yoga?

It gets easier to do the poses. The flexibility will come (not gymnast, necessarily, but more flexible) but more - you'll gain good core muscles that will help you with everything else you do!

I take a beginner fitness yoga class, and have since July. Its pretty simple and the instructor always stresses to only stretch as far and for as long as you can without hurting yourself. I would look around in your aread and see if there is something like that. You can always call yoga studios and ask I am sure they would be more than willing to help/

Take it slow. You don't have to stretch the whole distance when you first start. In fact, if you stretch farther than your body tells you you should, you could injure yourself. When I first started, I could barely bend forward, my back was so tight. But over time, the stretches get deeper. Don't push yourself to where it hurts--just to where you feel the stretch a little bit. That will help.

I started with Richard Hittleman's 28-Day Yoga Exercise Plan. It's a book and not a video, but his technique encourages you to take it at your own pace and not force any of the poses.

Yoga made a huge difference in my life. But I took beginning classes from a certified instructor who really knew her stuff. I wish like anything that I'd stuck with it. However, even though I did not keep up with the yoga, I think my current health problems would be so much worse if I hadn't taken it back then (about 15 to 16 years ago.)

But if you are not in a class, I really would recommend getting into one with a good instructor who knows what she or he is doing and will correct you if you are doing a pose wrong. That will help you get the most benefit from the pose, and will help you not injure yourself.

i used to be flexible... not so much anymore

I don't know your age, but at 48 I'm having to acknowledge many things that aren't the same as they were when I was 16. I used to be able to just run 3 miles without stretching any time I felt like it. Now, just trying a few 40-yard intervals of jogging had me limping for a week.

I'm not sure about yoga/stretching, but I think it works the same way as exercise : you actually damage your body slightly, and afterwards your body repairs itself, only better. This process still works (even for people who are considerably older) but the sad truth is that the repair phase takes longer than it does for young folk.

The big challenge for me has been learning to be humble and gentle. I realize I'm not going to snap back into shape overnight, and I'm beginning to realize that the steps I need to take are tiny ones. But the nice thing is that I can feel that even the tiny steps are making a difference.

I think yoga is great, because everyone I've ever heard says you should never push yourself too hard. There's always room to be gentle and take it at your own pace.

p.s. Just think how bad you'd make everyone else feel if you were able to walk in and instantly be as flexible as those who have been practising diligently for years !

I need the pre-beginner version.

It comes with practice. I love the gaiam DVDs (I get mine at target). If you have the discovery channels you can follow along with the fitness channel's yoga shows. Maybe taking a step back as well and not hold the poses for as long or something so you don't hurt yourself. Hope this helps

I've just started doing yoga using an old dvd, or sometimes an app on my phone, and I'm really getting a lot out of it. I run regularly, and since starting yoga my hips are looser and my pace has improved a lot. At first some of the stretches just felt, well, stretchy, but as I've become better at it the positions are easier and my muscles are beginning to work harder. I like that it isn't something I'll be good at right away, and that it will take many years of practise. Plus as I get better I can learn new poses or styles, so I don't think I'll ever get bored. I plan to start taking classes locally soon, very exciting

Try this link. This woman is wonderful and she is a professional yoga teacher so you can get free classes in your own home!! I tried a lot a of different videos on youtube and she is my favorite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqQZ6oHjIFc&feature=channel

I second the 28-day book. Very good stuff. Take it slow. Yoga teaches that you should listen to your body. Do only what your body allows, it's ok. you are NOT competing! it's a continuum. Doing a little bit is good.]

As far as DVDs, I think the Gaiam ones are very good. They offer modifications for beginners.