Achieve Flexibility Quickly with Yoga: 7 Easy Steps

Are you eager to become more flexible with yoga?

You’ve embarked on your yoga journey and noticed how stiff you are. Perhaps you tried some morning stretches and realized how far your toes seem. Or maybe chronic aches and pains have led you to explore yoga and flexibility for relief. Whatever the reason, you’re in the right place.

While there’s no quick fix for improving flexibility overnight, there are effective tips and techniques you can practice to become more flexible, faster.

Before we dive in, remember not to compare your flexibility or progress to others. Everyone has different natural flexibility levels, and some people have to work much harder than others (myself included). It’s great to have a friend or a well-known yogi to inspire you, but this is your journey, and your progress should only be measured against yourself.

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What’s your motivation for wanting to be more flexible? Is it to achieve the splits? Did you see a specific pose that you’re determined to master? Or do you want to ease your lower back pain? Identify your reason and set it as your goal. Let it inspire you to get on your mat and stretch daily.

For me, my main goal since starting yoga has been to do the splits. I’m quite tall and very inflexible, especially in my hamstrings. I work on it every day because I believe I can achieve it with practice!

There are many ways to enhance your flexibility, with various yoga poses and stretches to help you along the way. Some poses will be more effective and worth your time than others.

We’ll share some basic yoga poses for flexibility below:

One common question we receive about stretching and flexibility is: how often should I stretch? If you’re seeking significant results, aim to stretch at least three times a week with a good level of intensity. For faster results, stretch every day. Some days can involve longer, more intense sessions, but try to warm up those muscles in some way at least once daily.

How long should you stretch? This is up to you, but it’s recommended to stretch each muscle for at least 30 seconds to see real results. Stretching a muscle group for at least one minute is even better. For instance, since my goal is the splits, I spend at least one minute on every stretch or pose targeting my hamstrings and hips, as flexibility in both is essential for achieving the splits.

When stretching, reach as far as you comfortably can and hold the position. As your body adjusts and the tension eases, try to stretch a little further. Continue this process for 30 seconds to one minute.

You may experience mild soreness on some days, which is normal and doesn’t mean you should stop stretching. Ease into the stretch the next day, and the soreness will fade. However, be cautious; pain is not normal and may indicate a pulled muscle. Start slowly and listen to your body. If you feel pain, ease up. An injury can set you back for weeks or even months.

It may seem time-consuming, right? This brings us to our next point.

Yogis might cringe at the thought, as yoga is often about quiet time and meditation. While that’s true, working hard on your flexibility and repeating similar stretches daily can become quite boring.

I find it helpful to watch an hour-long show while I stretch. It’s a nice break from work and keeps me accountable to stretch for the full hour. Just ensure you’re still focused on your poses and body; it shouldn’t be so engaging that you lose sight of your goals.

I can’t emphasize this enough: please don’t overlook this point. It has been the most valuable tool in my flexibility journey. Taking photos serves as tangible proof of your progress. Flexibility can feel like a slow process, and it can be frustrating at times, making you want to give up because it seems like you’re not improving.

I felt that way during my journey to the splits. A friend encouraged me to take a progress photo, and I was amazed at how close I was! It didn’t feel that way at all; the issue was that I couldn’t see my progress myself. This also motivated me to work even harder!

Try taking photos every couple of weeks to track your progress. You can keep them on your phone or share them on Instagram, which makes it easier to compare and prevents them from getting lost in your library.

Another helpful tool I used was a yoga strap. It allows you to reach difficult areas and keeps your body aligned until you gain the flexibility to do so without it. A yoga block is also beneficial for ensuring proper alignment and form until you can reach the ground. Both tools are simple yet can make a significant difference at the start of your practice!

Starting this process can feel overwhelming and frustrating, but staying motivated and on track is essential. When I began, I tried to tackle everything at once, focusing on many poses with various benefits. As a result, I made minimal progress instead of significantly improving my goals.

That’s why I created a Flexibility Guide as part of my Yoga Fat Loss Bible for Beginners. The Yoga Bible includes 50 fat-burning yoga poses with pictures and detailed instructions, covering the most common areas of yoga: strength, balance, flexibility, and meditation.

The Flexibility Guide focuses solely on increasing flexibility. I wrote it based on my own practice and what has worked best for me over the past several months. It includes the most effective stretches and yoga poses for every muscle group you want to target, along with beginner modifications and tips I’ve discovered along the way.

Check out the Yoga Fat Loss Bible.

Good luck on your journey, and feel free to leave any comments or questions below!