Questions tagged [flexibility]
The absolute range of movement in a joint or series of joints, and length in muscles that cross the joints.
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Need help regarding hip hinge/straight leg mobility?
Am 5 6" male 61 kg, fit and active.
I seem not able to stand straight and bend to reach my toes while keeping a straight back. I feel tight near my hamstrings and my back begins to round and I am ...
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32 views
What exercises/stretches can I do to make my body more flexible?
I am a 22 year old female who is slightly overweight. I spend around 10-12 hours sitting at a desk and that has made things worse. My body feels stiff all the time and I want to remedy that. I am an ...
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2answers
75 views
Difference in stretching routines that focus on flexibility vs mobility?
I'm trying to find a daily stretching routine to incorporate in addition to my cardio and resistance training. I understand that flexibility is not necessarily the same as mobility. I was wondering if ...
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1answer
62 views
How hard should the muscular contraction be during PNF stretching?
My understanding is that during PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching, you contract the muscle you wish to stretch against resistance; how hard should that contraction be?
Taking ...
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Knees (cartilage?) hurt when squatting [closed]
Both my knees (and even more so, my left knee) hurt when I squat down and stay in that position for 3-4 minutes. There's a dull pain that gets worse the longer I stay squatting, and when I stand up, ...
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184 views
Powerlifting and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Combine Both?
My hopes and wishes have come true: a new Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy is opening down the street from my work. I am excited. However, since previously leaving BJJ I have started powerlifting. I want ...
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3answers
116 views
How to increase flexibility from the basics?
I am quite athletic, and I regularly workout and play soccer, but I am much less flexible. I can't even bend and put my hands near my toes (it reaches up to my shins when I feel tighness from ...
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1answer
129 views
Can tight hip flexors cause tight hamstrings?
Today I noticed that when I sit like this:
My left leg goes comfortably all the way down, but my right leg won't. It won't go down past 45 degrees unless stretched. Does this mean that the right hip ...
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151 views
How to correct muscle imbalance in front half vs back half of my body
I have a 9-5 desk job and also spend large parts of my free time sitting down. Whilst a small change in this direction is possible a large part of it isn't practical and therefore an answer such as, ...
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How to keep flexibility after stretching
I stretch almost every day, and I have been doing so for a few months. My hands stop short almost a hand length from my toes. After I stretch, I can touch them. The next day, I'm back to zero.
This ...
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2answers
176 views
Whole Body Mobility Routine
I'm currently trying to assemble a little mobility routine for myself. I got two, a little more detailled, questions:
When should I perform mobility exercises:
Before the workout, in order to get ...
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1answer
91 views
Does foam rolling and “smashing and flossing” work?
I am the lucky (?) owner of a copy of the book "Becoming a Supple Leopard" by Kelly Starrett.
In this book on page 139 he introduces a concept that he calls sliding surfaces:
"To ensure suppleness, ...
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96 views
Can I increase flexibility by strengthening muscles?
I do not believe in static stretching.
When one stretch one is telling the nervous system that it is safe to allow a larger range of motion (ROM). This has to be repeated daily over months for the ...
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123 views
Instantly increasing flexibility by becoming angry as a result of pain
When a person experiences severe pain his body enters some sort of "survival mode" and as a result his flexibility (and strength I seem to remember) is increased.
This is demonstrated here by Charles ...
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2answers
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post stretching tightness in posterior leg muscles
I'm a 28yo female, very physically active (circus arts, martial arts, cycling, yoga), and have been for my entire life. I have partial hyperflexibility (arms, lower back, toes), and have been working ...
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228 views
The science of flexibility
Background
I have been trying to find more scientific approaches to flexibility. Even here, most answers don't link to studies or cite papers. It seems there is a lot of "this is what I have been ...
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1answer
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Flexibility loss timeframe
In this question, we addressed timeframes for the loss of different types of strength. Building on this, what is the timeframe for loss of flexibility to become significant?
There is an implicit ...
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1answer
221 views
Flexibility training - short & intense vs. long & light
I'd like to know which approach is the best (i.e. the most efficient) when it comes to stretching and getting more flexible:
Intense exersices (juste below one's pain threshold) for a short duration (...
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2answers
125 views
A2G Squats: Is Ankle Flexibility the Right Concern?
I am trying to go all the way down on squats. It seems that if my heels are way up I can keep my back straight and prevent "butt-wink". So, the logical solution here seems to be the stretch my calfs.
...
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3answers
548 views
Why I can't touch my toes and how to fix it?
I cannot bend down and touch my toes,I could reach only till my shins...I am 21,5'6 and play sports regularly.I cannot even reach my toes when sitting. It's not a new problem, I've always not able to ...
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1answer
36 views
Is my torso short for my legs length? [duplicate]
I can't touch my toes with my finger tips when bending(feel tightness in my hamstrings),and when compared to my friend,the degree of bend was same but for that he could touch his toes,but I couldn't.I ...
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43 views
Improving knee flexibility
I've suffered from an injury in my knee the past 2 weeks or so. Yesterday I went to see a physiotherapist to see whats wrong. Long story short, my right knee is less flexible than my left one because ...
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3answers
101 views
stretching before/after massage for flexibility gain
I noticed that I have significant flexibility increase in thighs after massaging the area.
I can almost do side split after a massage, but the next day I am all tight again.
If my goal was to ...
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2answers
154 views
I can't figure out which muscle is weakest/tight
So I'm a female, age 26, height about 5'5', weight about 116-119 pounds, no medical conditions, no medication, was active in sports and regular exercise from age 11-16.
I have a few problems which ...
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1answer
62 views
Stretch to Improve Arm Closing Flexibility
I'm noticing as I build muscle that it's harder for me to close my arm all the way -- the motion you would use to touch your fist to your shoulder.
I've noticed little things so far:
it's harder to ...
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2answers
239 views
Will weight lifting affect speed and flexibility?
I am 22 years old, weighing around 70 kg and 5ft 11 inches in height. I want to gain strength overall and i have some concerns on choosing weight lifting to achieve this.
I have started training ...
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2answers
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Is there a chance to develop lotus position during adulthood? [closed]
I'm 27 and I've never stayed in lotus position my whole life, now I'm trying because I find it the best position for meditation, but I'm very inflexible. I read somewhere that it's too late to develop ...
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Foundational Stetches for CrossFit
I feel like there are so many mobility stretches out there for your body, but which ones do you really need to do.
To be an all around CrossFit athlete and have continual gains you must improve your ...
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1answer
71 views
Getting the best from flexibility training
I'm looking for some good tutorials, tips or advice on how to increase my flexibility.
Clearly stretching regularly and high water intake helps but I'm wondering what else I can do to improve my ...
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2answers
255 views
Benefits of stretching if you don't care about flexibility
I don't care about being flexible. I can touch my toes fine because I did a lot of stretching as a kid, I feel like I am naturally flexible. I am definitely not 'tight'.
I also think stretching is ...
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1answer
450 views
Can only squat extremely narrow
I'm having a lot of trouble working on my (high-bar) squat. The only way I'm able to squat to proper depth right now is with a hip wide stance, with toes pointed out very far (45 degree or even more). ...
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1answer
137 views
Uneven back flexibility?
I am relatively flexible in general (ie able to do a backbend), and when I'm doing a split with my right leg in front I can bend backwards and touch my head to my thigh pretty easily. I cannot do the ...
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1answer
184 views
How can I achieve this position?
I saw this picture:
and noticed the straight upper and lower back. My hamstrings were tight, I stretched them a lot and I am able to touch the ground almost with the palms of my hands, but I think I ...
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1answer
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Stretch to achieve a good position in an “earth touch”
I had really tight hamstrings. I have been stretching them for quite some time now and it improved remarkably.
When I look at this picture I notice the straight upper an lower back.
This is not a ...
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2answers
297 views
Does sitting really reduce ROM?
If I had a dollar for something along the lines of... "lots of sitting every day gives you tight hip flexors and hamstrings/calves...".
I am skeptical of that claim. It's plausible, but seems taken ...
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3answers
158 views
Is it possible to do weight lifting and have a flexible body? [duplicate]
As far as I know weight lifting makes your muscles tight. So is it possible to do weight lifting and still be able to maintain a flexible body?
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0answers
47 views
How I improve flexiblity of the knee?
This has been plaguing me forever, even when I was at peak physical condition when I was an athlete (martial artist).
Basically, any exercise or movement that requires legs to stay straight, I feel ...
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1answer
48 views
Is it a good idea to constantly train my flexibility throughout the day?
I'm off work because of an accident. I'm in recovery at home and have plenty of spare time. Is it good if I constantly improve my flexibility with different exercises in different times throughout the ...
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1answer
2k views
I can't perform a squat without falling
I am unable to perform a squat with both feet flat on the ground.
Here is a picture of the maximum depth I achieve without falling (while holding the table).
I wonder if it is a problem of ankle ...
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0answers
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I am out of shape. I need a routine to be able to do push ups, curl ups, run the mile, touch my toes, and lift weight in 2 months [closed]
Background:
I am 13 and would like to improve my overall fitness levels (see goals below). I do not have ANY exercise equipment except a pull up bar. I also have a steep hill for running.
My daily ...
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2answers
183 views
Is stretching bad for building muscles?
I want to get a better mobility and flexibility. Therefore, I am going to start stretching several times a week. However, I don't want to get super skinny because of it. Does the stretching have ...
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1answer
74 views
How can I get a better mobility and flexibility?
I want to get a better mobility and flexibility. A first goal I have is touching my feet with outstretched legs. Also, I want to be able to lift the outstretched leg into a horizontal position while ...
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3answers
436 views
Is there an inverse relationship between range of motion and stability?
I have a fairly reputable yoga instructor with 16 years of experience in various fitness-related roles who claims that increasing range of motion through stretching actually reduces stability. The ...
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2answers
131 views
How to quickly improve flexibility
So I am a boy scout, and for one merit badge we have to make some fitness improvements. I followed the plans we had to make practiced and such, but throughout the twelve week program, I didn't manage ...
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5answers
572 views
How effective are standing desks?
How effective at improving flexibility/posture/fitness/general health is using a standing desk instead of a sitting desk?
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1answer
303 views
If I could do a split as an adolescent, can I relearn to do a split now?
When I was in middle school, I could do full side and front splits. I even occasionally did at school the party trick of setting one foot on each chair and controlling my descent into a full split as ...
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4answers
212 views
short exercises to improve core strength, balance and flexibility?
Now that I've hit middle age, I find that my back is often stiff in the mornings and that it doesn't wear off until mid-afternoon. I also discovered I can't do the Fullerton "stand test" (sit down on ...
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1answer
58 views
Improvements to Curved Back while sitting on Heels and trying to get Back aligned with floor?
You sit on top of heels. You try to get back to the floor straight while bending backwards. A picture is here. The ideal position has the lumbar spine almost touching the floor, specifically the ...
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3answers
134 views
Which exercises target agility and body slimming?
I'm 20 years old, female, and my body weight is OK. I'm interested in starting an exercise regime to slim my entire body (legs, chin, arms, and stomach mostly and in that order...) Without building ...
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1answer
797 views
What is a reasonable schedule for increasing flexibility?
I have terrible general flexibility, which both causes discomfort and affects my form when exercising (for example, I fall off balance any time I try and do a squat). This is something that I'd very ...
