How to Increase Your Flexibility in 2022

2022 is the year of no longer having to worry about bending over to pick up the laundry basket or to tie your shoes. This is the year to increase your mobility and reach that goal of being the most flexible you.?

That is much easier said than done, isn’t it? Gaining flexibility doesn’t happen overnight. It takes dedication and motivation in yourself and your goals. Increasing your mobility can involve many different activities, and with the mix of both physical and mental changes, it could bring new excitement to your life.?

Here are some great ways to start increasing your flexibility in 2022:?

Choose Your Favorite Exercise

It is hard to better yourself if you are not enjoying the process. By choosing an exercise that excites you and keeps you interested, you can grow your motivation to keep pursuing the challenge.?

When it comes to flexibility, the choices are vast. From yoga, pilates, tai chi, and average stretching, you have a large variety of options from all different backgrounds. Yoga and pilates do an excellent job of building strength and flexibility. Bikram yoga is a specific type of yoga that can bring significant benefits to your body. With the use of 26 poses and a heated room, your body can experience the stretching of muscles, ligaments, and tendons more intimately than before.?

Tai chi helps loosen muscles and helps stretch the whole body. This is a great choice for those with limited mobility or who are recovering from injuries. All options can bring many different benefits depending on what you enjoy more.?

Keep to a Routine

One way to help motivate yourself to continue the practices you are learning is to create a routine. It doesn’t have to be anything spectacular, simply a promise to yourself that you will exercise on certain days and times. This can help keep you accountable and stop you from falling behind.?

A great way to wake up and cool down before bed is to have pre-planned stretches. This is an easy routine to do as you are getting up for the day or heading to bed. A simple range of stretches over a fifteen to thirty-minute period can help your muscles both wake up and ease into slumber. While waking up, dynamic stretches (stretches where you are moving or reaching) can help get your blood pumping. Then static stretches (stretches that hold one pose for a certain amount of time) allow your muscles to alleviate any tension before going to sleep.?

Take Frequent Baths

Many of us who shower may forget that baths come with numerous physical and mental benefits. When it comes to stretching and growing your flexibility, the warmth from the water surrounding your body can help ease any tensions in your muscles and joints. Having a bath before or after your stretching routine can help warm up your body or keep the muscles from tensing up right afterward.?

Baths can also be a great way to relax and meditate after your day, leaving you with a sounder state of mind along with eased muscles and joints.?

Massages can also help with many issues. Bodily health comes in many forms, and massaging any part of your body that may seem to need some extra love can be one of the best. If you are looking to get any tenseness or soreness out of your muscles to ensure you are stretching safely and productively, feel free to reach out to me at Relief Muscle Manipulation and schedule an appointment!