Are You Inflexible? Then This Is For You!

I teach all the different kind of fitness but the only one I teach to the widest range of ages is Flexibility. To be more precise, I have taught Yoga and even simple stretching exercises to babies of only months old all the way to men and women in their 70s.  And considering that Flexibility is one of the easiest and most convenient fitness goals to achieve, it also unfortunately seems to be one of the most neglected.

It’s convenient because it can be done anywhere without any equipment or special workout clothes or even shoes.  It’s easy because absolutely anyone in any condition can perform an adjusted version or any stretch, and the best thing of all about it is that, if performed safely and properly, every second you spend in a stretch will net you a ton of benefits – not only for your flexibility but for your posture, carriage, ease of movement, and health of the spine and lower back.

Instead of giving you a whole bunch of stretches that might overwhelm a beginner, we’ll concentrate on just three, for the parts of your body that will benefit the most from achieving better range of motion – the hamstrings, the chest and shoulders, and last but definitely not least, the hips and groin – an area which gets tight and prone to trouble as we get older (and by older I mean 30s onwards!).

Today we begin with the most important of all – the hamstrings. The hamstrings are located behind the thigh and go all the way down to behind the knee.  Tightness in this area can mess up our lower back and make walking, standing upright and even sitting difficult and painful so unless you’re willing to put up with this, keep in mind that any effort you make towards keeping the hamstrings flexible is extremely worthwhile.

SUPPORTED LYING HAMSTRING STRETCH

Stretching the hamstrings from a lying position is the safest way you can stretch them, a position used even in therapeutic stretching because the lower back is supported, unlike when you’re stretching the hamstrings while sitting or standing or bending over. You can use a sash from a bathrobe or a belt or long towel, as long as it’s sturdy and long enough for you to keep your head and neck on the floor throughout the stretch.

1. Lie down on a firm surface; the floor or bed is fine.

2. Keep one foot very close to the corresponding hip, for the best possible support.

3. Bring the other leg close to you and put the sash around the back of the foot, gripping either side firmly.

4. Lift the leg as high as you can without strain.  When you feel a stretch behind the thigh, you can stop if it’s a good stretch, or lower the leg slightly if it’s uncomfortable.

5. Pull very gently with the sash, not to bring the leg in more – unless this feels good – but to keep it in place and support it.  Instead of counting in seconds how long you can hold it, measure in breaths.  Start out with a couple of long, relaxing breaths and over the next few weeks, build up until you’re keeping the leg in the stretch for several breaths.

Enjoy the time spent in the stretch – put your favorite music on so your body can relax – this really helps in releasing tightness and tension and allowing the body to increase flexibility.

Fitness Bulletin

Our Mommy & Me Rhythmic Yoga classes will be held on February 14, Thursday, 17 Sunday, 21 Thursday and 24 Sunday, at 1:30 – 2:30 pm.  Please sms 09179613765 for inquiries and reservations.