Best way to improve flexibility?

rodgers73

Hello,

All my life I've been really inflexible and would like to do something about this. I'm wondering how to go about this?

It's mainly my legs that are the problem. Would a yoga class be the right approach? I'm only looking to increase physical flexibility, not do any meditation or anything to do with state of mind.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Tom

bompington

Try stetching?

bobtbuilder

bompington wrote:

Try stetching?

LOL - that would seem a start!

Try Googling "developmental stretches" or similar.

rodgers73

Someone elsewhere reccommended pilates

tebbit

I always thought that I wasn't flexible, was told I wasn't flexible and then did some wrestling in my late thirties, I was amazed to find out I was a lot more flexible that I thought I was, stretching is a very good start. Also have a look at "Solitary Fitness" by Charles Bronson, yes he is a headcase but it is a good book, I live out of hotels because of work and have found it very useful, the exercises are based on stretching and resistance to your own motion.

rodgers73

I wondered about yoga but I cant even get a description of what it actually is - seems like a lot of psycho-babble really, but the exercises look useful.

jgsi

Personally I wouldnt get too hung up about your perceived lack of flexibility.
In my book - overrated.
If you can still get leg over bike.... able to turn neck to look behind etc etc why worry unduly if you are generally fit and well?
I think that if stop taking dance lessons at 13 years of age, you lose the ability to touch floor with palms of hand and all that jazz for rest of your life but hey is that too bad?

bobtbuilder

JGSI wrote:

Personally I wouldnt get too hung up about your perceived lack of flexibility.
In my book - overrated.
If you can still get leg over bike.... able to turn neck to look behind etc etc why worry unduly if you are generally fit and well?
I think that if stop taking dance lessons at 13 years of age, you lose the ability to touch floor with palms of hand and all that jazz for rest of your life but hey is that too bad?

I'm 38 and I can still do this and I've never had dancing lessons.

rodgers73

I cant even touch my toes - its really bad and causes me a lot of really tight tendons etc after running or exercise. Sick of it now.

Valy

bobtbuilder wrote:

JGSI wrote:

Personally I wouldnt get too hung up about your perceived lack of flexibility.
In my book - overrated.
If you can still get leg over bike.... able to turn neck to look behind etc etc why worry unduly if you are generally fit and well?
I think that if stop taking dance lessons at 13 years of age, you lose the ability to touch floor with palms of hand and all that jazz for rest of your life but hey is that too bad?

lol, exaggerating much?

ut_och_cykla

A good weight training programme combined with carefull stretching will help flexibility no end... but you need to progress very slowly as one limiter is ligaments , which dont take kindly to rough handling and lack thier own blood supply thus taking ages to 'remodel' compared to muscles.

jgsi

Once you start a concerted regime to increase your perceived flexibility you are on that track for ever and a day as flexibility is one of the first of the 'training' effects to drop off as quick as 24 hours later if you dont keep it up.
Just from personal experience with my poor to moderate abilities.. after 6 months I was able to do a modified triceps stretch - arm over head and meet fingers from of the hand coming up up the back to meet... well chuffed.. left it a week couldnt bloody well do it again.
If poor movement is having an impact on quality of life then yes .. get yourself a regime.. otherwise , as I said before ... why worry?
I am still doing a highly physical job for a living.

bobtbuilder

Valy wrote:

bobtbuilder wrote:

JGSI wrote:

Personally I wouldnt get too hung up about your perceived lack of flexibility.
In my book - overrated.
If you can still get leg over bike.... able to turn neck to look behind etc etc why worry unduly if you are generally fit and well?
I think that if stop taking dance lessons at 13 years of age, you lose the ability to touch floor with palms of hand and all that jazz for rest of your life but hey is that too bad?

lol, exaggerating much?

No. Not at all. I can still get my palms flat on the floor with knees locked. I've always stretched After exercise since starting to play county cricket in my early teens.

Valy

bobtbuilder wrote:

Valy wrote:

bobtbuilder wrote:

JGSI wrote:

Personally I wouldnt get too hung up about your perceived lack of flexibility.
In my book - overrated.
If you can still get leg over bike.... able to turn neck to look behind etc etc why worry unduly if you are generally fit and well?
I think that if stop taking dance lessons at 13 years of age, you lose the ability to touch floor with palms of hand and all that jazz for rest of your life but hey is that too bad?

lol, exaggerating much?

No. Not at all. I can still get my palms flat on the floor with knees locked. I've always stretched After exercise since starting to play county cricket in my early teens.

Hmm, the quotes came out all wrong.

I mean to say that to JGSI.

jgsi

Valy wrote:

bobtbuilder wrote:

Valy wrote:

bobtbuilder wrote:

JGSI wrote:

Personally I wouldnt get too hung up about your perceived lack of flexibility.
In my book - overrated.
If you can still get leg over bike.... able to turn neck to look behind etc etc why worry unduly if you are generally fit and well?
I think that if stop taking dance lessons at 13 years of age, you lose the ability to touch floor with palms of hand and all that jazz for rest of your life but hey is that too bad?

lol, exaggerating much?

No. Not at all. I can still get my palms flat on the floor with knees locked. I've always stretched After exercise since starting to play county cricket in my early teens.

Hmm, the quotes came out all wrong.

I mean to say that to JGSI.

ah , you must have carried on dancing after 13 then...
I think to clarify that how flexible you are depends on many things including probably genetics....
generalization alert - girls are reliably more flexible than boys, yes?
maybe down to stereotypical gender divison - aka dance /ballet lessons and all that jazz...

surreyxc

why worry? well that depends on what type of riding you do. If you are only out for a few hours fair enough, but personally I reckon being flexible and having a solid core is what will allow you to finish endurance events. When ever I have done a big ride, my leg strength were fine. It was the lower back, neck ache, numb hands that made it hard, and those can be alleviated by stretching. But you got to be disciplined, I reckon it took about 4 months everyday 5 minutes after each commute to feel really good. And now I am back to being stiff as I slacked off. Find a yoga class full of hotties.

JDALY46

A mate of mine (17st rugby player) is the sole male in his local Pilates class but swears by it - I'm off to join him tonight, can't let him carry on getting away with all the fussing and coo'ing from the ladies now can I ?

Headhuunter

Flexibility is pretty important. Many cyclists suffer back problems which can often be traced to tight hamstrings which is VERY common largely due, I hear, to the fact that as a cyclist you are using your muscles whilst not at full extension. Tight hams cause pulls on the back muscles and puts strain on them and puts your posture out. Many cyclists also have tight quad muscles which can cause groin injuries.

I was speaking to a physio on one of my club rides and she was saying that cyclists are notorious for not stretching before and after rides. In just about every other sport you see people warming up and down and stretchiung but us cyclists just jump on the bike, do a 50 mile ride or whatever and then jump off and have coffee and cake, with absolutely no warm down etc.

All you need to do is stretches before and after cycling and at other times, perhaps even up to once a day. I used to be quite stiff but now I can easily put my palms flat on the floor with legs locked and I'm 37.

Valy

Headhuunter wrote:

Flexibility is pretty important. Many cyclists suffer back problems which can often be traced to tight hamstrings which is VERY common largely due, I hear, to the fact that as a cyclist you are using your muscles whilst not at full extension. Tight hams cause pulls on the back muscles and puts strain on them and puts your posture out. Many cyclists also have tight quad muscles which can cause groin injuries.

I was speaking to a physio on one of my club rides and she was saying that cyclists are notorious for not stretching before and after rides. In just about every other sport you see people warming up and down and stretchiung but us cyclists just jump on the bike, do a 50 mile ride or whatever and then jump off and have coffee and cake, with absolutely no warm down etc.

All you need to do is stretches before and after cycling and at other times, perhaps even up to once a day. I used to be quite stiff but now I can easily put my palms flat on the floor with legs locked and I'm 37.

Apparently you can not stretch your hamstrings.

Cleat Eastwood

If you want to relax tense back muscles, and see how tense your body really is try this. Just lay on the floor and try and sink into it, wriggle your shoulders a bit as if sinking into sand; you'll feel your shoulder muscles gradually loosen and after you've been on a ride you'll feel the tightness in the arch in your bike recede. Follow it upby sitting up straight and reaching for your toes. Its a preamble to a mediatation I do and it lets all the stress out of the muscles

rodgers73

I'm a bloody wreck generally -

1. I've got one leg shorter than another (6 months of chiropractor and a lift in one shoe to sort that out - caused me loads of neck pain bizarrely)

2. My feet pronate when I walk so I get knee pain after a long run/walk

3. I'm stiff as a board and can hardly get near to touching my toes

...and I want to do triathlons!

:oops:

keef66

I'd recommend one of those Thai mail-order brides. One in the 17-19 age range. You can pick up some bargains on Ebay!