Hello, and welcome to our Flexibility workshop. Below is a breakdown and the time stamps of everything you will learn today. Enjoy!

Introduction 00:00

• What is flexibility? (tissues elongating)
  • Flexibility is the absolute range of motion in a joint or systems of joints and the length of muscle that crosses the joint involved.
  • So basically this refers to how much a muscle can lengthen- the more it can lengthen the more flexibility you obtain
• Why is flexibility important?
  • Increase your range of motion which prevents injury- the tighter your muscles are the higher your risk of being injured because it puts strain on your body

Factors Affecting Flexibility 2:28

• Temperature
  • colder temperatures stiffen up your muscles and tendons and prevents you from going into a deeper stretch
• Time of Day
  • you are “colder” in the morning because of lack of movement (sleeping, not warmed up yet)
• Injuries
  • If a certain part of your body is injured, it will be much more difficult to stretch it because your body will naturally want to stiffen the muscles around that area to protect it
• Age
  • Generally people of a younger age are more flexible, but this does not mean that you can’t increase your flexibility if you are older; but the older you are, the more effort and time you will have to put into your flexibility training to see results
• Gender
  • females are generally more flexible than males based on the makeup of their connective tissues
• Consistency
  • Focusing on stretching for 10 minutes a day 5x a week is way better than someone who focuses on flexibility for 1 hour once a week
• Clothing
  • Keep in mind the clothing you have n while stretching; something as simple as clothing can affect how deep you can go into a stretch

Benefits of Stretching 9:15

• Improves posture
  • One of the main causes of bad posture is due to sitting all day which creates many muscle imbalances. Focusing on a flexibility routine will help realign your muscles, providing you proper alignment.
• Improves blood flow
  • When you stretch you are also releasing your fascia which you can imagine as a web encasing your muscle. When you stretch and release your fascia, you reduce the restriction it has on the muscle and improve your blood flow.
• Reduces stress
  • When you stretch you are forced to focus on your breath; this helps you reduce stress and lower cortisol levels, which in turn helps you release more tightness and tension in your body
• Increases ROM
  • ROM is how much a joint can move in it’s full potential, and this is sometimes hindered by tight muscles. So the more you scratch and improve flexibility, the more you will be able to improve your range of motion, which will improve your overall quality of life in daily activities and decrease your risk of injury.
• Decreases back pain
  • One of the leading causes of back pain is from sitting for long periods of time. This causes our muscles to tighten and decreases our range of motion. Increasing your flexibility throughout your body will improve your overall range of motion and decrease your pain.

Common Flexibility Mistakes 11:33

• Not warming up
  • Never start stretching out your muscles and ligaments if you are cold. Not properly warming up and going into these routines will actually cause injury to your body.
• Stretching too far, too fast
  • Some people may want to do a split in a very short amount of time so they are going to push their body. Forcing your body to get into uncomfortable positions that push way too far will send signals to your brain to not relax your muscles. The best way to do it is to slowly progress.
• Spending 1 hour a week (being inconsistent)
  • In order to see large improvements in your flexibility you are going to want to focus more on volume instead of packing your routine in one day. Stretching out for 10 minutes a day for 7 days is way better than stretching for 1 hour once a week.
• Not breathing
  • Losing focus and holding your breath when you are stretching is very bad for your body. Focus on your breath and breathe very slowly and relaxed. This sends your brain signals that it’s okay to relax and will help you gradually improve flexibility.
• Focusing on the pain/discomfort
  • When you first start trying to increase your flexibility you will find yourself experiencing different poses that cause more discomfort than others. This pain I am referring to should not be a sharp pain that you feel from your tendons or joints, if that is the case, STOP. The pain I am referring to is the pain you would feel from the center of your muscle while it is being stretched. Focus on your breath and relax your mind for best results.

The Role of Fascia 16:14

• What is Fascia?
  • Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. The tissue does more than provide internal structure; fascia has nerves that make it almost as sensitive as skin. When stressed, it tightens up.
  • One of the ways that fascia stiffens up is lack of movement
  • Movement hydrates your facia

The Importance of Water

• Hydrates fascia
• How much water do you need to stay hydrated everyday?
  • Take weight and divide by 2 and turn into ounces
  • The more you sweat the more water you need based on activity level and where you live
  • Listen to your body

Using Props 18:22

• Why props are important (you don’t want to force yourself past your limit)
• Goal is to find your edge- you should be able to breathe steadily
• You won’t improve flexibility if you are tensing in a pose

Breathing for Flexibility 19:43

• importance of the breath
• your breath is a tool that helps you let go and relax into the poses so your body knows you’re not in danger 
• one of the best ways to relax your body and nervous system is by increasing your exhales

Beginner Flexibility Stretches  21:33

• Hamstrings
  • Reclined Big Toe
  • Standing Forward Fold/Ragdoll
  • Pyramid Pose 
• Hips
  • Reclined Pigeon
  • Pigeon
  • Butterfly Pose
• Back/Chest
  • Reclined Spinal Twist
  • Thread the Needle
  • Puppy Pose
  • Cat/Cow
• Shoulders, Neck
  • Side Neck Stretch