lost flexibility

[ivyagogo]

I was never overly flexible as a child, but I did splits and bridges with no problem. Now, however, I am as tight as a board. I tried yoga and I stretch a few days a week, but I am getting nowhere. Even my ankles are tight! I've been back in the gym for close to a year and have made absolutely no progress in my flexibility.

Any suggestions?

 

[wadergirl]

Wow, I totally hear you. My worst is my hamstrings. I cant even sit in a pike on the floor (with my back straight, let alone stretching towards my toes) without major pain in my hamstrings. I try to sit on the floor and stretch while I'm watching TV at night, but I still feel like I've gotten nowhere.

 

[Kiwi]

I am the same! I have terrible hamstrings and I have a lot of trouble with pike too. I actually hurt my back by doing too much forward-bending hamstring stretching in yoga and gymnastics, re-aggravating an old disc injury.

I have just purchased Lisa Howell's 'Front Splits Fast' flexibility program. I've only just got it, so it is too early to tell whether it is going to help me yet. It is very different from most flexibility programs, the focus is not on stretching muscles but more on releasing tight fascia and nerves. I'll update here when I see what kind of results I get from it.

 

[polevaultpower]

My suggestion is to make sure you are stretching when you are nice and warmed up. If you are stretching at home, try to do something first to get your heart rate up and the blood flowing to your muscles better. If you're at the gym, try to get your stretching in at the end of your workout, not the beginning.

I also recommend trying to get a partner to stretch you and doing the thing (with or w/o a partner) where you're in a stretch, you flex and tighten your muscle for a few seconds, then relax it for a few, and repeat several times.

Good luck!