If you want to be more flexible, there are a few key things you can do. Yoga is one of the best ways to get more limber, with its focus on stretching and strengthening muscles in the body. Yoga also helps improve your posture, reduce stress levels, and ease pain in various parts of your body. That’s because a full-body stretch improves circulation throughout the whole body while targeting essential muscle groups like hamstrings and hips that may need extra attention. So if you’re ready for some relief from tightness or tension in your body or if you just want to feel better overall, here is what you need to know about yoga postures for flexibility.
Increasing your flexibility is good for you in many ways. Some of the most important benefits of yoga standing postures for flexibility include:
More flexible people tend to have a greater range of motion in the pelvis, hips, and ankles (2). This can significantly improve your ability to perform physical activities since it reduces the risk of injury. Flexible people also find it easier to walk, run, raise their arms or legs, stand for long periods (such as when cooking), and sit comfortably (especially cross-legged).
When you’re flexible, you have a lower risk of sustaining a muscle strain while performing physical activity. That’s because being more limber means that your joints move through a greater degree of motion before reaching the point where they start feeling tight and stiff. Higher degrees of flexibility may even reduce muscle tension in the body, allowing you to feel less stressed and more relaxed (2).
When your muscles are tight, it can cause a breakdown in a posture that strains the ligaments and tendons throughout your entire body. Being flexible helps correct this by allowing you to sit up straight with proper alignment of the spine’s natural curves instead of slouching forward or backward. As a result, your bones have better support from the surrounding tissues, which allows them to stay healthy without being under too much pressure from outside forces.
Increased flexibility may also help reduce pain and injury (10). This can be helpful for those who suffer from chronic low back or neck pain, as well as those experiencing sharp, acute forms of discomfort due to injury or overuse. Many times, injuries occur when ligaments and tendons are too tight and cause strain on tissue and bones instead of working with them to support your body’s full range of motion (8). Being more flexible can help prevent that imbalance by making it easier for you to move through your full range without putting excessive stress on your tissues and joints.
When stretching regularly, you improve blood circulation throughout the body (11). That helps nourish cells throughout the body with much-needed oxygen and nutrients while removing metabolic waste products. You may also find that you have more energy since your cells are better able to process everything they need, meaning you won’t feel tired as often.
Read More: Relax Yoga Poses To Calm Your Body
Many yoga poses can help improve your flexibility, but some are better than others. Here, we’ll go over five of the best poses to increase the range of motion throughout the hips and shoulders while also relieving tension in your lower back. Plus, you’ll learn how long to hold each pose for maximum results without causing injury.
This yoga pose is a great way to get the hips and lower back loosened up, which is one of the key limiting factors of flexibility (7).
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This pose is excellent for opening up your shoulders and upper back (4).
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This all-purpose yoga for beginners pose is fantastic for opening up your hips and shoulders (3).
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This pose requires a combination of upper body and leg strength, so it builds nice stamina, as well as flexibility (5).
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Is yoga for everyone? Certainly! Yoga is beneficial to the body and mind. However, not all postures are appropriate for everyone. Before beginning your yoga practice, it’s vital to take into account your age, health condition, and level of fitness. Each asana and pranayama has its own set of contraindications.
Many women practice yoga during pregnancy as it is generally considered safe (12). However, it’s important to avoid lying on your back after the first trimester or whenever it becomes uncomfortable for you. Also, if you suffer from nausea, fatigue, insomnia, pain, or swelling during your second and third trimesters, it is best to avoid forward-bending postures since they can aggravate these discomforts.
If you have sciatica, do not practice poses that require twisting of your torso because the movements could aggravate the condition by increasing pressure on the sciatic nerve (9). Instead, try restorative yoga positions, which will allow you to deepen your breath while offering support deep in the lower back area.
People who have undergone surgery or are recovering from it should not push themselves too hard when practicing yoga. It’s best to avoid inversions while recovering from surgery because this could slow down the healing process. Also, it is not advised to practice postures requiring you to stand on your head if you’ve just had a surgical procedure in the abdominal area.
It is not advised to practice yoga when you have knee injuries (13). If you feel pain, avoid forward-bending postures and any poses that require movement in the knees, such as triangle pose and standing splits.
Read More: Pilates Vs Yoga For Weight Loss: The Battle Of Low-Impact Exercises
It is not recommended to practice inverted postures or long holds of inversions like headstand, shoulder stand, or plow pose if you have a hernia. In case you do have a hernia, consult your physician before exercising.
Yoga is generally safe for people suffering from hypertension as long as they avoid exerting themselves too hard and holding the postures for too long (6).
If you have a frozen shoulder or an injury, avoid poses that require you to lift your arm above your head, such as upward-facing dog and downward-facing dog. Instead, opt for postures that open the chest area, such as cobra pose and bow pose.
In general, it is not advised to practice forward bends when you have lower back problems because it puts pressure on the intervertebral discs in this area (1). If you have lower back pain, avoid forward bends and any poses that require you to bend your spine backward, such as the bridge pose.
It is better to avoid poses that require flexion of the wrists or ankles if you have an injury or pain in these areas. Instead of sitting cross-legged, try sitting with your legs stretched in front of you to avoid strain. Also, try practicing the poses on a softer surface, such as a mat or carpet.
If you sit at a desk all day, wake up with tight muscles in the morning, or just want help achieving optimal physical health, then increasing flexibility can benefit just about everyone. Yoga is one of the best exercise routines for reaching your full range of motion as it involves gentle movements combined with controlled breathing and proper posture without jerky motions throughout and between each pose.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!