How to Improve Flexibility

A lot of the time stretching and flexibility is something that gets overlooked, however, it should be a key aspect of your training program. Stretching is key to keeping our muscles flexible, and ensuring you are maintaining or increasing that flexibility means that the range of motion in the joints is optimised. Improving flexibility and range of motion in your joints can also improve your posture, help reduce stress, relieve body aches, and optimise your training.

So what happens when you don’t stretch?

When we start to neglect stretching and mobility it leads to our muscles becoming shorter and therefore tighter. When this happens it can increase the risk of injury or lead to the inability to perform certain movements.

How do you avoid Injury and Improve flexibility?

Try adding these stretches into your weekly program to help improve flexibility and prevent injury.

1. Wide-legged fold

Start by standing with your feet wider than your shoulders. Hinge at your hips to lowering your chest down in front of your thighs, allowing the head to relax and shift the weight toward the balls of your feet. Hold for 10-20 seconds, then return to standing.

2. Figure Four

Lay down flat on your back, bending your knees to 90 degrees, so your feet are off the floor. Start by hooking your right ankle over the left thigh (just above the knee) and interlock your hands over around the back of your left thigh. Take a breath and as you exhale pull the left knee towards your chest, feeling your left hip and glutes opening. Hold for a few 10-20, and release before repeating on the other side.

3. Wide Squat with a twist

Start by standing with your feet wider than your shoulders and lower yourself into a sumo squat position by bending the legs until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Place your hands on your knees and push through your right hand to dropping your right shoulder forward and down, while rotating your chest to face your left knee. Hold for 10-20 secs, then reverse the movement and repeat on the other side 5-10 times.

4. Kneeling Hip Flexor 

Kneeling on the floor, place one foot forward into a low lunge. Making sure the knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. You can place your hands on the floor for support if you need it, start the stretch by leaning forward slowly driving the front knee over the foot until you feel a stretch in the groin of the back leg. Move back and forth 5-10 times or hold at the point of stretch for up to 30 secs and then switch legs.

5. Interlaced Forward Fold 

Start by standing with your feet hip-distance apart and hands interlock your hands behind your back, keeping your arms straight. Lift your hands up towards the ceiling, keeping your arms straight but allowing your body to, hinge at hips to lowering your chest down toward your legs and stretch arms overhead. Relax your head down and shift your weight towards the balls of your feet. Hold for 10-20 secs, then release and return to standing slowly before repeating 3-5 times.

6. Standing Tricep Stretch

Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lift your left arm and extend it straight overhead. Start the movement by bending the elbow until your hand is behind your head between the shoulder. Keeping your shoulder blades pulled together, use your other arm to gently push the elbow of the arm being stretched down and back. Hold for 10-20 secs, before repeating on the other arm. Repeat 3-5 times on each arm.

7. Twist Arm and shoulder stretch

Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bring your arms up to chest height with your hands out in front, cross your arms over each other, and interlock your hands, and drop your shoulders down while reaching forward with your interlocked hands. Hold for 5-10 seconds before, unwinding your arms, and then switch arms, repeat on each side 3-5 times.

8. Wide straddle with forwarding fold

Start by sitting on the floor stretching your legs out to the side as wide as possible and keeping them straight. Pull your shoulders back and down keeping your spine straight, slowly walking your hands forward along the floor in front of you lowering yourself to place your forearms on the floor. Lower and bow your head with a deep breath. Hold for 10-20 secs, before walking your hands back in to return to start. Repeat 3-5 times.

9. Cat-Cow

Start on the floor on all fours, placing your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees bent under your hips. Taking a large breath arch your spine down towards the floor, so your belly sinks and your head and tail boil lift upwards. Slowly exhale, reversing the movement by arching your back towards the ceiling, tucking your head and tail bone underneath you. Hold each movement for 3-5 secs before reversing and repeat 5-10 times.

10. Y and T Superman stretch 

Start by lying facedown on the floor with your legs straight out and arms in Y formation with your facing down. Taking a deep breath pull your shoulders back and down, lifting your chest, arms, and legs up as high as comfortable off the floor, hold for 5 secs, then lower back down with control before moving your arms out wide to form a T shape and repeat. Alternate between the Y/T movements from 5-10 times.

Want to get some more training tips and tricks? Check them out here.

Don’t forget to fuel yourself Pre, Intra and Post-workout – You can grab yourself all your workout must-haves here.  Make sure to let us know how you get on with your training program and tag us in your workouts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter – @phdnutrition.

Written by Amy Golby

Amy is our very own content manager and has been a sportswoman for over 18 years playing rugby and netball up to a national level, she has been a qualified personal trainer for 6 years and further her nutritional knowledge with a diploma in sports and exercise nutrition as well a psychology degree. She has been training in a gym and weightlifting for over 10 years and competed in her first body building competition this year. She continues to learn and improve her training in order to reach her goals. She believes in both the physical and mental advantages of sport and fitness as well as a balanced diet and lifestyle. In her spare time, Amy enjoys playing sport, socialising with friends, and fuelling her shopping addiction to gym wear. She can be found here – https://www.instagram.com/dreams_and_dumbbells/?hl=en