Last Updated on January 7, 2022 by Local Trainer

How Flexible Should You Really Be?

The answer may surprise you. Believe it or not, I get this question from almost every single client I train. They ask how flexible they should be and no matter how flexible they are, they’re sure it’s not flexible enough. Maybe this all comes from the amazing displays of acrobatics we see from Cirque De Soleil or Yoga and Pilates followers bending deep into dramatic positions. The aesthetics and amazing poses blow us all away but are they really necessary?

The Short Answer Is No

Your flexibility is individual and often very natural for the most part. We are all somewhat born with some amount of flexibility. Further, we’re all born with joints that are formed a certain way. Some people are born with joints that have very little restriction and others come with more closed joints.

For example..

Make a fist and grab it with the other hand. That’s a tight hip joint and some people are born that way. Now take your fist and put the other hand on it like an umbrella. That’s a much more open hip joint and other people are born that way. Both joint formations have their benefits and drawbacks but both are ok if you take care of them.

One other thing you may want to note is that it’s tough to turn the tight hip joint into a loose umbrella hip joint and that’s just fine. There’s no need to crank open a tight hip joint. Hopefully, if you do start to strain it from over-stretching, you’ll heed it’s warnings and back off the stretching.

What If One Side Is Tighter Than The Other? 

Now we have some flexibility we need to work on. Ever notice how one side is always stiff or tighter than the other? This is something as trainers that we definitely want to correct for clients. Sometimes it’s a flexibility issue and sometimes it’s a movement issue such as playing a one-sided activity too much like golf or leaning on one side of your desk too much. Regardless of cause, it’s very important to fix this and re-balance your body.

What If It’s Not Your Flexibility?

Ever notice that one spot is tight on you and no matter how much you stretch it, roll it, massage it, it doesn’t let go? If you have, you may be dealing with a postural issue. We all know we should sit up straight but what happens when we:

  • Tip forward too much
  • Collapse into one hip
  • Twist forward at our desk
  • Hike a hip in the car
  • Always sit on one glute at work
  • Corkscrew downward into our chair to square up with our laptop
  • Kink at the ribcage to watch TV on the couch

All of these postural issues can mask themselves as a flexibility problem but in the end, it’s a posture problem. To check your posture, make sure you’re sitting up straight and that your not rotated at the shoulders. In other words, your shoulders should match your hips and you shouldn’t feel like you’re sitting on one sit bone more than the other.

A question I often ask clients is: Where do you break or collapse? Funny enough, they show me right away-saves us both some time and physio bills. Think of your body as levels next time you’re in a chair. See if your shoulders are dropping or if you fold at the ribs. Maybe you drop into one hip or always tip your neck to one side. These are all things that can be corrected with a basic posture routine.

Start A Basic Stretching Routine

All of us should have the goal to maintain what we’ve got or close to it over time. If you find yourself seizing up, it’s a good idea to implement a basic flexibility routine. It doesn’t have to be like the poses you see on TV or the cover of a magazine but it should help you stay loose and keep the tension out of your body.

It’s key to stretch Your Main Muscles Including:

  • Glutes
  • Hamstrings
  • Calves
  • Hip Flexors
  • Groin or inner thighs
  • Chest
  • Neck
  • Lats & Obliques (big muscles on the sides of your ribs)

Get in touch if you want us to put together a routine for you. We can do it in person or online.

In The End,

Flexibility plays a role in our health and mobility but if you haven’t lost too much, don’t worry. The goal is to keep some form of routine and balance going between each side of the body and leave it at that. Don’t worry if you can’t bend yourself into the splits or a backwards hand spring. And never push your body into stretches that hurt or leave you feeling achy and sore.

Best of Health,

Local Trainer