least. Do this every day - concentrating on how flexible you will become rather than on how flexible you are not - and you'll be touching your toes in no time. And bend from the hips, not your waist.

    Good luck!

    ps - you don't need to touch your toes before you start the yoga!
  • Katus130
    Katus130 Posts: 50 Member
    I'm not terribly familiar with the P90X videos but developing flexibility is not an overnight thing. As others have said you have to keep working on it. I always do a little cardio before I stretch to get the blood going so to speak.

    You might also want to look into getting a band like the Stretch out strap. I've found it really helpful.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    This is an interesting view on what stretching is good for. Suggests that you are probably better off doing mobility work as opposed to static stretching and you should stretch if it feels good but other than that the benefits are not as great as people think. A very interesting read

    http://saveyourself.ca/articles/stretching.php
  • traceyfunk
    traceyfunk Posts: 86
    I made a stab at reading that article - but couldn't get past the first few paragraphs - so this might be redundant, but I just want to reiterate - you do not stretch TO warm up, you stretch after you've warmed up and got the blood flowing. Makes it easier, and so much more enjoyable.

    Heard a saying once -"You're only as young as your spine is flexible" Don't know how accurate it is - but I do know I'm going to do all I can to still be able to touch the ground when I'm 80...
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    This is an interesting view on what stretching is good for. Suggests that you are probably better off doing mobility work as opposed to static stretching and you should stretch if it feels good but other than that the benefits are not as great as people think. A very interesting read

    http://saveyourself.ca/articles/stretching.php

    Great article. It's long, it's detailed, and there are a lot of good ideas in it. One thing that I've heard, and noticed, is that strength training seems to help flexibility at least as much as stretching does.
  • vickilowell
    vickilowell Posts: 37 Member
    YES you can become more flexible...... just do a little bit every day. In 3 weeks you will see progress and you will feel better so gradually that you many not realize it as you are moving along.....yoga is wonderful too and there is a level for everybody. I always stretch first thing in the morning as I find it makes the whole day better. You may not be burning a lot of calories by adding this to your fitness routine but your entire body will thank you. GOOD FOR YOU for starting, it's all a daily journey anyhow.... there's no race!
  • ShaniWulffe
    ShaniWulffe Posts: 458 Member
    You can absolutely become more flexible the more you stretch! You just need to be careful with it. Always wait to stretch until you're warmed up, and don't push it too far. Also, physical therapists recommend that you hold it for somewhere between 30 seconds and 3 minutes to reap the maximum benefits. Be patient and work on it *every* day. It doesn't happen overnight, and it won't happen if you just kind of go at it lackadaisically.

    Side note: everyone has a "limit" for certain flexibilities. My hips, for example, are very tight and the sockets are shaped oddly. This means I will probably never be able to get my middle splits. My hamstrings, on the other hand, are very long and very loose, so I can be standing or sitting with my legs out in front of me (if that makes sense) and lay my chest completely on my thighs with a flat back no problem, even if I'm not warmed up.

    Oh, also, an adult will not see as much improvement as a child. Pretty much by the time you're 12, you are set. You can still improve, but the "limit" is even more rigid than that of a child.
  • thesupremeforce
    thesupremeforce Posts: 1,206 Member
    I couldn't touch my toes my toes (without serious knee bending, obviously) for my entire adult life until this year. Now, I can get my knuckles on the floor. I could also put my foot in my mouth if I was so inclined. Since I can't imagine that tasting very good, I won't do it.
  • StrongLife
    StrongLife Posts: 525 Member
    Yoga is actually the place to start. I was so embarrassed when I started Tari Rose's Hardbody Yoga but I gotta tell you, after about 3 weeks the flexibility changed like magic. It hasn't left me even though I stopped doing the routine.
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