Improving flexibility

step83

After a visit to the docs today about a niggly pain he was rather shocked at my flexibility, or rather lack of, as in I can't touch my toes, getting level with the ankle bones is a struggle.

I know it's not an over night fix but has anyone got any guides or advice on improving general flexibility simple things like touching my toes are quite literally beyond my reach at present

imposter2.0

Not really sure why the doc was so surprised about that. It's hardly unusual.

For an exercise to improve your ability to touch your toes, nothing beats trying to touch your toes. The more you do it, the closer you'll get. 'General flexibility' is a bit non-specific, so general stretching will certainly help.

Alejandrosdog

I found Pilates was very good as well as looking at saddle height

imposter2.0

Alejandrosdog wrote:

I found Pilates was very good as well as looking at saddle height

I've just gone out to the garage and looked at my saddle height for a while. I'm still no more flexible...

thistle_

Alejandrosdog wrote:

I found Pilates was very good

This helped for me, although I've sacked it off for a while for various reasons.
Stretching after rides seems to help too.

kingstongraham

Imposter wrote:

Alejandrosdog wrote:

I found Pilates was very good as well as looking at saddle height

I've just gone out to the garage and looked at my saddle height for a while. I'm still no more flexible...

You can't expect flexibility to improve noticeably after just one session.

OnTheRopes

Step83 wrote:

After a visit to the docs today about a niggly pain he was rather shocked at my flexibility, or rather lack of, as in I can't touch my toes, getting level with the ankle bones is a struggle.

I know it's not an over night fix but has anyone got any guides or advice on improving general flexibility simple things like touching my toes are quite literally beyond my reach at present

Sit on the floor with legs slightly apart with a bit of a backrest like the sofa, reach forward and grab your legs with both hands just above the ankles keeping your legs flat and hold for 15 secs, then stretch a little further to your ankle bones for another 15 secs, stretch a little further for another 15 seconds and again to make up the minute.
Swap legs and do this again.
Then do a 2nd repetition but this time start on your 2nd position and 3rd rep starting on your 3rd position.

You should see an improvement in how far you can comfortable stretch almost immediately.
Do this every day

imposter2.0

KingstonGraham wrote:

Imposter wrote:

Alejandrosdog wrote:

I found Pilates was very good as well as looking at saddle height

I've just gone out to the garage and looked at my saddle height for a while. I'm still no more flexible...

You can't expect flexibility to improve noticeably after just one session.

ok - I'll try it again in a minute..

step83

KingstonGraham wrote:

Imposter wrote:

Alejandrosdog wrote:

I found Pilates was very good as well as looking at saddle height

I've just gone out to the garage and looked at my saddle height for a while. I'm still no more flexible...

You can't expect flexibility to improve noticeably after just one session.

I tried that, got bored took a photo of the saddle height so I can sit down an look at it for longer. Seemed easier.

I should add the doctors concern is based on the fact I had apparently been told to work on it due to my ongoing hip issues. The fact no one told me meant I've not really bothered.

OnTheRopes - sounds like a good starting point, Pilates may be something to consider too.

kingstongraham

Yoga with Adrienne on youtube. Sure she's a bit annoying with the yoga-y bits but the exercises are great.

Pross

I've been told in the past by someone I was referred to for rehabilitation following a herniated disk that cycling is especially bad in regards to the flexibility of hamstrings due to the limited range of movement and I found my one and only yoga session embarrassing as my flexibility and balance was far worse than a lot of the older and more overweight members of the class. I was also told that to improve flexibility you need to hold the stretch for longer than most people do on post-exercise recovery stretches (I was told to hold for about 30 seconds and to repeat three times). My former gym had a machine for hamstring stretching that was really useful as it kept you in the proper position and allowed you to measure your range of movement.

That said, to improve your flexibility to touch your toes you need to concentrate mainly on your hamstrings and it's easy to find suitable exercises to do at home. They'll mainly be trying to touch your toes from a standing or seated position or another classic is to have your front leg out in front and straight with your knees more or less touching and back leg bent then sit into it to stretch (you can keep the toes of your front foot on the ground or pull them towards you to hit different parts of the muscle). My favourite hamstring stretch though, and one I've found to work quite well, is to lie on my back holding a towel looped around my foot. Pull back on the towel to flex the foot (which stretches the calf) then whilst keeping the pressure on the towel and keeping your leg straight raise it up as high as you can then hold it in that position for at least 10 seconds before lowering and repeating 3 times then do the other leg. Ideally you should be able to get your leg up to 90 degrees to the ground and you should find you get a bit further on each stretch. Try to do it a couple of times a day but always make sure your muscles are well warmed up first. Also, take a look at hip stretches especially if you sit at a desk a lot or drive regularly for long periods. I've found that when I find the discipline to do that regularly I get fewer minor injuries when running.

paulwood

+1 for Yoga with Adrienne

zeee

Lay on your back with legs straight. Raise one leg up 90 degrees keep the other straight. Towel over the foot of the raised leg and slowly pull your foot down until you feel the stretch. Hold 45 seconds then release then try to pull down slightly further and hold 30 seconds then release. Swap legs.

yellowv2

Touching your toes is a poor test of hamstring flexibility.
Yoga is your friend, try yoga15.com (Abi Carver is excellent) she provides vids for The Sufferfest, or alternatively try Jo McRae. She has an excellent book called “Ride Strong” essential conditioning for cyclists, which explains all you need to know about flexibility, specifically cycling, especially if you have a history of back problems?

sam_anon

paulwood wrote:

+1 for Yoga with Adrienne

+2. Think she has a video geared towards cyclists too.

sloppyschleckonds

sam anon wrote:

paulwood wrote:

+1 for Yoga with Adrienne

+2. Think she has a video geared towards cyclists too.

Singlespeeders?

Alejandrosdog

Imposter wrote:

KingstonGraham wrote:

Imposter wrote:

Alejandrosdog wrote:

I found Pilates was very good as well as looking at saddle height

I've just gone out to the garage and looked at my saddle height for a while. I'm still no more flexible...

You can't expect flexibility to improve noticeably after just one session.

ok - I'll try it again in a minute..

Try breaking it up a bit and look closely at the bottom bracket (keep your legs straight and bend from the waist) to avoid mental fatigue.

step83

yellowv2 wrote:

Touching your toes is a poor test of hamstring flexibility.
Yoga is your friend, try yoga15.com (Abi Carver is excellent) she provides vids for The Sufferfest, or alternatively try Jo McRae. She has an excellent book called “Ride Strong” essential conditioning for cyclists, which explains all you need to know about flexibility, specifically cycling, especially if you have a history of back problems?

I get mid back pain left side usually near the spine when walking any distance, likely posture related. No real niggles on the bike bar a numb right hand which is carpel tunnel.

Stared at the bottom bracket for a while, didnt help. Been doing the on the back towel jobbie to start an stretching a few times a day.

the_cyclist_of_catan

I’ve been doing yoga for a year or so. Only one session a week, but it has made a big difference; I still can’t touch my toes, but I can get a heck of a lot closer than I used to!

The yoga instructor has noted just how tight my hamstrings are, though. There are loads of yoga poses that I’m never going to get close to being able to do.

hdow

+1 for Yoga. It does make a big difference. The stretching is important but so are the balance and connection elements. Yoga means yoke - the type that connects an ox to a cart for example rather than the yellow bit of an egg. You not only stretch but do poses and exercises that connect different parts of your body so that they can work better together.

Stretching just your hamstrings won't bring the benefits of working on the whole back chain. Muscles don't work in isolation. This stretches from your toes under your feet into your calves, hamstrings, glutes, spine and over to your eyebrows (I jest not). As an example try this. Try touching your toes and note how far you get and how it feels. Now with a cricket or golf ball massage the sole of your foot for 3 or 4 minutes - be quite vigorous and cover it all. Now try touching your toes. Note the difference.

Now get yourself off to a yoga session.

kingrollo

Step83 wrote:

After a visit to the docs today about a niggly pain he was rather shocked at my flexibility, or rather lack of, as in I can't touch my toes, getting level with the ankle bones is a struggle.

I know it's not an over night fix but has anyone got any guides or advice on improving general flexibility simple things like touching my toes are quite literally beyond my reach at present

Do all the things suggested. But the NHS especially orthopaedics \ physio like to make you the problem. I remember seeing a nhs physio who declared my hamstrings were the tightest she had ever seen - had a few sessions with her - arrived early one time and heard her giving the exact same line to someone else.

Went to a private physio - who said my hamstrings weren't even the tightest she had seen that day !!!

I do yoga weekly and some sort of stretching daily and after each ride. I also do light weights in the gym - seems to help.

markwb79

Pross wrote:

I've been told in the past by someone I was referred to for rehabilitation following a herniated disk that cycling is especially bad in regards to the flexibility of hamstrings due to the limited range of movement and I found my one and only yoga session embarrassing as my flexibility and balance was far worse than a lot of the older and more overweight members of the class. I was also told that to improve flexibility you need to hold the stretch for longer than most people do on post-exercise recovery stretches (I was told to hold for about 30 seconds and to repeat three times). My former gym had a machine for hamstring stretching that was really useful as it kept you in the proper position and allowed you to measure your range of movement.

That said, to improve your flexibility to touch your toes you need to concentrate mainly on your hamstrings and it's easy to find suitable exercises to do at home. They'll mainly be trying to touch your toes from a standing or seated position or another classic is to have your front leg out in front and straight with your knees more or less touching and back leg bent then sit into it to stretch (you can keep the toes of your front foot on the ground or pull them towards you to hit different parts of the muscle). My favourite hamstring stretch though, and one I've found to work quite well, is to lie on my back holding a towel looped around my foot. Pull back on the towel to flex the foot (which stretches the calf) then whilst keeping the pressure on the towel and keeping your leg straight raise it up as high as you can then hold it in that position for at least 10 seconds before lowering and repeating 3 times then do the other leg. Ideally you should be able to get your leg up to 90 degrees to the ground and you should find you get a bit further on each stretch. Try to do it a couple of times a day but always make sure your muscles are well warmed up first. Also, take a look at hip stretches especially if you sit at a desk a lot or drive regularly for long periods. I've found that when I find the discipline to do that regularly I get fewer minor injuries when running.

Is it cycling thats bad, or it just doesnt help?

I always thought that it was the 40hours a week sat at a desk, plus hours in a car, plus hours on a sofa that was the issue - not the 8 hours a week we are cycling?

yellowv2

"I always thought that it was the 40hours a week sat at a desk, plus hours in a car, plus hours on a sofa that was the issue - not the 8 hours a week we are cycling?"

This^

It's not that cycling is especially bad, it just doesn't allow the hamstrings to fully extend which can lead to them tightening, which in turn can lead to them pulling on the pelvis which isn't great for the lower back! I too have had herniated and sequestrated discs and now do yoga regularly at home, so no need for embarrassing moments, just follow a video.
I also have a very good and informative book by Jo McRae called: 'Ride Strong" Essential conditioning for Cyclists, well worth getting if you are so inclined.