Improve posture.

A forward tilted pelvis, sway back, hunched shoulders, and a text neck can be seen if you look at modern bodies in profile. Postural imbalance can start in teenage years and become a problem by middle age. A body that is not aligned is more prone to injury. Many conditions can be corrected with targeted training.

There is reverse aging.

Is it possible to get up and down from the floor without using your hands? Is it possible to sit cross-legged? Are you able to hold your hands behind your back? How does your body look when you tie your shoes? The mobility of someone 10 years younger can be regained through flexibility training. It gives you confidence in your body and helps you enjoy your activities.

Travel in comfort.

Poor mobility makes long car and airplane rides uncomfortable. It becomes easier and more comfortable to sit for long stretches of time when you regain your natural flexibility.

Improve your sleep.

Proper pre-bed stretching exercises can help reduce muscle cramps, poor posture, and abnormal breathing patterns. With just 15 minutes of stretching before bed, many find that they sleep deeper and wake up refreshed.

Enjoy an active life.

When your body is open and limber, everything works and feels better, whether you are passionate about yoga, skiing, mountain biking, or just being able to throw a frisbee around in the park. The movement is fun again.

Better love life.

You can use your imagination, there is no need to explain how flexibility can help.

There are ways to avoid injuries.

Poor movement patterns can cause injuries. Your body creates work-arounds when you are tight and unbalanced. People with tight hips swing their legs when they walk or run. People with tight psoas muscles are more likely to stick out their butt. People with tight shoulders are prone to hunch. Lower back, neck, and knee injuries are caused by these imbalances.

People stop running, going to the gym, or doing activities they love because they get hurt. Many people never get back to exercising once they stop. With an intelligent self-care flexibility training regimen, you can move toward a balanced body and reduce your risk of injury for the rest of your life.

For a prehab / rehab routine after exercise, flexibility training is most useful. This intense approach uses a targeted mobility routine to transform your body, correct imbalances, and increase range of motion.

Pain, stress, and tension can be reduced.

Did you know that mental and emotional stress can affect your shoulders, hips, and lower back? Stress can change your body language and cause pain and tension in your body. Targeted stretching is the best remedy.

Joint pain can be reduced with intelligent mobility training. Your body is designed to express itself with a wide range of motion, and as you tap into those natural patterns, 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 cause dozens of aches in the body.

Circulation can be improved.

An intelligent stretching routine increases circulation and improves the health of the effected tissues. Circulation is affected by more than cardiovascular strength. The tightness in the backs of your legs could be a symptom of impaired circulation. Flexibility training improves whole body circulation.

Why yoga classes don’t work. For flexibility.

There is a misconception that yoga classes are all about flexibility. Most classes focus on strength, balance, breath, concentration, and the mind-body connection. It is definitely on the list, but it is usually at the bottom of the priority list in most classes.

I became a yoga maniac because I didn’t know that. I thought it was a good idea to sign up for a membership because the other students were pretty limber. I didn’t achieve noticeable results after weeks of suffering through classes.

I loved yoga. I felt more calm, my balance was getting better, and I was even losing weight, but I was still stiff as a board.

Anthony was the weird guy I met.

In yoga class, you are supposed to stay focused, but I couldn’t help staring. Anthony could lay flat against his shins in forward bends, cross his legs in full lotus, and go three times as deep as I could in back bends after six weeks. He jumped from beginner to intermediate in less than a minute. Whatever he was doing was working and what I was doing was not.

I had to say something.

After two painful months of Hot Yoga torture, I finally got up the nerve to invite Anthony for pizza after class. Anthony told me three secrets to stretching flexibility that I later learned are true for almost everyone, even though he didn’t eat anything during our meeting.