Become Flexible With Minimal Pain

Flexibility is important for overall mobility and ease of movement. Increased flexibility can also decrease your changes of injury and help make working out less painful. Stretching is the best way to improve flexibility but, if done incorrectly, stretching can actually cause injuries. However, by avoiding intensity, developing a regular stretching routine, and practicing safe stretches, you can improve your flexibility with minimal pain and little risk of injury.[1]

Steps

Avoiding Too Much Intensity

  1. Slow down. Moving quickly into a stretch is a recipe for injury. Instead, always move your body with deliberate slowness, coaxing instead of forcing your body into the stretch.
    • Slowly moving your body into a stretch allows you to accurately monitor how far you can go before the stretch becomes painful.[1]
    • If you move into a stretch too fast you won’t be able to tell precisely when the stretch became painful.
  2. Don’t push through the pain. This advice can seem counterintuitive since most physical activities require you to push into your limits if you want to make progress. With stretching, the opposite is true. “No pain, no gain” does not apply to stretching.[1]
    • To find your limit, perform a stretch slowly and right up to the point where it hurts. Then, draw the stretch back until it no longer hurts. This is the sweet spot where you should hold the stretch.
    • Over time, you will find that your limit moves further and further into the stretch.
  3. Avoid difficult stretches. The goal of stretching is to become more flexible and feel more agile and comfortable in your body. If you practice stretches that tax your body and are very difficult or painful, you will reach the opposite result.[1]
    • If you try a stretch and it is very difficult or painful, scrap it and substitute a different stretch.
    • There are many ways to stretch every muscle in your body, so don’t worry if you’re unable to perform every stretch.

Developing a Healthy Stretching Routine

  1. Commit to a regular schedule. To improve your flexibility you need to stretch on a regular basis. Otherwise, your body will quickly return to its previous, inflexible state.[2]
    • Stretch five days a week for approximately ten minutes.
    • Don’t feel the need to “make-up” missed stretch time. Too much stretching can be counterproductive. If you miss a day, that’s OK—simply try to do better the following week.
  2. Breathe deeply. Deep, controlled breathing is essential for getting the most out of your stretches, and avoiding pain. Breathing deeply brings more oxygen into your lungs, which helps remove lactic acid from your muscles.[2]
    • Before every stretch, take a slow, deep breath.
    • As you move into the stretch, slowly release the breath.
    • When you reach the limit of your stretch take another deep breath in.
    • Slowly release the breath and move slightly further into the stretch. The increased oxygen in your blood should help you move further without additional pain.
  3. Stretch after a workout. Contrary to popular wisdom, stretching is more effective and helpful if performed after a workout. This is because muscles stretch more when they’re warmed up and fatigued.[2]
    • After you’ve completed your aerobic or anaerobic workout, move directly into your ten-minute stretching routine.
    • If you don’t have time to workout before you stretch, take five minutes or so to either go for a walk or simply contract and release your muscles. Even this small amount of warm-up will improve your stretching routine.

Stretching Your Upper Body

  1. Perform the shoulder extension. This stretch will improve flexibility in the rear part of your shoulder. You’ll need a rod of some kind for this exercise. A broomstick also works. You should feel this stretch in your pecs as well as your shoulders. It targets the pecs, trapezius, latissimus dorsi, and teres major.[3]
    • Grasp the rod in front of you with your hands at shoulder width. Your hands should be face down.
    • While keeping your arms straight, slowly raise the rod up until your arms are directly over your head in a Superman position.
    • Holding your arms in this position, try to push your head and chest forward.
    • Hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds.
  2. Perform the underarm shoulder stretch. This stretch will improve flexibility in the front part of your shoulder and will improve the overall range of motion of your shoulders.[3]
    • Sit on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you.
    • Extend your arms behind you and place your palms on the floor so that your fingers are pointing out behind you.
    • Keeping your arms straight, slowly push your butt forward.
    • Hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds.
  3. Perform the rear hand clasp. This stretch works the entire shoulder. It should be performed with both arms in succession. This stretch targets the deltoid middle head, as well as the lateral and medial heads of the tricep [3]
    • In a standing position, raise your right elbow up so that your right hand is reaching towards your back.
    • Take your left hand behind your back and reach it up towards your right hand.
    • Grip the fingers of your two hands together and slowly pull down with your left hand.
    • Hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds on each side.
    • If you can’t get your hands to reach, hold a cloth with your right hand and grasp the bottom of it with your left hand.

Stretching Your Lower Body

  1. Perform the full squat. This stretch targets several muscles in the front and back of your legs, as well as your butt. This is one of the best stretches for your lower body since it affects so many muscles.
    • While standing, spread your feet to just past shoulder width. Point your toes slightly outwards.
    • Lean your weight back onto your heels and slowly descend into a squatting position.
    • Try to keep your knees from extending past the front of your feet as you move into the squat.
    • As you descend, place your hands into a prayer position and allow your elbows to stay in contact with the inside of your knees.
    • Hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds.
    • If you feel insecure in this stretch, feel free to hold onto a stationary object in front of your as you descend. This will keep you from falling backwards.
  2. Perform the standing pike. This stretch targets your lower back and your hamstrings. This stretch is similar to the standard “touch your toes” stretch, but it avoids forcing your back into a curved position.[3]
    • From a standing position, slowly bend forward, allowing your arms to hang down in front of you.
    • Keep your back as flat as possible as your lean into the stretch. To help with this, aim your hands for a spot on the floor one to two feet in front of you.
    • If you can get your hands to floor, that’s great—but don’t feel like you need to stretch this far.
    • Hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds.
  3. Perform the kneeling lunge. This stretch will improve flexibility in your hamstrings. It’s a difficult stretch for some, so avoid it if it causes you any pain. Make sure to perform the stretch with both legs. This stretch targets your hips, groin, and thighs.[3]
    • Place your right leg in front of you with the foot flat on the floor. Rest your hands on top of the leg.
    • Extend your left leg behind you with the foot pointed backwards.
    • Squeeze your glutes and press your pelvis forward so your upper body is erect.
    • Slowly creep your right foot forward to perform the stretch.
    • Hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds on each side.
  4. Perform the butterfly. This stretch targets the interior part of your hamstrings as well as the butt. If you haven’t done this stretch before you will probably feel a lot of pressure in your hamstrings. Go easy on yourself.[3]
    • Sit on the ground with your knees up and your feet flat on the floor.
    • Place your hands on your knees and slowly lower them to each side.
    • At the same time, place your feet together to the bottoms are touching.
    • Allow your knees to descend to each side on their own.
    • Place your hands on your ankles and use your elbows to gently place downward pressure on your knees.
    • Hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds.
  5. Perform the back bridge. This stretch will improve flexibility in your lower back. It’s a very safe stretch for the back, so don’t worry about straining your back on this one.[3]
    • Lie with your back on the floor and your knees up and together so that your feet are flat on the floor in front of your butt.
    • Place your arms flat at your sides with the palms down on the floor.
    • Using your arms and hands as leverage, slowly lift your butt off the floor until your pelvis forms part of a straight line from your knees to your neck.
    • Squeeze your glutes to hold yourself in place.
    • Hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds.
  6. Perform the lying twist. This stretch targets your lower back and the upper muscles of the butt. Make sure to complete this stretch on both sides. It’s a good last stretch since you’re on the floor and resting on your back.[3]
    • Lie on your back on the ground and allow your arms to stretch out to the sides.
    • Keeping your upper body flat on the ground, twist your lower body to the left while raising your right leg over your left leg.
    • Let your right foot come to rest on the left side of your body.
    • Hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds on each side.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://gmb.io/get-flexible-fast/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/is-this-spot-normal-how-to-tell-if-that-mole-is-trouble.html
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 http://phraktured.net/starting-stretching.html
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