/r/flexibility

Photograph via snooOG

Let's get flexible! Share stretching tips, post your goals and progress, and anything else relevant to flexibility/mobility. (Please read the rules before posting)

Welcome to r/flexibility!

This subreddit is for discussing increasing range of motion in healthy people, not diagnosing or treating injuries/postural issues.

Share stretching tips, post your goals, progress, and anything else relevant to flexibility/mobility. Whether you're a dancer, martial artist, gymnast, cheerleader, olympic weightlifter or just want to improve your general flexibility, you're welcome here!

Before you comment...

Understand that lewd or sexual comments will get you instantly banned. Users are encouraged to use the report button as well.

Before posting you must...

  1. Read the FAQ to make sure your question isn't answered already.

  2. Have a look at this post if you don't know where to start.

  3. Looking for a routine to follow? Check out the Challenges Page. Our challenges are our greatest resource for information!

FAQs

Related Subreddits

/r/flexibility

2,019,660 Subscribers

4

I need to become more flexible for my job. What sports can I do that make me better at it?

Heya! I'm a motion capture actor and latley I have been getting more jobs that involve flexible monsters. I was advised to prepare through sports however I tried poledancing but the classes will start next year in July. Is there a sport I can do that can help me improve?

2 Comments
2024/12/01
12:13 UTC

3

Show Off Sunday 2024-12-01 - Let's hear (or see) how you leveled up during your bendy-training this week!

  • Have you made any milestones in your flexibility recently? Feel free to share stories/pics/videos, anything (you can now upload photos in your comment)
  • How about any other fitness accomplishments you've made and want the world to know about because your friends and family just don't get it?

Well, this is the thread where you get to share all that and inspire others at the same time!

1 Comment
2024/12/01
11:00 UTC

1

90/90 variation with less stress on knee/shin?

I was doing a 90/90 stretch for hip external rotation but I tried doing it elevated and tweaked something at the top of my shin/below the outside bottom part of my knee. Now just regular 90/90 stretches hurt and it’s been over a month now. It’s not a pain that really shows up unless I stretch in a similar manner so I’m just looking for a stretch I can sub in to let it heal up.

I also tried the one where you lay on your back, cross ankle onto knee, and reach through, grab your other leg, and pull it towards you but the leg across is what puts the same sort of pressure on the area I’m having trouble with.

0 Comments
2024/12/01
03:23 UTC

9

Head To Feet Finally Achieved: What Contortionists Never Did

8 Comments
2024/11/30
23:47 UTC

24

I did it, I did it, I did it!

I've always been as stiff as a brick. So I've set out to stretch.

I've always had issues with inconsistency etc. I made a plan to do 5 days this week (Mon-Fri) and I managed to do it!

I feel so much better, I'm 30 and fear being 60 and not being able to move properly. Tbh I really enjoyed stretching since I've been able to find some consistency with it.

This is nothing but a small win and I'm super happy - I hope this post is allowed 😁

1 Comment
2024/11/30
23:21 UTC

5

How do I get loose?

Hey guys so I’m very inflexible and my body is always extremely tight. For clarification I’m 6’5 so that also doesn’t really help either but I did small stretches for about 6 months but I saw no improvements whatsoever. In fact, whenever I do some stretches my muscles or tendons or whatever it is always makes this crunching noise that only I can hear. Not sure what that is? I know that it takes a long time but it was bothering me that I didn’t feel any different. Is this my body just telling me to stay tight and stiff all the time?

5 Comments
2024/11/30
21:39 UTC

0

Injuries --> need to start stretching

Hello everyone,

I want to start stretching because my range of mobility is close to non-existent, and it's causing me a lot of injuries.

I do weightlifting, football, hiking. Every few months I get an injury because of my devastating.

I need some guides, especially for calves/hamstrings. Can anyone help?

21 Comments
2024/11/30
20:28 UTC

20

Chronic neck tightness?

I got injured 5 years ago when I was putting ice into bags from an ice dispenser. The lid hit my right side of my forehead and pushed my head back. I strained something alongside the levator scapulae though the Dr. wants to claim it as bulging disc which I’m sure it’s not. I’ve had neck stiffness when turning my head to the right looking up muscles always feel tender on that side for 5 years. Is my posture correct? I’m left handed so I feel like my left side is bigger and my right side is working harder to compensate. Which is why I feel like my injury never healed correctly or hasn’t.

I’ve tried everything from PT to chiropractor to dry needling to massages and no dice. I haven’t worked on my posture or maybe I need to do more isolation work outs on the right side to even it out? That’s the last thing I haven’t tried.

19 Comments
2024/11/30
19:43 UTC

1

Advice

I have a lot of issues going on overall just tightness and weakness from head to toe. Neck is in a stretched position. Hamstrings stretched and tight. When I try to touch my toes my hamstrings are already stretched. Hip flexors stretched and tight. This causes me to have ATP. Last night I did planks, hip thrust and glute raises. This morning I woke up everything was stretched more and tighter. My spine area feels tight and pretty much everything overt stretched or tight. My mobility and range of motion suffers a lot from this. Lastly any type of core or glute work I do I feel it on my right side vs left. My pelvis is always moving not stable at all.

Causes little spasms that do NOT hurt in my lower back, pelvis area.

1 Comment
2024/11/30
14:30 UTC

0

Alternating stretches

Hi there, was just wondering for stretches like hand clasp and lying cross are you meant to alternate arms. Or do up to 30 seconds for each side. As it feels like you wouldn’t be stretching evenly.

0 Comments
2024/11/30
14:29 UTC

26

Is this a level of flexibility/contortion anyone could reach?

I'm 21F and was wondering if that level of flexibility is possible for anyone regardless of age if they just were dedicated enough to training/stretch enough, could everyone get there with enough time and dedication?

24 Comments
2024/11/30
11:46 UTC

1

Which program? Emmet louis or Matthew Smith

FYI I’m gonna get the everything bundle. Which one should I go for?

3 Comments
2024/11/30
08:51 UTC

4

Black friday deal recommendations?

Looking to purchase an online flexibility course with a good black friday deal. Strerch Therapy has a nice 60% off.

Any other recommendations?

Thank you!

3 Comments
2024/11/30
04:23 UTC

0

Is Anna mcnulty a good person to watch to get the splits

I have tried to do her stretches before and it helped me get more flexible and helped me touch my toes even (I wasn't flexible at all) however I have been doing her stretches to get the splits for quite some time now and can't get them and I'm not improving much she only really does passive stretches. What do you think?

1 Comment
2024/11/30
03:45 UTC

94

How do I reach the bottom? I'm stretching close to an year now but I'm stuck at this point

38 Comments
2024/11/29
23:38 UTC

43

Back of knee (kneepit ) hurts in front split!

Hlo everyone! I'm training for front splits from last 4-5 months.now I'm at 4-5" away from ground.i have noticed that when I push myself harder my crocth is ready to go down than 4-5".but, my knees are kinda holding my crotch from touching the ground. I feel strong stretch in back of my knee( kneepit) I guess its not flexible enough.did you face this issue? Are there any exercise which will make my back of knee more flexible?

13 Comments
2024/11/29
18:59 UTC

15

Is it for some people just anatomically impossible to deepsquat?

I have done a lot of mobility in my life & I also have seen some progress here and there. But when I see people that go ass to grass without ever doing any kind of stretching - sometimes even men - I really wonder if in the end, it's really all 80% genetics and maybe 20% training and persistence.

Thoughts?

20 Comments
2024/11/29
17:19 UTC

1

Ankle planatar flexion

Does anyone have any recomenedations for developing ankle plantar flexion mobility, I ve tried for years but dont make a lit of progress?

5 Comments
2024/11/29
16:08 UTC

2

Opinions on stretch therapy advanced course?

Hello, I am looking for a flexibility program to improve pancake and backbend and following the faq of this community I came over this one from Kit Laughlin

https://stretchtherapy.net/premium-stretch-therapy-courses/mastery-course/

Has anyone from the community tried it? Looks to be on sale at the moment.

In alternative, are there other programs/app reccommended which don't involve a subscription?

I currently follow the calimove mobility 2.0 classes, but I am looking for something more specific to target my flexibility

Thanks!

0 Comments
2024/11/29
12:36 UTC

1

Low back/QL Tightness

Hello. I apologize if this has been asked before, but I think I need to share the specifics of my case to get a better insight.

I am 25 years old, I'm a software developer and gamer. You can already tell how much sitting I do. But I make sure to hit the gym 4-5 times a week and I think this has kept me pain free. I've been going to the gym for almost 3 years now.

One thing the gym hasn't been able to solve for me is low back/QL tightness. I have absolutely no pain at all, but I can definitely feel the tightness. Stretching my QLs with side bends provide only temporary relief (that stretch feels TOO good!), and the tightness comes back the next day. Meaning there is something else at play here...

Dead hangs from a pullup bar also provide temporary relief, and decompressing my spine feels good as well. What's interesting is that if I try to bend forward, essentially flexing my lumbar spine, I feel some sort of "relief". No pain, but a kind of relief just from flexing my spine. I am not sure if anyone can relate here....

I have tried QL stretches, dead hangs, hamstring stretches....you name it. I guess all of that does not really offset hours of sitting every day.

4 Comments
2024/11/29
11:56 UTC

3

How to open up the compressed ribcage?

Same as title says, please help I want to open up my compressed ribcage.

5 Comments
2024/11/29
10:21 UTC

2

Recommendations for a one-time purchase flexibility program?

Hi guys, I am currently subscribed to the StretchIt app and have been doing the program for about a year. I do like the classes, but I generally do the same 2 or 3 programs, meaning that the flows generally repeat themselves. That makes it hard to justify paying 160 dollars USD a year (I live in Japan, so that cost becomes quite high thanks to the tanking yen).

Instead, I am looking for a good one-time purchase program that focuses on achieving the splits, though some full-body work would be welcome as well. A quick search using AI brought up "Splits 30 by Action Jacquelyn" and "Vertue Method Stretch by Shona Vertue." I am unfamiliar with both of these people, so I am wondering if anyone has some insight into these programs or something different.

Anyway, thanks in advance

6 Comments
2024/11/29
06:19 UTC

2

If you have a big game the next day, will stretching intense the day before make you fresher and more mobile the next day or will it effect you adversely?

Like the title says, if you have a big game in a day and you want to be agile, will stretching for a while the day before mess you up or help you?

6 Comments
2024/11/29
05:40 UTC

2

Whooshing in ears when I do cobra stretch?

I’m currently seeing a pt for cervicogenic headaches that I think are caused by over-tight traps due to weak lower back and the surrounding areas of my traps. I have found that cobra stretch helps to stop the migraines when they are ramping up. The weird thing is that when I do the stretch, I start to hear my blood rushing in my ears within a few seconds, and then the pain will intensify in my head until the whooshing goes away. The pain is right in the middle of my forehead. Does anyone have any idea what this is? I’ve asked my PT and he’s never heard of anything like it. If I do a backwards back stretch it will whoosh in my ears almost immediately, and most times I’ll get dizzy from it. Clearly it’s something and the dizziness is concerning, but I haven’t been able to get any answers. :/ Hoping someone can point me in the right direction! Thanks!

3 Comments
2024/11/29
05:10 UTC

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