Can you develop flexibility

In a sporting environment, it depends on the type of exercise, says Kay. Tennis, squash, running, gymnastics and martial arts are among the sports in which an increased range of motion helps to reduce the risk of injury. While a warm bath or shower may have more of a psychological benefit, McGuigan believes it is worth a try. So if you can relax the muscles via a warm shower or bath, you could potentially get more out of your stretches because you are starting with nice, warm, relaxed muscles.

Five ways to improve flexibility. Tai chi loosens the muscles and stretches the whole body. Select the best exercise Yoga, pilates, tai chi and stretching are all recommended for improving flexibility by the NHS. While I won't go so far as to call sitting the new smoking, sitting is responsible for issues like hip pain and spine compression because of the way it crunches up our bodies.

And if you don't stretch things out regularly, it can leave you with too-tight muscles that can mess with your overall flexibility. The best way to limber up, then, according to stretch pros, is to hit those spots one at a time. Even if you aren't particularly worried about figuring out how to increase flexibility to, say, drop down into the splits, loosening these muscles is still really important.

In order to do [certain movements], you need to have the range of motion to do them and you also need to have strength," says Alexander. Because of this, simply moving the muscles that are hunched over your desk all day can help, to an extent. But if you really want to learn how to increase flexibility and loosen up those screaming hip flexors , though, it's worth putting the time into your recovery routine on the reg to see results. She recommends utilizing dynamic or "moving" stretching techniques to get the job tone, because "by moving through the stretches, you trick your body into staying relaxed which means longer lasting results and more range of motion," she says.

For a few moves to help you get the job done, try the below. And you'll be touching your toes in no time at all. Standing in a doorway, bend your elbows to a degree angle and hold onto the doorjamb with your hands.

Place one foot out in front of you, and lean forward to open up your chest and shoulders aka undo all of the slouching you may be doing throughout the day. Rock slowly back and forth for 30 seconds, then switch feet. How structural features including muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones are put together, can limit a joint's range of motion.

Range of motion is how far your joints can bend, and in what direction. Despite structural limitations to a joint, it is almost always possible to improve flexibility by stretching your muscles. Appropriate stretching has many benefits, including better performance and potentially fewer injuries. Pay particular attention to the areas that you feel are the tightest.

In runners and walkers, these are usually the low back, hamstrings, and calves. Always work on your flexibility after a vigorous warm-up. Following a training session would be an ideal time. Allow a minimum of minutes. A more thorough flexibility session may require 30 to 60 minutes. Be creative - flexibility sessions can be done in front of the TV or while listening to your favorite music.