Flexibility loss

stargirlhorse
stargirlhorse Posts: 45 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Sooo I'm still at home and the weather's been super cruddy around here so I'm not exercising as much. And it sucks and I'm mad, but that's not the point of this topic. I've been working on flexibility since January when I started exercising and I don't want to lose it. I can do this, about this high, and I want to be able to keep it (or improve its height) by the end of quarantine. My eventual goal is to get my leg straight against my back haha. But for now, maintaining is the goal.
6364419809_02199c3f85_z.jpg
(Note; that's a girl from flickr, not me.)


My question is... how much flexibility do you lose per day? Like, how often do I have to stretch to maintain my level of flexibility? (I also know you shouldn't stretch on cold muscles, and I don't stretch on days I don't exercise because of that.)

18, Asian, female, 121lbs, 5'5.5ish.

Replies

  • hipari
    hipari Posts: 1,367 Member
    Based on my experience, not enough to be measured in days. I stretch way too little nowadays but can still put my palms to the floor while standing up with straight legs. Not every day though, since soreness or stiffness really affects my flexibility.
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,495 Member
    I can maintain my flexibility with 1-2 sessions a week, but if I want to make progress, I ramp it up to 3-5. I won't do more than 2 intense sessions a week, though. Too much risk of injury. I am careful not to overdo it and I don't stretch if I have DOMS.

    Fwiw, I am also working on my needle scale. Unfortunately, I have shoulder issues that make it difficult to even garb my foot, though I can hold it if someone helps me get in to position. :blush:
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,389 Member
    Depends. I'm always tight and always seem to start from the same point every day. Thus progress is very slow for me. I also spend a lot of time on massaging and trying to relieve muscle tightness. Can't wait for being able to visit a deep massage/trigger point/etc specialist.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,012 Member
    I think the answer is individual, but I also find that, for me, it isn't lost very fast, and regaining it goes much faster than the amount of time the loss took, if I work at it. At close to your size (same height, but 129-ish pounds), I can't do what she's doing, but it's not one of my goals, plus you're 18 and I'm 64 (but quite flexible for my age, and - based on group classes before the shutdowns - pretty flexible for most adult ages, comparatively).

    On the basis of age, and my own experience having been much younger at one point :lol: and a daily yoga practitioner then, about your size/weight, I'm going to predict that you'd lose flexibility very slowly indeed (weeks to see much change), and regain it fairly rapidly (days to small number of weeks, depending on a lot of things).

    I don't understand about not being able to practice now, though, if the issue is warming up. From all I read, the essential warmup for stretching doesn't require an extended amount of time or intensity - like a cycle of joint rotations, then 5 minutes of mild aerobic activity (could be jogging in place, or basic calisthentics-type moves like jumping jacks or something, jumping rope if there's room). There are bunches of short warm-up routine videos on YouTube. Maybe look for one from a credentialed source, and give it a try?

    Anything relevant you do now (yoga, stretching, etc.) will generally slow down loss of flexibility, too, I would think, even if it's not the exact stretches or activities you're used to doing.
  • stargirlhorse
    stargirlhorse Posts: 45 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    (clipped)
    I don't understand about not being able to practice now, though, if the issue is warming up. From all I read, the essential warmup for stretching doesn't require an extended amount of time or intensity - like a cycle of joint rotations, then 5 minutes of mild aerobic activity (could be jogging in place, or basic calisthentics-type moves like jumping jacks or something, jumping rope if there's room). There are bunches of short warm-up routine videos on YouTube. Maybe look for one from a credentialed source, and give it a try?
    (clipped)

    Yeah, the main issue is getting the motivation to do an actual warm-up. My body doesn't accept walking in place and my muscles will be just as tight as before. Even when I walk up the hill after getting the mail (HR = 140ish bpm) and instantly go stretch, I am not as flexible as I am post-run (like a 20 minute run on a 10 minute mile). Which I find weird...
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,495 Member
    You could try using a flexibility app. I have a few on my iPad. Usually I alternate between jumping jacks and buttkicks until I feel warm (2-3 minutes total). Then I will do a more targeted warmup and focus on the body part I want to work that day. Like if I am working on my back, I will do some cat-cows and cobra pushups. If I am working my legs, I will do a few leg swings just to wake up my hamstrings. Start with a few gentle stretches and then work my way in deeper.

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