How to become flexible?

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aveslp

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I've always been really inflexible, which is probably really dangerous for me, especially for doing sports and weight training (since i've recently started.) So my question is, what's the best way to become flexible? I'd like to be able to move my body more freely and less awkwardly, and not injuring myself would be nice too.

I may take a yoga class sometime soon, but are there any good alternatives? (that perferrably don't involve taking classes) Any books I should buy that have a lot of good stretches and information?
 
Do you know stretching?! There are two tipes of flexibility, one general and one specific



good informations for you!
 
haha. of course I know about stretching, but I thought it was obvious that I stretching techniques, but I apparently didn't make that clear. It probably would have been a good idea to say the word "stretch" at least once in my post. Sorry about that.


Thanks for the link!
 
if a person does enough stretching and training, would it be possible for someone who can't do the splits to be able to in time or is it something you're born with?
 
during your youth your joints and ligaments are soft and pliable and so the splits and stuff are easy to achieve
you could be born more flexible but that doesnt mean you cant stretch and be flexible enough

splits are difficult to achieve for adults and takes a lot of time with a little modification in split technique

refer to brad appleton's stretching
:)
 
if u want to be flexible i got a good thing for u. go to google and search matt furey or matt furey's dymatic stretching. it's really awesome. i was a really not bendable fat @$$. but about after a week i could stretch pretty crazy.
 
evolution said:
No. Furey is a brilliant marketer but that's about it.
Click to expand...

seriously :p his book on combat conditioning was like he put all the bodyweight exercises together
nothing new about it
 
well when ever i can i take my shoes off and do that one weird yoga thing but it hurts lyk put your feet indian styled so both bottoms of your feet point upwards, feels kinda good lol (both feet must be showing)
 
so u guyz are sayin was matt furey says does not work. im currently tryin it and it has been like 3 weeks now and i dont really notice anything new
 
I bought this book recently, "One Hundred Stretches" by Jim Brown and I have to say that I like it. It's just a little book that you can carry around with you which is really handy since you can pretty much stretch anywhere. I picked a bunch out of the 100 that I like and that cover all body parts and I do them in my cube at work. If / when I get bored of the stretches I have chosen, I can go back to the book and pick different ones.
 
Help!!

aveslp said:
I've always been really inflexible, which is probably really dangerous for me, especially for doing sports and weight training (since i've recently started.) So my question is, what's the best way to become flexible? I'd like to be able to move my body more freely and less awkwardly, and not injuring myself would be nice too.

I may take a yoga class sometime soon, but are there any good alternatives? (that perferrably don't involve taking classes) Any books I should buy that have a lot of good stretches and information?
Click to expand...

Heyyy..
Ok listen.. Dont bother taking yoga or getting any of those books.. im a dancer so i work hard everyday at keeping up my fitness and flexibility.. what i recommend is that everyday once a day you follow these easy steps in order:
1. Butterfly.. sit on the floor with your back straight and put your feet in a diamond shape in front of you with the bottoms of your feet touching, bring your feet in as close as you can without it hurting then lean down to the ground as far as you can! (By the way hold each stretch for 30 seconds)
2. Put you feet out in frint of you and stretch your calves by flexing your feet and grabbing your toes and leaning down as far as you can while pulling on your feet..
3.In the same position point your toes and lean down untill you can feel it in your thighs and probobly again in you calves..
4. Now put your legs in a straddle postition put one arm on the floor pointing horizontally against you body and lean over to the side having your other arm lean accross your body this should stretch your back.. do the same for the other side..
5.Now still in straddle position lean down towards your leg as far as you can go so you feel in at the top of your leg.. do the same for both legs..
6.Still in straddle lean your whole body to the front of you and go down towards the ground as far as yuo can..
7.For this stretch its like sitting on the floor with your legs crossed except one leg goes on top of the other, lean down so that you can feel it in your buttox.. do the same again but with your other leg onto..
8.Noe this is the part everyone hates.. splitz!! Its a good idea that at the end of all this you do each type of splits(side, right and left) and hold each of the for 30 seconds i know its hated but it will do you good.. REMEMBER-pain is good!!
Now i know this may seem lik alot but its now trust me.. do this once a day you could become flexible.. i do this everyday and now i can do each type of splits, lift my leg to my head, kick up high etc..
Well good luck i hope this can help you!!
 
yes.
some people are born "limber". And some people got started in activities that helped them become limber as toddlers.
I'm not one of them. I flunked gymnastics, dance, you name it in high school.
Then when I was in my 20's I started working in a gym & some of the instructors with dance & gymnastic background convinced me if I worked at it, I could get limber.
I could do a splitin less than a year. ( to the left; to the right was harder for some reason)I could do a straddle split (Chinese split) within 16 months, but that I have to work at every day or I lose my ability to do it.

When working at being limber (IMHO) stretch and work at it daily
but don't force it or try too much right away, because you can end up hurting yourself which delays the process even more.
Don't bounce, don't have someone push your shoulders down, or pull into a split, because then it isn't really you stretching yourself anyway.
If you just enjoy the process of the stretch and how it feels when taking a class or doing an exercise, eventually you start to feel limber without trying.
I'm not sure that was cohesive or helpful but I hope so.
 
all you can do is work within your limits. you sound like me. stick with it; you'll get there.
 
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