Flexibility: Why It Matters and 5 Stretches To Do

Exercise routines often focus on building muscle so you can get faster, stronger and more toned. But what about being able to bend, reach and move more comfortably? That’s where flexibility comes in.

As you age, your muscles gradually become shorter and begin to lose some elasticity. Aging and too much sitting can also decrease range of motion in your hips, shoulders and spine, leaving you stiff and making everyday movement harder.

The good news? It’s never too late to work on improving your flexibility.

Exercise physiologist Christopher Travers, MS, explains why staying limber matters and what you can do to keep your muscles and joints flexible.

What is flexibility?

Flexibility is the ease with which you can move your muscles and joints in different directions. Essentially, it’s the key to how your body moves and grooves.

When you’re flexible, you can reach, bend and stretch without feeling tight or uncomfortable — that matters whether you’re putting on your socks or dancing the cancan.

“Flexibility is all about elongating your muscles and improving your motion and mobility,” Travers says.

Benefits of flexibility

Improving your flexibility isn’t just about impressing someone by doing the splits or twisting yourself into a human pretzel. Flexibility can help with keeping your body strong, loose and ready for anything you throw at it.

Among the benefits:

• Improved range of motion: That means less stiffness and straining when you do everything from swinging a golf club to raking leaves.
• Lower risk of injuries: “If you don’t have good mobility or flexibility, you’re going to start overcompensating with other muscle groups, like your shoulders or lower back,” Travers warns. “And that can cause things like joint issues and hamstring injuries.”
• Better posture: Just as a strong foundation keeps a building upright, good posture keeps your body balanced and aligned.

How to improve flexibility

There are lots of ways to improve your flexibility. Stretches, yoga, tai chi, foam rolling and massage therapy can all help.

But it’s not a one-and-done kind of thing.

Depending on how tight you’re feeling, Travers recommends doing just 10 minutes or so of stretching or flexibility training twice a day. Work it in wherever you can and try to stick to it.

“Consistency is the big piece here,” he notes.

Begin by holding your stretches for about 20 to 30 seconds. As you gain more mobility, you should be able to hold each stretch for a minute or two.

Listen to your body and stop if you feel any pain: “Stretching could be kind of uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t be painful,” Travers emphasizes.

Here’s what he recommends.

1. Piriformis stretch for your hips and butt

Lie flat on your back. Bend your knees.

1. Cross your right ankle over your left knee. You’ll want to create a figure “4” with your legs.
2. Wrap your hands around the back of your left thigh and gently pull it toward you. You should feel a stretch in the outside of your right hip.
3. Alternate by putting your left ankle on your right knee and repeat the steps.

You can also do this stretch while sitting in a chair: Place one ankle on top of the opposite knee and gently lean forward by hinging from your hips.

2. Child’s pose for your back

Kneel on the ground with your bottom resting on your heels.

1. Widen your knees, keeping your big toes touching.
2. Bend forward at your hips, letting your belly rest between your thighs.
3. Reach your arms straight in front of you, keeping your elbows close to your head. Rest your forehead on the floor, a pillow or a yoga block.

“You’re going to feel this in your middle back and potentially even your lower back, depending on how tight you are in your lower back,” Travers notes.

3. Standing forward bend for your lower back and hamstrings

Stand with your feet together. Place one hand on a wall, the back of a chair or countertop for support.

1. Keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent, slowly lean forward from your hips.
2. Reach your free hand toward the floor until you begin to feel the stretch in your lower back and hamstrings.

This stretch can also be done in a chair. Extend one leg out in front of you and rest your heel on the floor while keeping your knee straight. Keeping your spine straight to avoid any unnecessary strain, gently lean forward from your hips and reach toward your extended toes.

4. Standing stretch for your quads

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. For extra support, brace yourself by holding onto a wall, chair or countertop with one hand.

1. Bend one knee, bringing your heel up toward your butt.
2. Reach back and hold the top of your foot with the hand on the same side. You should feel a stretch along the front of your thigh.

5. Seated stretch for your hips

Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor.

1. Cross one leg so your ankle is on top of the opposite thigh, just above your knee.
2. Gently pull your top knee toward the center of your body. You should feel a stretch in your hip of your crossed leg.

Bottom line: Keep on moving

Whatever you do to improve your flexibility, your first step should be to look for more opportunities to move more throughout the day.

“You can do as much stretching as you want,” Travers says, “but if you’re sitting behind a desk all day and on the couch all evening, your muscles are likely to tighten back up. The more you move now, the better you’ll be able to move in the future.”