Most students we work with today are frustrated because they have lost their basic range of motion, such as the ability to bend forward at the hips, squat down deeply, or clasp their hands behind their back. By the time most people reach adulthood, not only have they stopped playing like a kid, they’ve lost the functional flexibility required to squat and lift a box or a child from the floor, hang from monkey bars, cross their legs while sitting on the floor, and move freely in their favorite sports.

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The good news is you can regain your lost flexibility (and often much, much more), and the benefits you’ll experience go way beyond the yoga mat.

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Here’s why flexibility matters:

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Less Athletic Injury. Let’s be clear: tight muscles don’t cause injuries, poor movement patterns do. When you’re tight and imbalanced, your body creates workarounds that get you into trouble. For example, people with tight hips and hamstrings often externally rotate their hips and swing their legs when they walk or run. People with tight psoas muscles often sway their back and stick out their bum. People with tight shoulders are often in a constant hunch. These imbalances lead to lower back, neck, and knee injuries, among others. The number one reason people stop running, going to the gym, or doing the activities they love is that they get hurt and lose momentum. Once you stop exercising, many people never get back to it. The good news is that with an intelligent self-care flexibility training regimen, you can move toward a balanced body and reduce your risk of injury for life.

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Reduce Back, Neck, and Body Pains. Joint pain, muscle soreness, and cramping can be reduced (and even eliminated) with functional mobility training. Your body is designed to express itself with a wide range of motion, and the more you tap into those all-natural patterns, the more the aches and pains of sedentary life fade. Many are surprised to learn that lower back pain is often a result of tight hip flexors, that neck pain can be due to locked-up shoulders, and that their hamstrings can trigger dozens of aches in the body.

 

Be More Active. Whether you’re passionate about yoga, skiing, mountain biking, or just being able to throw a frisbee around in the park, when your body is open and limber, everything works and feels better. Movement becomes fun again.

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Improved Circulation. Many people assume heart strength is the only factor affecting circulation, but this is an oversimplification. Your body’s vascular system is huge and its capillaries are so vast and so tiny that they are constantly affected by your movements (or lack thereof). Since stiffness is often systemic, the tightness in the backs of your legs could indicate you have impaired circulation to your extremities and connective tissues. Flexibility training unblocks stuck areas and helps to naturally improve whole-body circulation.

 

​Travel in Comfort. A huge part of the discomfort you experience from long car and airplane rides is due to poor mobility. When you regain your natural flexibility, it becomes easier and more comfortable to sit for long stretches of time—and yes, even cross-legged on the floor.

 

​Improved Sleep. Muscle cramps, poor posture, and abnormal breathing patterns can be greatly reduced with proper pre-bed stretching exercises. Many find that with just 15 minutes of flexibility training before bed, they sleep deeper and wake up refreshed.

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Tone Your Nervous System. When your nerves are blocked by shortened tissues, it can physically impair the free flow of electrical energy throughout your body. Conversely, when you increase your flexibility, you turn your body into a superconductor for energy. This can improve proprioception everywhere, but the most profound benefits are often experienced in the hands, feet, wrists, and shoulders

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