Flexibility is a vital component of fitness, which is often overlooked. Maintaining your muscles is important for keeping everyday activities easy and doable – helping to prevent injury such as back pain, and for allowing your joints to work optimally and move through their greatest range of movement.
(Related: The beginner’s guide to mobility and stretching)
There are many ways to improve flexibility, from effective stretches that you can do as part of an easy-to-follow home routine, to more structured flexibility workouts such as a yoga class. Incorporate these moves into your routine to limber up.
(Related: 10 ways to beat muscle soreness)
5 ways to improve your flexibility
1. Yoga
Yoga is at the top of the list when it comes to flexibility. Whatever your flexibility goal, there’s something for everyone when it comes to yoga. A yoga style such as Yin or Hatha yoga may be a good first port-of-call if flexibility is your focus. (See below for two poses to try at home).
(Related: The beginner’s guide to yoga)
Yin yoga works at a different pace with an emphasis on really lengthening out, breathing and generally un-winding.
2. Keep your warm up dynamic
Skipping your warm up is a no-no when it comes to staying flexible. Not only do you potentially increase the risk of injury, you’re also missing out on a golden opportunity to improve flexibility.
(Related: How to warm up for improved performance)
Including moves that recruit multiple muscle groups such as multi-directional lunges, bridges with an arm extension and a high-knee skip will help to improve mobility both during and after your workout.
3. Vary your stretching
Both static and dynamic stretching have their place when it comes to your flexibility. Static stretching, where you hold the stretch, can be helpful in improving range of movement in a joint, but is best left to post-workout when muscles are warm.
(Related: Stretching can increase muscle mass by 318%)
Pre-workout it’s a good idea to include movement in your stretches. Rotational lunges, hugging your knee to your chest and arm circles all work well to improve flexibility as you prepare the body for exercise.
4. Pilates
While the main focus of Pilates is the core, moves such as The Saw, Spine Stretch and Neck Pull all help to improve flexibility everywhere from inner thighs and hips to upper back and neck.
(Related: 5 ways to improve your posture)
There’s also a strong focus on posture in Pilates which can help to prevent muscles from becoming overworked and over tight in the first place.
5. Tai chi
Dubbed meditation in motion, not only is tai chi a fantastic way to relax, the continuous, flowing practice of moving from one posture to another, as well as the gentle, mobilising warm up, makes tai chi an excellent method of improving flexibility.
(Related: The modern man’s guide to zen)
Try these simple yoga poses at home to improve your flexibility
Downward Facing Dog
This is a great pose for stretching out your back and your hamstrings – when hamstring muscles get tight, they can cause lower back pain. It also works your upper body.
- Start on all fours ensuring hands are positioned under shoulders with fingers pointing forward.
- Push into the floor and raise your hips into the air continuing until legs are as straight as you can get them (don’t lock your knees) and your body has formed an inverted ‘V’ shape.
- Keep your shoulders relaxed, back straight and head relaxed. Press heels into the floor as you inhale and exhale deeply 3-4 times.
- Return to starting position and repeat twice more.
(Related: The yoga flow that makes you stronger and smarter)
Child’s pose
This pose stretches out upper and lower back and the top of your buttocks.
- From a kneeling position, lower your bottom towards your heels.
- Bend forward from the waist so that your arms out are outstretched on the floor in front of you.
- Your stomach should be resting gently on top of your thighs while your forehead rests on the mat.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
A version of this article originally appeared on NetDoctor.co.uk
