Sublimely Fit

Creating a healthier, more satisfying life.

  • Home
  • About
    • About Beth
    • About Sublimely Fit
      • Affiliations
      • Disclosure
  • Yoga for Runners
    • Free Guide! Hip Openers for Runners
    • Book
    • Yoga for Runners Course
    • Blog Posts
    • Running
      • Running for Beginners
      • Free Training Plans
      • Training Tips
      • Fueling + Nutrition
      • Gear Reviews
  • Yoga
    • Free Yoga Jump Start
    • Yoga for Beginners
    • Yoga Sequences
    • Yoga Poses
    • Mindfulness
  • Soul
    • Mental Health
    • Self Love
    • Body Image
    • Motivation
    • Goal Setting
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Smoothies
    • Snacks
  • Store

How to Build Flexibility

03.07.16

One of the questions I get asked most often when people find out I’m a yoga teacher is, “How do I become more flexible?” Being more flexible can help you feel more comfortable in your everyday life, allowing you to sit and do other activities more comfortably. Stretching your muscles to increase flexibility just feels good, too. If you’ve been trying to build flexibility but feel like you’re not getting anywhere, this post is for you. You won’t become Gumby overnight, but if you do these three things, you’ll definitely build flexibility. If you’re more of a video person, be sure to scroll down to the bottom—there’s a video waiting for you there.

Would you love to be more flexible? Be sure to read these three tips for helping increase flexibility!

Find the right amount of stretch

One thing I tell my clients all the time, especially clients who tend to have tighter muscles to begin with, like runners and desk sitters, is that they need to focus on finding the right amount of stretch. Pushing harder into a stretch is almost always counter-productive. Your muscles start to lock up when you stretch too far, as your body naturally tries to protect itself from overstretching and over-stressing the muscles.

FREE Hip Openers for Runners Guide

Sweet relief for your tight, sore hips!

Get the best hip-opening yoga poses sent straight to your inbox.

Do you want to be more flexible? Do these 3 things!

Click To Tweet

It’s very important to find a place in the stretch where you feel a gentle opening or pull through the muscle. Make sure the muscle is warmed up by doing some gentle movement for a few minutes, maybe go on a short walk or just move around. Then, find a comfortable stretch in the muscle you want to lengthen. You should feel like you can sit in that stretch for a while. When you find that sweet spot, your body will start to relax as you breathe deeply and focus on releasing the muscle that you’re stretching. That’s when you’ll start to see improvements in your flexibility.

Be consistent!

Being consistent with your stretching is also huge. If you just stretch once a week, or even less, you’ll make small improvements on the day you stretch and shortly after that, but your muscles will start to tighten up pretty quickly, especially if you’re working out or using them regularly. Stretching doesn’t have to take forever, so if you’re really serious about building flexibility in a certain area of your body, set aside five to 10 minutes to stretch at least every other day, if not daily.

Stretching can easily be done while you’re watching TV or checking social media on your phone, so if you’re really crunched for time, figure out how you can multitask and stretch at the same time. You probably won’t release as much as you would if you were fully focused on the stretching, breathing and mentally focusing on lengthening and releasing your muscles, but it’s still better than not stretching at all.

Add in self-massage

You can stretch all you want, but if your muscles have adhesions that are preventing your muscle fibers from being able to fully move, you won’t get very far. Adhesions in the muscles naturally form as your muscles repair themselves and get stronger after you work them, whether it’s at the gym or just doing work in your daily life. Self-massage helps to break up those adhesions, not only helping you feel better, but also allowing you to find greater flexibility. Use a foam roller or other self-massage tool to massage out the muscles you plan to stretch, then stretch them gently when you’re done. You’ll see a big difference.

 

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

« The Biggest Yoga Mistakes Runners Make
Friday Favorites #70 + Weekly Update »

Comments

  1. Tiffany @ The Chi-Athlete says

    03.07.16 at 8:46 AM

    Great tips, lady! I know FOR SURE that I need to get on the ball with stretching and building my flexibility. I will make it more of a priority, and am definitely looking forward to the series.:)

  2. Susie @ SuzLyfe says

    03.07.16 at 10:36 AM

    Self massage is definitely a great way to build in flexibility, and one that few people think of!

  3. Jenn - a traveling Wife says

    03.07.16 at 3:55 PM

    These are great! Consistency is key. I always love a good stretch but don’t always incorporate them enough.

  4. EB @ Running on E says

    03.07.16 at 8:05 PM

    Thanks for this post! Adding in more yoga and improving my flexible are part of my current running goals. Breaking it down into smaller ‘to-dos’ is really helpful!

Trackbacks

  1. Favorite links 3/12 - Prepare For Adventure says:
    03.12.16 at 8:37 PM

    […] How to build flexibility – #3 is something I need to work on. […]

hello image sublimely fit

Hi, I'm Dr. Beth Brombosz! I'm a yoga teacher, running coach, and writer living in Oklahoma. I would love to help you create a healthier, more satisfying life. Join me on the journey!

beth (at) sublimelyfit.com
facebook twitter pinterest instagram bloglovin

 

FREE HIP OPENERS FOR RUNNERS GUIDE!

Search

Yoga for Runners Book

Yoga for Runners Book and eBook Bundle

Like Sublimely Fit on Facebook

Like Sublimely Fit on Facebook

Disclaimer

Sublimely Fit is a personal blog and all opinions are my own. I am not a medical professional. Please follow the advice of your doctor first and foremost. Although my intent is to do no harm, if you are injured following my opinion or something you have read here, I am not responsible. I am not responsible for comments written by others. Disrespectful or profane comments may be deleted. Privacy: I will never sell your email address or other information. Click here for the full privacy policy.

POPULAR POSTS

  • Yoga Poses for the Shoulders and Neck
  • Easy Blueberry Green Smoothie Recipe
  • How Long Should You Hold Yoga Poses?
  • Sick Day Yoga
  • Yoga for Calf Muscles - Calf Stretches
  • Foot Stretches: Yoga Poses for Feet
  • How to Use Yoga Blocks
  • The 5 Stages of Marathon Training
  • How to Do Yoga as Cross Training for Running
  • Are You Ready for Yoga Teacher Training?

Calendar

January 2021
S M T W T F S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  
« May    

Copyright © 2021 · by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.