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Stretches To Increase Flexibility in Women

Keeping your body limber can significantly benefit your life. You are less prone to injury when your muscles are loose. Your muscles will be able to work at their full potential. When you are doing various stretches to increase flexibility you begin to feel more alert, relaxed and focused. There are many more benefits gained from working on improving your flexibility, but instead of reading about them, how about you try some of the stretches below and see for yourself.

Before You Get Started

Stretching should be done with a warm body, so when you have just finished a workout is a good time to stretch. You can also warm up your body by taking a brisk walk, dancing around your living room, or taking a hot shower or bath. Being warm prevents injury and allows your muscles to really benefit from the stretching.

Head to Toe

This can be done sitting or standing. The standing version takes a little more balances, but some enjoy this added opportunity to practice their balance.

Stand, or lie, with your legs together and your hands by your side. Raise your arms about your head and the back of one hand onto the palm of the other, as if you were pretending to be a sharp pencil. When you are ready, stretch your hands as high above your head as you can, squeeze every muscle in your body, and don’t forget to point or go up on your toes. If you are lying down you will feel yourself lift away from the floor slightly. Hold this for a slow count of five and then relax. Repeat two more times before moving on.

Toe Touch and Straddle

Stand with your feet square under your hips, bend forward at the waist and reach towards the floor. Alternate between reaching your hands to the floor and reaching your stomach and chest to the floor, you’ll be rounding and flattening your back as you do this. Hold and breathe.

Slowly walk your feet apart till you are in a straddle positions with your toes pointing in front of you. Walk your hands over to one leg. Hold and then repeat with your other leg. Bring your hands back to center.

With your hands in center, shift your hips towards one side. You should feel a stretch in your inner thigh. Hold and repeat on your other side.

Come back center and clasp your hands behind your back. Lift your arms up towards the ceiling behind your back and hold.

Walk your feet together again. Bend your knees and slowly roll up one vertebra at a time till you are standing.

Flamingo

Stand near a chair, wall or a counter in case you need help balancing. Lift one foot towards your bottom, stay standing straight. Grasp the lifted foot with your hand on the same side. Keeping your body straight, knees close and hips forward, gently pull your foot towards your bottom. Hold and repeat on the other side.

Many people don’t get the full benefit out of this stretch, because they do it improperly. Very subtle changes make a world of a difference. If you aren’t feeling a stretch be sure you are properly aligned and that your hips are actively pressing forward. You can also try engaging your quad as you stretch it for a deeper stretch.

Calf Lunge and Chokers

Stand with your feet square with your hips. Take a large step forward, far enough that you feel a stretch but not so far that your back heel has to rise off the ground. Keep your torso tall.

Bring one arm across your chest and bring your other hand up to rest on your arm just above the elbow. Drop or roll your shoulders down, then gently pull your arm towards and across your chest. Keep your shoulders down.

Hold, and then repeat on your other side.

Back Scratches

Stand tall and reach both your arms up toward the ceiling. Then place one hand on your upper back and the other hand on your elbow. Keeping your head up, gently pull your elbow further behind your head. Hold and repeat on your other side.

Neck Stretch

Stand or sit straight and tall. Looking ahead tip your head like you are trying to touch your ear to your shoulder. Hold. Without lifting your head, look down towards your armpit. Hold, and then repeat on the other side.

Things to remember

Each stretch should be held for a minimum of 30 seconds, expect the first one, but can be held up to a minute.

Breathe! It is important to keep breathing while stretching to enable your muscles to get the most benefit from the stretch. If you slowly exhale while holding a stretch you will be able to go a little deeper.

Another way to get deeper into a stretch is to contract your muscles while in the stretch and then relax them.

Be careful not to push too hard. Over stretching can lead to serious injury. Some discomfort while stretching very tight muscles is normal, but pain is not. If you feel pain, back off the stretch.

To see real improvements in your flexibility, you’ll need to stretch at least 4 times a week. Daily stretching is even better.

The above stretches to improve flexibility are a good way to begin your journey to a more limber you.

This article on the stretches to make your body more flexible has been written  by expert author ‘Emily Cordz‘.