[21 / 4 / ?]
Hey /asp/, I'm a very inflexible person, and I want to change that.
Until recently, I only stretched after I jogged, and for example on the bend-down-with-straight-legs-and-try-to-touch-your-toes stretch, my fingertips only get like 10 cm / 4 inches from the ground, no closer.
I'm in my early thirties, never been very physically active aside from some light jogging. I'm pretty tall (197 cm / 6 foot 5 inches) and normal weight (90 kg / 200 lbs), although I still have a bit of a gut (22% fat according to a test I took recently).
I joined a local yoga class in the hope that that would help, but even though it's open for everyone, I have trouble with even the most basic exercises. For some exercises, I can't even assume the starting position or do the preparatory warm-up exercises. I'm still going to continue taking the class in the hope that it'll get a little better, but I'm hoping that there's other stuff I can try.
Do you guys have any tips, or links to interesting resources, about stretching, improving flexibility, ... Preferably aimed at (or relevant for) inflexible people like me.
Some extra questions :
Do your joints (and tendons etc) need rest after stretching, the ways muscles do? Can you do the same stretching routine every day, or is it better to do it every other day (or split it up, like that set of stretching exercises on even days and another set on odd days etc)?
It's generally best to stretch after you've finished exercising, as far as I know. Are there also advanced stretches (or advanced exercises) that it's best not to even do on the same day at all?
Or can I generally assume that as long as it doesn't hurt "too much" at that time, it's OK to do? (Because, at least in other areas, it's not that simple I think, for example muscles might need 48 hours of rest after heavy training, even though you might feel like you're ready to go after 24 hours, but that would result in far less optimal results).
Thanks!
Until recently, I only stretched after I jogged, and for example on the bend-down-with-straight-legs-and-try-to-touch-your-toes stretch, my fingertips only get like 10 cm / 4 inches from the ground, no closer.
I'm in my early thirties, never been very physically active aside from some light jogging. I'm pretty tall (197 cm / 6 foot 5 inches) and normal weight (90 kg / 200 lbs), although I still have a bit of a gut (22% fat according to a test I took recently).
I joined a local yoga class in the hope that that would help, but even though it's open for everyone, I have trouble with even the most basic exercises. For some exercises, I can't even assume the starting position or do the preparatory warm-up exercises. I'm still going to continue taking the class in the hope that it'll get a little better, but I'm hoping that there's other stuff I can try.
Do you guys have any tips, or links to interesting resources, about stretching, improving flexibility, ... Preferably aimed at (or relevant for) inflexible people like me.
Some extra questions :
Do your joints (and tendons etc) need rest after stretching, the ways muscles do? Can you do the same stretching routine every day, or is it better to do it every other day (or split it up, like that set of stretching exercises on even days and another set on odd days etc)?
It's generally best to stretch after you've finished exercising, as far as I know. Are there also advanced stretches (or advanced exercises) that it's best not to even do on the same day at all?
Or can I generally assume that as long as it doesn't hurt "too much" at that time, it's OK to do? (Because, at least in other areas, it's not that simple I think, for example muscles might need 48 hours of rest after heavy training, even though you might feel like you're ready to go after 24 hours, but that would result in far less optimal results).
Thanks!
