Flexibility is the ability of a joint or series of joints to move through an unrestricted, pain free range of motion. Although flexibility varies widely from person to person, minimum ranges are necessary for maintaining joint and total body health.

Better flexibility may: Improve your performance in physical activities. Decrease your risk of injuries. Help your joints move through their full range of motion.

“Notice that the stiffest tree is the most easily cracked, while the bamboo or will survives by bending with the wind.”                                                                                                                                                           – Bruce Lee

Continue Reading and Find Flexibility:

• Attention – Pay attention the the areas that are particularly tight. Usually areas that are tight or that have a limited range of motion are the areas that need to be stretched. Also pay attention to how you feel while performing a stretch. Is the stretch easy or difficult? Is there relief, some difficulty? It’s often the stretches that are the most difficult for you that are the ones you need the most. Pay attention to whether there is any pain, pressure, or strain with the stretch. Stretches may feel uncomfortable at first because of stiffness or tension, but there shouldn’t be any feeling of pain, pressure, or strain.

If a stretch or exercise is particularly painful, it may be that you are preforming the stretch incorrectly, that you’re aggravating an old or current injury, that there was an overstretch of the muscle, or that you need to see a chiropractor for an adjustment. If you experience pain rather than tightness or discomfort when positioning into or holding a stretch, lessen the stretch. If there’s still strain or it’s painful, ease off the stretch completely and check for any of these possibilities. Avoid the stretch until it can safely be engaged in a way that does not bring pain.

• Breathe – Breathing is great for flexibility because it reduces tension, improves oxygen delivery to the muscles, and calms the body down. Deep belly breathing is great for relaxing the body and easing deeper into a stretch. It reduces the risk that you may hold your breath as you are stretching. Maintaining your breath throughout stretching also helps your mind and body relax.

Try the 4-8-10 breathe: Inhale into your nostrils for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 8 seconds, and then slowly exhale through your mouth for 10 seconds. Try to expand your stomach with each inhale rather than your lungs.

Bonus: This breathing exercise is also great for calming down the nervous system, so use it as a coping technique it when feeling anxious or stressed.

• Hold – Holding the stretch is likely just as important as being in the correct position. Our muscles have spindles that prevent us from muscle injury (such as when an arm is quickly jerked). Holding enables the muscles to relax. Most physical therapists suggest holding a stretch for 30 seconds, up to 90 seconds.

• Limit – Some people believe that it’s better to hold stretches for a really long time or to stretch often. But be careful not to overstretch, which can potentially create further muscle tightness (at best) or tissue or muscle injury, or even rupture (at worst). Typically stretches should be held no longer than 90 seconds, no more than twice a day, unless under the instruction of a knowledgeable and trained personal trainer, physical therapist, or similar instructor.

“Stretching always helps me start my day in a good way.”
– Nyjah Huston

• Foam Rolling – The foam roller is an excellent tool for improving your flexibility. It will break up knots in the muscle tissue and allow for smoother muscle contractions and more flexibility. Research has shown that using a foam roller results in similar gains in short-term flexibility as traditional stretching. For example, using a foam roller on your thigh can increase circulation to the muscles and improve flexibility. 

• Yoga Strap – A multi-stitched piece of fabric, sometimes with added loops or buckles, yoga straps help to bridge the gap between you and your flexibility, elongating muscles and tendons, and adding length. Yoga straps can help you deepen your stretches by allowing you to hold the pose for a longer time. They also help you to prevent overextension and to maintain alignment.

• Activities – Consider engaging in an activity such as Tai Chi, Yoga, or Pilates, which all naturally focus on flexibility and mobility, as well as strength and stability. By engaging in a regular practice, you build stretching and movement into your daily or weekly routine. Groups or classes also offer guided instruction, as well as encouragement and community.

“Flexibility makes buildings to be stronger,
imagine what it can do to your soul.” 
– Carlos Barrios

• Dynamic – Dynamic stretching is when there is a back and forth movement through a joint’s full range of motion, rather than the holding of a stretch, such as with kickbacks, arm swings, or neck circles. Generally, as you go through a movement repeatedly, you will gradually increase your range of motion, but you’re not trying to get to your limit. These types of stretches are best done as a warmup prior to an activity.

• Static –  This type of stretch is where the holding comes in, and these are most recommended for after an activity. Research has found that static stretches before an activity are more likely to cause a decrease in performance, and a greater likelihood for muscle strain or injury. With static stretching, a hold can be done for 15-30 seconds for a few reps, or as just one rep for 90 seconds up to a few minutes. 

• Consistency – As with anything, the best results come from consistency. Don’t just stretch when you realize an area’s tight or stiff. And don’t stop stretching just because it’s feeling better. Maintaining progress and moving forward means continuing with what you’re doing and adding to it. It’s recommended to stretch at least 2-3 days a week, and stretching every day is likely the most beneficial; it’s better to stretch for a short time every day or almost every day instead of stretching for a longer time a few times per week.

Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight, and more prone to injury or pain. Stretching offers a wide range of benefits physically that can also impact the mental and emotional well-being, such as increasing calm and enhancing relaxation.

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Flexibility is a concept we can carry into other aspects of life beyond the physical. We can have flexibility in our thinking, our routines and methods, our plans, and in the way we approach relationships, work, and especially challenges.

Flexibility builds resiliency, patience, contentment, and prevents burnout. 

For more on flexibility beyond the physical read our article: Freedom in Surrender