Improving Flexibility
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This page includes links to most if not all articles on this website related to improving flexibility i.e. stretching. Stretches are grouped by body part.
Flexibility is the ability to apply strength or relax across a wide range of positions. The wider the range of positions in which you can apply strength or relax, the more flexible you are.
Understanding Flexibility
I’ll use the word “stretch” to denote the idea of working towards flexibility. When stretching, for it to be a stretch there must be some resistance. As an analogy, when you stretch an elastic band, the elastic band resists being stretched. And you can feel this resistance. So when stretching your body, there should be resistance in the part being stretched.
Stretch sensation, the sensation that arises when stretching, is a combination of connective tissue being lengthened and muscle activation sensation.
In general, the greater the stretch the louder the connective tissue stretching sensation and the dimmer the muscular activation sensation on the side of the joint being lengthened.
Floppiness occurs when the body is completely (or as completely as possible) relaxed. Floppiness means there is no resistance to movement. Being able to be floppy is a good thing and is part of being flexible. But it isn’t the same as being flexible.
Some suggestions for flexibility training
When stretching, a part of flexibility training can be to relax to the point of floppiness in the end position. However, this should also be accompanied by doing the opposite, deliberately re-activating.
When doing flexibility training, you can consider the short side of the stretch and the long side. The long side of a stretch is the side of the joint that is being stretched. The short side of the stretch is the side that is being shortened. Flexibility training includes training muscles to activate, or relax, while shortened and while lengthened.
When working on flexibility it’s important to consider joint safety. Muscles control joint position. Muscle control (the degree of activation or relaxation of muscles) maintains joint integrity through a joint’s range of possible positions and through a range of applied forces.
Because our joints have some ability to rotate, or require the ability to resist being rotated, an important part of flexibility training can include rotational control.
Flexibility requires stability. When stretching an elastic band you need to fix at least one part of the elastic band. For example, you can pinch one end of the elastic. Then you can pull the free end away from the pinched end. When stretching muscles, it helps to anchor one or both ends of the muscle being lengthened or shortened.
About the articles on improving flexibility listed below
For most sections there are pages that contain multiple stretches for the body part in question. There may also be pages that focus on a single stretch for each body part. The single stretch pages, if they exist, are listed first. The multi-stretch pages are listed after.
Except for the "how to improve flexibility" articles, all links include images of the stretches. So you can get a good idea of the types of stretches just from the images. The pages themselves will include details on what to do in each stretch to make the stretching position more effective.
For a more verbose index (or if you are used to the old yoga for flexibility index) check out yoga for flexibility.
For general tips (and some principles) for improving flexibility, check out these tips for improving flexibility below.
Use the hyperlinked headings to return to the table of contents.
Using Warrior 1 to stretch the sartorius
High Lunge
Couch stretch for the hip flexors
Front-to-Back Splits
Supporting the Front Hip In Yoga Pigeon
Upward Facing Dog
Camel Yoga Pose (Ustrasana)
Table top, retraction and extension
Virasana (Hero Pose)
Hip Flexor Stretches
Bent knee hip flexor stretches
Meridian Stretches 3
Hip Flexor Stretches
Cat pose active hip flexor stretch.
Single side bow pose on all fours.
Upright lunge with knee straight.
Upright pigeon pose hip flexor stretch.
Pigeon single side bow pose
Upward facing dog
Bow poses
Half table top half camel hip flexor stretch
Camel pose hip flexor stretch
Quad and hip flexor stretch against a wall.
Splits with back shin against a wall.
Upright Splits
Bent knee hip flexor stretches
Squatting with heels lifted
Standing bent knee hip flexor stretch
Forward Bending hip flexor stretch
Lunging bent knee hip flexor stretch
Twisting lunge
Pigeon pose bent knee hip flexor stretch
Front to back splits, bent knee hip flexor stretch
Frog pose bent knee hip flexor stretch
Frog pose dual leg bent knee hip flexor stretch
Kneeling Quadriceps Stretch
Deep Squats
Couch stretch hip flexor and quad stretch
Virasana (Hero Pose)
Lying Quadriceps Stretch
Kneeling Yoga Poses
Bent knee hip flexor stretches
Sensational quad stretches
Meridian Stretches 3
Kneeling yoga poses
Kneeling w/ toes tucked
Hero pose
Bent back hero pose
Reclining hero pose
Bharad-vajasana
Mod. bharad-vajasana
Options
Half hero forward bend
Reclining half hero
Half hero side bend
Marichyasana E
Camel pose
Dog pose (lifted knee cat pose)
Child's pose
Child's pose variant
Shin balance
Knee balance
Sensational Quad Stretches
Quads activated to lift the hips
Bent back hero
supta virasana or reclining hero
half hero pose with spine long
half hero quad stretch variation
lowering into a squat with heels lifted
standing quad stretch
standing quad stretch and hip flexor stretch
lunging quadricep stretch
pigeon quad stretch variation
Front splits quad stretch variation
frog pose single leg quad stretch
Quad and hip flexor stretch
Quad stretch using a wall
Quad stretch using a wall
Front splits quad stretch using wall
quad stretch counter pose
Toe and Ankle Stretches
Downward Facing Dog
Calf Stretches
Meridian Stretches 4
Half Happy Baby Hip Stretch
Modified Marichyasana B
Marichyasana B
Marichyasana Yoga Poses
Hip Extensor Stretching Variations
Meridian Stretches 4
Standing Forward Bend
Standing Front Bend Using Arms
Padangusthasana, Padahastasana and other Standing forward bends
Pyramid Pose
Using Arms to Stretch Hamstrings
Seated Wide Leg Forward Bend
Janusirsasana A
Janu Sirsasana B
Getting Ready for Janu Sirsasana C
Seated Forward Bend
Simple hamstrings stretching postures
Hamstring stretching yoga poses
Hamstring stretches
Meridian Stretches 4
Hamstring Stretches
Standing forward bend
Standing f-bend using arms
Standing f-bend on one leg
Pyramid pose hamstring stretch
Leg supported
Spine long TA engaged
Pulling lifted leg fwd
Bending down to standing leg
Semi-kneeling w/ hips lifted
hamstring and hip flexor splits
Hamstring Stretching Yoga Poses
seated stretch with leg lifted using a belt.
Half moon as a hamstring stretch.
triangle yoga pose
Pyramid pose
Standing wide leg front bend hands on floor.
Standing wide leg front bend hands on hips.
Standing wide leg front bend hands clasped
Standing wide leg front bend hands on floor.
Wide leg front bend grabbing big toes
Standing front bend, hands on floor
hamstring stretch with leg supported
Seated wide leg front bend
Janu sirsasana A foot position
Janu sirsasana B foot position
Janu sirsasana C foot position
Hurdlers stretch with torso upright.
Seated forward bend
Lifted leg hamstring stretch
Supporting the Front Hip In Yoga Pigeon
Pigeon Pose Glute Stretch Hip Stretch
Glute Stretch Hip Stretch for the Outer Glutes
Armpit Pose
Iliotibial Band Stretch
Foot Behind the Head
Counter poses for hip openers
Glute Stretches
Glute Stretches
Wide Bound Angle
Low lunge Glute Stretch
Seated Glute Stretch
Seated Glute Stretch
Seated Glute Stretch
Pigeon pose
Pigeon pose glute stretch
IT Band Stretch
Knee Safety in Hurdler's Stretch
Bound Angle Pose
Hip crease opening: bound angle
Seated Wide Leg Forward Bend
Upavistha Konasana
Half Side Splits
Front-to-Back Splits
Seated straddles splits
Knee Joint Integrity and Middle Splits
Stabilizing the Knee Joint in Middle Splits
Adductor Stretches
Meridian Stretches 6
Adductor Stretches
Supine bound angle using wall.
Supine wide leg stretch using a wall.
Bound angle with hands against a wall.
Bound angle with feet grabbed.
Seated wide leg forward fold.
Hurdlers pose adductors stretch.
Prone big toe pose adductor stretch.
Half split adductor stretch
Frog pose adductor stretch.
Side splits adductor stretch
Psoas Stretch
Standing Psoas Stretch Variations
Reclining psoas stretch
Psoas Stretches
More Psoas Stretches
Standing side bend
Half moon pose
Triangle pose
Seated slouch (can be done standing)
Triangle forward bend
forward bending side bend seated
Pigeon pose variation
Cross legged twist using the arms
Bound angle pose with legs wide
Bent back kneeling position
Bharadvajasana
augmented seated forward bend
Side Stretches
Standing side bend
Triangle pose side stretch
Seated side stretch bent forward
Pigeon pose with side stretch
seated side stretch variation
Upright seated side stretch
Wide leg seated side stretch
Seated side stretch variation
Seated side stretch variation
Twisting Poses
Seated twist, hands free
Standing upright twist
Twisting triangle pose
Prone twist
Shoulder stretch with a twist
Easy seated twist
Twisting side angle
Pigeon pose twisting variation
Seated closed twist
Seated open twist with a bind
Binding pose with option for an open twist
Binding pose with closed twist
Seated position with open twist
Bound lotus variation with twist
Shoulder Stretches
Arm overhead reaching one arm up
Arm overhead hands clasped, palms press up
Arm overhead pulling straight arm outwards
Arm overhead pulling straight arm inwards
Arm overhead, pulling bent elbow inwards
Arm overhead pulling hands apart
Using straight arm, pull other hand back
For outer shoulders, hug self
Active arm cross in front of chest
Eagle pose for arms side tilt
Arm overhead bent elbows press inwards
One arm penguin stretch
Pulling straight arm outwards behind back
Pulling straight arm inwards behind back
Pull hand to opposite waist behind back
Arms back and up, unclasped
Arms back and up, clasped
Reverse prayer
High penguin one arm stretch
Arm stretches
Half dragonfly arm stretch
Clasped half dragonfly
External rotation arm stretch
Dragonfly arm stretch
Bennitasana arm stretch
Lapasana shoulder stretch
Puppy dog arm /chest stretch
Spiderman wall stretch kneeling
Spiderman wall stretch prone
Rack arm stretch
Penguin pose shoulder stretch
Pull back arm stretch
Yoga Shoulder Stretches
Downward dog shoulder strech
Internal arm rotation while reaching back
Reverse prayer
Arms back and up, hands clasped
reverse prayer
Overhead tricep stretch
Cow face pose arms
Eagle pose arms
Meridian Stretches 1
Meridian Stretches 2
Meridian Stretches 3
Meridian Stretches 4
Meridian Stretches 5
Meridian Stretches 6
For more on understanding flexibility and improving it, check out the articles below.
What is flexibility?
Understanding flexibility so that you can improve it
Stretching for Flexibility Tips
(Especially if You Aren't Flexible To Begin With!)
Stretching Techniques
For Body Awareness, Feeling Good, and/or Improving Flexibility
Stretching for Flexibility
Tips for sequencing stretches and for improving flexibility
A quick guide to stretching
an overview to stretching effectively
Three reasons for improving flexibility
One is that it can help you learn your body
Stretching for Beginners
Stretching to Feel Good and Improve Flexibility
Reciprocal Inhibition
Why It Doesn't Work For Static Stretching (What to do instead)
Basic Yoga Sequence
Stretching the hips and spine, part 1
Basic Yoga Sequence Part 2
Part 2, inner and outer thigh flexibility
Basic Yoga Sequence Part 3
Part 3, reactivating the hips after stretching them
