Those wondering about how to increase flexibility need look no further than yoga. Improved flexibility has always gone hand in hand with yoga exercises. Pretty much every yoga pose takes your joints through a wide range of motion, making them stronger, more flexible, and able to absorb more impact without leading to pain or other problematic conditions. But there are a few important points you might want to know before you hurt yourself by over-stretching.
The Importance of Flexibility
Chances are you've heard your gym teacher say that you should always stretch before exercising. It's a very important thing to keep in mind since stretching releases any stiffness and tension that may have built up in your joints, making it easier to put them through a wider range of motion. Learning how to increase flexibility through stretching also makes it easier for you to resist succumbing to fatigue by releasing lactic acid from your body. From a psychological standpoint, a more relaxed and limber body leads to a calmer and clearer mind. Your mindset can reflect the tension in your body, so releasing them can only help you gain an equally tension-free mind.
Yoga Poses for Flexibility
If you're looking for help on how to increase flexibility, there are a few poses that put more emphasis on building it compared to than others. Which ones you should consider adding to your own yoga routine depends on which part of your body you want to exercise. Your hamstrings, legs, and spine can be exercised by stretching them with both seated and standing forward bends. These poses also help build a stronger lower back. Poses done in a seated position enhance your hips' flexibility. Back bends, on the other hand, will help make your shoulders and arms more flexible. Shoulder stretches are also useful for both beginners and advanced students. Poses like the Cobra (Bhujangasana), Fish Pose (Matsyasana), and Simple Spinal Twist Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana) are just some of the many yoga poses that place a premium on turning a stiff body into a more fluid and flexible one.
Take it in Smaller Bits
However, before you rush headlong into the more advanced poses, be sure to pay attention to yoga for beginners, as that will help form the foundation of your own yoga routine. If you can't quite do the stretching poses right just yet, use yoga accessories like blocks, straps, or a rolled up blanket to help you. Gradually do away with them once your body becomes more limber, which it will be with regular and consistent practice.
You can't enhance body strength and flexibility in one go, so after learning how to increase flexibility just keep going at it at a steady pace and you will definitely see some results. Little by little, you'll notice that you can bend a little bit more, can stretch a little bit lower and can open up a little bit wider.
