How to Improve Flexibility

I'll start by saying that I am not a trainer or a medical professional. But I have improved and maintained my flexibility through practicing yoga and stretching for many years.

I've found that becoming more flexible is easy, though it becomes a bit more of a challenge as we age. All you have to do to be more flexible is to stretch. The important thing is that you stretch every day. I've found it helps me to stretch first thing when I get out of bed in the morning and as one of the last things I do before I go to bed at night. I also stretch before attending an event where I'll have to stand all day or sit on bleachers to help relieve some of the strain on my back and neck.

After you begin stretching regularly, you may notice that you feel better when you get up in the morning. Some of the usual aches and pains may have subsided. The more you stretch, the more flexible you become. Only stretch as far as you comfortably can and start out by holding the stretch for five seconds. By doing this, I have gradually been able to stretch more deeply and to hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.

Which stretches you do depends on where you want to become more flexible. Every morning I begin by stretching my arms up as high as I can reach. I do a brief workout every morning and then I do a straddle stretch touching my toes while sitting on a Swiss ball. This can also be done while seated on the floor. Then I do some yoga poses from the Sun Salutation. Standing, I touch my toes (just reaching is enough), then stretch my arms up and back as far as I can and end with my hands in prayer fashion in front of me. At my fitness class twice a week, the instructor takes us through a variety of stretches designed to loosen us up for our workout and then we do it again at the end when our muscles are warm. You'll find it's much easier to stretch when your muscles are warm and you've been moving around. I am much more flexible at night than I am in the morning.

At night, I do some poses that I adapted from a bedtime yoga routine. Seated on the bed in tailor fashion, I turn to each side as far as I can go, then reach my head and hands straight out in front of me as far as I can, then straighten my legs and touch my toes (again, it's enough just to reach for them), then laying back, I raise each leg straight up to stretch my hamstrings, then pull my knees toward my chest, then turn my bent legs first one way, then the other in a hip roll stretch, then reach my hands around my knees and roll gently from side to side, and I finish with Savasana or Corpse Pose (it looks just like it sounds).

To learn more stretches, you can search online, watch fitness shows on TV, pick up a yoga DVD or take a yoga class. There are many other types of classes you can take as well, which I have yet to try, but I hope to some day.