5 Ways to Improve Your Flexibility

Flexibility is more than just showing off tricky yoga poses on Instagram or proving to your kids that you could do the splits in high school. It affects many hidden aspects of daily life, from decreased pain to improved strength. Whether you’ve been stretching for years or you’re brand new to this part of your fitness journey, flexibility is key to reaching your full physical potential. Learn five ways to improve your flexibility!

Having a full range of motion is key to moving properly in your workouts and in life. Range of motion is defined as the full movement potential of a joint, usually its range of flexion and extension. When you have a limited range of motion, it can actually cause a number of problems for you, and we’re here to help!

Why Improving Your Range of Motion Matters

Maybe you don’t care about being able to do the splits or a backbend, but increasing your range of motion is about so much more than that! When you increase your flexibility you’ll do some incredible things for your body!

1. Reduce injuries

When you improve your strength and flexibility, your body will be better able to withstand more physical stress. This means you can progress in your workouts! You’ll reduce or eliminate muscle imbalances which will naturally reduce your chance of injury.

2. Decrease pain

You’ve probably experienced pain due to a strained or pulled muscle. When your muscles are less tense, the aches and pains caused by that tightness will disappear. If you’re prone to cramping, you’ll likely see a reduction there as well.

3. Improve posture and balance

Poor posture typically improves when you focus on muscular flexibility. Incorrect posture tends to tighten some muscles while over-stretching others, resulting in imbalanced muscles. This decreases the range of motion and can lead to injury.

4. Greater overall strength

Strength is an important part of flexibility because you want to ensure that your muscles have the right amount of tension to support you and your movements. This allows you to see better gains from your workouts!

5. Better physical performance

Everything works better when it’s balanced and aligned with proper mobility and range of motion. This means you’ll be able to work harder and perform better because your muscles are working more effectively!

So how do you increase your range of motion? By improving your flexibility! If you’ve tried stretching in the past and it didn’t really seem to help, it’s not because there’s something wrong with you—only something wrong with the strategy! Try these five tips to improve your flexibility.

5 things you should do to improve your flexibility!

DO incorporate mobility practices and active stretching into your daily routine. Be consistent and intentional! FASTer Way VIP members can check out our Mobility routines—find them in the Digital Studio in the app under FASTer Way Mobility.
STOP relying on passive stretching. There is a big potential for injury if you stretch beyond your capacity. This includes yoga poses—be aware of what your body can do and don’t exceed that.
DO work toward a specific goal instead of just trying to “get flexible.” Your goal could be to increase your weights when you’re working out, touch your toes when sitting with straight legs, or even to simply reduce your pain from tense muscles. Begin with the end in mind so you know what you’re working toward.
STOP trying to reach your flexibility goals overnight. Just as it takes time to increase your strength, it takes time to increase your flexibility. Stay consistent and you will see results!
DO adjust your mindset. You don’t have to have the right genetics or a background in dance or gymnastics. Everyone can improve their flexibility, mobility, and range of motion!

Strength is key when working toward improved flexibility so don’t skip your strength training! If you need help getting into a safe and sustainable lifting routine that meets you where you are in your fitness journey, then join us for the next round of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss. We’re starting soon and we’re ready to help you crush your goals and feel better than ever!

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