I have extremely limited flexibility.

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pduckworth
pduckworth Posts: 133
in Fitness and Exercise
For as long as I can remember, I have had extremely limited flexibility. You know when you sit down on the group and spread your legs in a V position and then try to stretch down as far as you can forward? Yeah well... my hands can't even reach the ground when I do that.* I really want to increase my flexibility, especially in my back, but I have no idea what I should do! Does anybody have any suggestions of perhaps stretches or exercises that can help me achieve this?


*Several years ago, back in high school, I was down the presidential fitness test. My gym teacher didn't believe me that I couldn't touch the ground so she came up behind me and pushed on my back to flatten it out. I thought I was going to die. The pain was incredible and I could hardly walk for the next few days...

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  • AntSteps
    AntSteps Posts: 20
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    You could try yoga, like beginners/basics stuff...
    or just look up stretching on the internet and do it daily
  • sl1ngsh0t
    sl1ngsh0t Posts: 326 Member
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    So do I . The only way to improve it is to try to improve it and don't quit.
  • rebecca_d35
    rebecca_d35 Posts: 131
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    Yoga, yoga, yoga. It makes a huge difference.
  • 1Ciarrah
    1Ciarrah Posts: 55 Member
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    I have the same problem. Can't wait to see the replies. Anything other than yoga...
  • saragato
    saragato Posts: 1,154
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    If you think the flexibility is related mostly to your back, maybe you should see a chiropractor or an orthopedic spine specialist and see if there's anything medically wrong first. If there's nothing wrong or even if there is but it's not major you could ask for suggestions on exercises that would help or even some physical therapy.

    Me personally I have what's called Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, basically a fancy way of saying "double-jointed" so I'm crazy flexible even as heavy as I am but it comes with the price of pain if the joints or muscles around them get hurt, like right now I'm nursing two bruised knees because one got hurt during my workout yesterday and when I was on the treadmill I favored it, thus injuring the other knee.
  • Yes2HealthyAriel
    Yes2HealthyAriel Posts: 453 Member
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    I have a sciatica and also an old shoulder injury. Look up in a search engine back stretches and exercises. Try to do at least 10 minutes a day. This will help a lot
  • gseburn
    gseburn Posts: 456 Member
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    *goes back in time and slaps that gym teacher* Yes little by little you can improve. You may have a physical limitation of somekind., Could get that checked out by a DR or Sport Medicine specialist
  • Tree72
    Tree72 Posts: 942 Member
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    I also recommend yoga. You may need to use some props at first (like the foam blocks and cotton straps) to help you ease into positions. Start off slow and be persistent (practice for a bit most days), and you should see results soon.

    Also, personally I find that my muscles and joints stretch a bit better if they are warmed up first. So I usually take a 10 or 15 minute walk to warm up or do all my stretching/yoga after doing whatever cardio I'm doing for the day.
  • gigimarie66
    gigimarie66 Posts: 3
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    ditto on the yoga. Also check if your local YMCA has stretching classes or something similar. I took one which combine stretching, balance and yoga.
  • trybefan
    trybefan Posts: 488 Member
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    regular stretching, ROM activities like arm cirlces, shoulder circles should help. also make sure to stretch the hip flexors as these get ignored and play a huge role in lower flexibility. There are a number of books that detail some great stretches.

    This being said, I am a horrible stretcher and force myself to do it nightly.
  • mayerel
    mayerel Posts: 254 Member
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    Use a towel or bands to help you gently pull yourself (without hurting yourself!) to gain a bit more flexibility! And do it everyday. My husband can't touch his toes or even sit in an "L" position without lots of support. But if you do a little bit every day, it gets easier.

    I used to be super flexible but lost a lot of it. When I want to start working on my splits again I did it between to chairs to give myself some support.

    Also, I've found stretching at the END of cardio (when my body is warm) is very helpful!!
  • vthetigercat
    vthetigercat Posts: 38
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    For that V-stretch specifically, I like to lay down with my butt pressed against the wall, and my legs pointed up to the ceiling. You can open your legs out as far as you can, and then gravity does the stretching for you. It is nice for your back because you can do it a lot longer than bending straightforward (strain, hard to breath in that position, etc.). You can also put a pillow or a phone book under your back to relieve any additional stress.
  • jennkain97
    jennkain97 Posts: 290 Member
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    Yoga and pilates will both help you increase your flexibility. Just be sure to take it slow. Find a very basic class or dvd to start with, and work your way up as you get more comfortable. Most people think yoga and pilates are "easy" -- until they try them! Your muscles will be sore for the first week or so, but this will subside if you stick with it.
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
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    I have the same issue. Mine stems directly from my hamstrings and calves though. Dynamic stretching has helped me a lot, and making sure I don't stretch when I am completely cold. So I'll do some jumping jacks or go for a brisk walk, and then do about 15 minutes of stretches. I always start from the head down, so I'll loosing my neck and shoulders. Then my trunk and arms, lower back followed by hamstrings and quads. Then I spend extra time on my calves, Achilles tendons and ankles due to chronic shin splints and weak ankles.

    The key is to do this all the time though. You have to be consistent and you have to breathe through your stretches, even if it hurts. I basically don't even attempt yoga unless I've stretched because with how limited my flexibility is, it just becomes aggravating.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    The rules of stretching are really simple.

    1. WARM UP anything you are about to stretch. I generally just hop on a treadmill or an elliptical and warm everything up. Once my heart rate is up in the cardio range for 5-10 minutes, I'm pretty much ready for anything. But I'll also hop back on the cardio machine and get my heart rate back up if I've stretched for more than a few minutes to keep the areas I'm stretching warm.

    Stretching a cold muscle is an invitation to injury.

    2. Starting out, pick the spots where you have the least flexibility and work on those first. A "stretch" should be a very VERY slow movement until you feel resistance, then a very VERY gentle push with only the nearby muscles against that resistance. A stretch should be a single continuous gentle push, NEVER a bouncing or rapid motion. If it starts to hurt, back off. You want a slight "tension" feeling but no pain.

    Always position yourself so you aren't depending on your balance to prevent an overstretch. For example, when starting out with the "touch your toes", it's not a bad idea to put your hands on a bench or raised surface in front of you and slowly remove the weight from your hands to initiate the stretch. If you started falling forward, your instinct would be to straighten up, and if you are already at maximum stretch, you'll get hurt. Floor work is generally best when you're starting out, though, so doing "touch your toes" while sitting with your legs straight out is far safer (a "fall" means you're RELIEVING the stretch, not making it more pronounced).

    Overstretching a muscle is an invitation to injury. Putting yourself in a position where you might have to overstretch to react to a fall is a bad idea.

    3. Stretching takes some time to do it safely. Results are slow and incremental. Be patient. Never "pull" into a stretch until you get used to the feeling of stretching and get a feel for your "pain point" (where the stretchy feeling just barely starts to turn to discomfort). Never go past the "pain point".

    Patience is the key to avoiding injury.

    There are tons and tons of sites and books that give good-form stretches. Yoga is good, as is a good sports doctor or chiropractor or personal trainer if you have easy access to any one of the three.

    Normally I'd suggest a PE teacher for a school-aged kid, but your experience would counterindicate this. If she's already caused you an injury through her ignorance, she's not a resource I'd explore any further.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    I highly recommend doing beginners yoga, any type or any where should help with the flexibility. It's far more interesting that just doing stretches too. To increase flexibility, you need to stretch your muscles, tendons and ligaments in a safe and consistent way. Yoga's focus on listening to your body should allow you to stretch without hurting yourself. It's been perfected over thousands of years, I don't see a reason why not to try it!
    Otherwise, try and find a chi kung (qigong, and other spellings) class. It's used as physical therapy in China! It's also great for low intensity stretching. Martial arts are great, but going old school to chi kung is even better. Another system perfected for thousands of years!
  • Shfiftyfive
    Shfiftyfive Posts: 261
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    Foam roll, stretch, foam roll, stretch, repeat.
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
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    Yoga and pilates. Use a belt (or towel), blocks and blankets to help you out when you start. Even my DH, who had NO flexibility when we started, is starting to notice how much better he's getting. And on Monday, I discovered that when I do the butterfly stretch, my face is planted in my feet!
  • mayerel
    mayerel Posts: 254 Member
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    Foam roll, stretch, foam roll, stretch, repeat.

    Yes!!! I love my foam roll!! And a tennis ball is great to work out little kinks and knots!
  • Shfiftyfive
    Shfiftyfive Posts: 261
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    Foam roll, stretch, foam roll, stretch, repeat.

    Yes!!! I love my foam roll!! And a tennis ball is great to work out little kinks and knots!

    Oh god! I hate that so much every time I do it! I don't understand those masochists that can use a lacross ball. D:

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