The traditional apply of yoga might have been created to boost non secular consciousness and assist Indian yogis attain enlightenment. However one of the crucial important modern-day advantages is the elevated flexibility that training these poses brings.
What’s extra, in our extremely sedentary way of life the place we spend massive chunks of time sitting at a desk, behind the wheel, or in entrance of the TV, by no means has enhancing flexibility been extra important.
Whether or not you’re battling tight hamstrings or hips or rigidity in your again or shoulders, yoga will make it easier to turn into extra supple and cellular. This, in flip, will massively enhance your well being, high quality of life, and even longevity.
Let’s discover the 20 finest yoga stretches for flexibility, together with the backbone, hips, legs, and shoulders. And remember to learn to the top as I’ll reveal my prime suggestions for rising flexibility quick with yoga.
Flexibility Poses For The Backbone
Cat Cow Pose
The cat-cow pose is a well-liked warm-up posture in any yoga apply because it stretches the again, opens the chest and torso, and improves spinal mobility. This makes it an ideal preparatory for deeper again and ahead bend stretches.
To do cat-cow, begin in a tabletop place along with your wrists below your shoulders and knees below your hips. Discover a impartial backbone, then arch the again and press the chest ahead right into a cow pose as you inhale. As you exhale, around the backbone and tuck the chin to the chest in a cat pose.
Fairly than holding these stretches, alternate between them for not less than 5 rounds. Transfer along with your breath, inhaling as you arch the again and exhaling as you spherical it.
Youngster’s Pose
Youngster’s pose is an underrated asana. It’s usually practiced as a resting or cool-down pose however is great for enhancing flexibility within the again and making ready for extra superior poses. Furthermore, doing the vast knee variation provides a delicate stretch to the hip flexors.
Sit in your heels along with your knees collectively. Fold over your thighs, releasing your arms out in entrance of you. Relaxation the brow on the bottom or a block. For an energetic, deeper stretch within the backbone, stroll your fingers as far ahead as doable whereas urgent your hips again to your heels.
Bridge Pose
The reclined backbend Bridge pose stretches the backbone, chest, torso, and neck whereas strengthening the again muscle groups and the glutes. As well as, it considerably helps to enhance spinal mobility, making ready for extra superior poses just like the wheel.
From a reclined place with the knees bent, stroll your toes in direction of your hips and place them flat on the ground. Verify you can attain your heels along with your fingertips.
Maintaining the thighs collectively, inhale to push your toes into the bottom and raise the hips. Subsequent, interact your glutes and thighs to maintain the hips lifted as you clasp your fingers behind your again and draw the shoulder blades collectively.
Press the shoulders and higher arms into the bottom as you raise the hips and maintain for not less than 5 breaths.
Plow Pose
The plow pose is an inversion usually included within the shoulder stand sequence. Nonetheless, this posture can also be among the best yoga poses for flexibility, serving to to create a extra supple backbone.
The deep ahead bend place improves muscle and joint mobility within the again and backbone and relieves tightness and rigidity within the shoulders and again. Nonetheless, be aware that as it is a deep stretch, this pose must be carried out towards the top of the apply when the again is heat.
Lay in your again and bend your knees along with your toes off the bottom. Press your fingers into the mat to raise the hips and prolong the legs overhead. Carry your fingers to your decrease again and attempt to straighten the legs, bringing the toes to the ground behind you.
Standing Ahead Bend
Standing ahead bend is a typical posture discovered within the solar salutations and is usually practiced between standing sequences. Practising this pose will assist create a robust, versatile backbone and cut back rigidity or ache within the decrease again. It additionally stretches the legs and hips and feels rejuvenating for the whole physique.
From a standing place with the toes hip distance aside, fold ahead from the waist, decreasing your head to the bottom and your torso in direction of the thighs. Carry your fingers to the ground or a block and calm down the top and neck.
For a deeper spinal stretch, seize your massive toes along with your peace fingers and bend the elbows to the facet. Hold the legs straight as you attempt to pull your torso and chest nearer to your legs.
Flexibility Poses For The Hips
Pigeon Pose
The pigeon pose targets the outer hip muscle groups, together with the psoas and the piriformis. These muscle groups are generally tight as a consequence of lengthy intervals of sitting; thus, it is a important stretch for individuals who sit down throughout their job.
From a tabletop place, draw your proper knee forwards, inserting it by your proper wrist. Subsequent, sink your hips and straighten your backbone (place a folded blanket beneath the proper hip if wanted). Keep upright or fold your torso ahead, coming down onto your forearms.
Lizard Pose
Lizard pose stretches the interior hip flexors and groin muscle groups. When mixed with the pigeon, these two asanas enhance the total vary of movement within the hip area. Lizard additionally stretches the hamstrings and quadriceps and works the again extensors and decrease again muscle groups.
Step your left foot ahead from a tabletop place, inserting it outdoors the left arm. Hug the knee to the left shoulder and both keep in your fingers with the arms straight or bend the elbows to launch the forearms to the ground or a block.
Frog Pose
The frog pose is one other fab stretch for the interior hips, interior thighs, and groin, rising the vary of movement in tight hips. It additionally stretches the again muscle groups, serving to to alleviate ache there.
Begin by sitting in your heels and open your knees vast. Subsequent, bend ahead, place your fingers on the bottom, and raise your hips. Then, deliver your toes out vast (in step with your knees), and decrease your forearms to the ground, maintaining your hips stacked over your knees.
Discover the way it feels within the hips, and when you can go deeper, widen the knees and toes additional.
Blissful Child Pose
The blissful child pose is likely one of the most accessible yoga poses for flexibility within the hip area. It stretches the interior hip flexors, groin, and thighs and is soothing for the again.
Laying down, bend your knees and hug them to your chest. Seize the surface of each toes or the large toes, then open the knees vast (maintaining them bent) and switch the soles as much as the ceiling. Draw your knees all the way down to your shoulders for a deeper stretch.
Splits Pose
Splits pose (Hanumanasana) is likely one of the finest however most difficult yoga poses for flexibility within the decrease physique. You should definitely solely try this pose after doing many warm-up asanas that concentrate on the interior and outer hips and the quads and hamstrings (like these listed above).
Because the splits pose isn’t accessible for many individuals, I like to recommend first coming into the half splits pose. Then, when you can go additional, you possibly can try and enter into the total variation.
Step your left foot ahead in between your fingers from a tabletop place. Press your hips again to straighten the left leg and fold your torso over the thigh.
To go deeper:
- Stroll your left foot additional ahead whereas extending your proper left behind you.
- Sink your hips as little as doable, then place a prop beneath to help.
- Sit upright along with your fingers on both facet.
- Bear in mind to strive it on the alternative facet too!
Flexibility Poses For The Legs
Downward Going through Canine
Though the downward-facing canine stretches the whole physique and targets all the foremost muscle teams, it’s significantly useful for folks with tight hamstrings or calves. Thus, doing this pose recurrently will assist to enhance flexibility within the legs whereas concurrently strengthening the decrease physique.
From a tabletop place, tuck your toes and press your fingers firmly into the mat with fingers unfold. Interact your core muscle groups to raise your knees, then gently push your hips again as you straighten your legs.
When you have tight hamstrings, maintain a slight knee bend, and don’t fear about urgent the toes flat on the ground. As you develop extra flexibility, this may turn into simpler.
As you maintain the downward-facing canine, straighten the arms and press the chest to the thighs whereas maintaining the hips up.
Pyramid Pose
The pyramid pose offers a deep stretch to the hamstrings but in addition improves spinal and hip flexibility.
From a standing place, step your proper leg again and switch the toes out to 45 levels. Guarantee your hips are dealing with forwards, and maintain the left knee straight. Subsequent, deliver your fingers to your hips and press firmly by the heel of the proper foot.
On an exhale, tilt out of your hips to fold over your entrance leg. Launch your fingers to the ground or two blocks on both facet of the entrance foot. Chill out your head and neck; with every breath, attempt to transfer your chest nearer to the leg.
For a further stretch to the calf and Achilles, raise your entrance toes and flex them in direction of you. After 5 to 10 breaths, launch and repeat on the proper leg.
Head To Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)
The top-to-knee pose is a seated ahead fold the place one leg is straight and the opposite is bent with the knee out to the facet. This posture stretches the hamstring and calf of the prolonged leg whereas opening the opposite hip.
From a seated place with the legs prolonged, bend your left knee and place the foot on the interior proper thigh. Enable the knee to drop out to the facet. Sit up tall, and as you inhale, attain your arms overhead. As you exhale, tilt ahead from the hips and slowly decrease down, maintaining the arms in step with the ears.
Launch the fingers to your proper foot or leg and calm down your head. In case you can attain the foot, gently pull your chest in direction of it to deepen the hamstring stretch additional.
Triangle Pose
The triangle pose is one other multi-beneficial standing asana. It strengthens and elongates the hamstrings and groin whereas opening the shoulders and chest and stretching the hips muscle groups. It additionally offers a fairly intense facet stretch.
Step the proper foot again from standing and switch it out to 90 levels, opening the hips to the facet. Carry your arms out to shoulder top, and attain your left arm ahead on an inhale like somebody is pulling in your hand.
Decrease the left hand to the left ankle, calf, or a yoga block and attain the proper arm to the sky. Draw the highest shoulder again to open the chest and search for.
Reclined Massive Toe Pose
Reclined massive toe pose is one among my favourite stretches and my go-to asana after a future! It stretches the whole again of the legs together with the interior thighs and lumber backbone.
Laying in your again, bend your left knee in direction of you, clasping your fingers across the again of the thigh. Straighten the leg, then gently draw the thigh in direction of you to increase it to 90 levels.
For these with extra leg flexibility, stroll your fingers as much as the again of the calf or ankle and draw the leg nearer to you. Nonetheless, maintain your again and shoulders on the bottom as you achieve this.
Flexibility Poses For The Higher Physique
Pet Pose
The pet pose (also referred to as the heart-melting pose) opens up the whole higher physique, together with the shoulders, higher again, and arms. It additionally stretches the torso and belly muscle groups and creates a delicate backbend, easing rigidity within the lumbar backbone.
From a tabletop place, stroll your hand forwards and sink your chest in direction of the mat. Bend your elbows to return onto your forearms and relaxation the brow on the bottom or on a folded blanket.
Guarantee your hips keep stacked over your knees, and take deep breaths right here, attempting to decrease your chest slightly bit additional with every exhale. Choice to deliver your fingers to the prayer place over the again of your head for a deeper shoulder opening.
Thread The Needle Pose
The “thread the needle” is a superb pose for opening and stretching the shoulders, easing tightness and muscle rigidity whereas enhancing mobility within the thoracic backbone.
From the tabletop place, prolong your proper arm up on an inhale. As you exhale, thread it below your left arm, decreasing the proper shoulder and facet of the top to the bottom (gaze to the left). Then, both stroll your left-hand forwards to increase the arm or wrap it behind your again for a deeper stretch.
Cow Face Pose
The cow face pose offers a deep stretch to the chest, shoulders, and arms, together with the triceps and latissimus dorsi. When practiced with the legs crossed, it additionally stretches the hips, glutes, and outer thighs.
From a snug seated place, bend the proper knee and place it above the left. Hold the underside leg prolonged or bend the knee, so each toes are near the alternative hip.
Subsequent, attain your proper arm overhead and bend the elbow, bringing the fingers to the center of the higher again. Then bend the left elbow, bringing the hand to the center again, and attempt to clasp your fingers. If that is too tough, use a yoga strap to clasp as a substitute.
Maintaining your backbone straight, level your proper elbow as much as the sky, and breathe deeply. After 5 or so breaths, change legs and alter the arm grip.
Bow Pose
Bow pose creates a deep opening for the chest and shoulders whereas enhancing spinal mobility and stretching the quads.
From a inclined place, bend each knees and seize your ankles. As you inhale, draw your shoulders again and press your hip bones into the mat to raise your chest and shoulders off the bottom. Then kick your toes into your fingers to raise the thighs and discover extra top and opening within the higher physique.
Wheel Pose
Wheel pose is likely one of the most superior backbends in yoga, requiring good spinal mobility and open shoulders. Thus, this heart-opening yoga pose is difficult in case you have tight shoulders, so remember to solely try it after the earlier asanas and do Bridge as a prep pose.
Bend your knees and produce your toes to your hips in a reclined place. Subsequent, bend the elbows and place your fingers subsequent to your ears with the fingertips dealing with your shoulders.
Interact the core as you press into your toes, raise the hips, and prolong the arms. As your head comes off the bottom, calm down your neck and push your chest behind you.
Suggestions For Enhancing Flexibility In Yoga
Apply Usually
Common yoga apply is the important thing to enhancing flexibility. In case you solely apply yoga as soon as every week, will probably be some time earlier than you see any progress.
Practising yoga day-after-day is okay; in truth, that is excellent for enhancing flexibility. Nonetheless, in case your schedule doesn’t enable for day by day apply, intention for not less than 3 periods per week. They don’t have to be hour-long yoga courses; a 20-30 minute apply is enough.
I additionally suggest alternating between three or so yoga routines for flexibility so that you’re not at all times doing the identical postures. You may embrace completely different yoga poses for all physique components in every session. Or, when you choose, focus one session on stretching the again, one on the hips and legs, and the opposite on the higher physique.
In case you want extra inspiration to your yoga routines, you could find tons of yoga for flexibility movies on Youtube. You may search primarily based on the size of apply you like or the realm of the physique you wish to deal with. For instance, this Yoga For Hips & Decrease Again Launch sequence from Yoga By Adriene is good in case you have tight hips or again ache.
Use Props
Apart from training recurrently, I like to recommend utilizing props. Yoga straps just like the Lululemon No Limits Strap are nice for working with flexibility. Listed below are two examples of tips on how to use them:
- To enhance shoulder mobility: Maintain the strap in each fingers in entrance of you (fingers wider than shoulder width). Pull the strap up and again as you inhale, transferring previous your head. Widen your grip on the strap as wanted. Pull the strap again up and all the way down to the beginning place as you exhale. Do that not less than 5 occasions.
- To stretch tight hamstrings: Use a strap in Reclined Massive Toe Pose. Place the strap across the center of the only real and stroll your fingers up the strap till your head and shoulders are comfortably on the bottom. Slowly prolong your leg to 90 levels or so far as you possibly can, maintaining it as straight as doable. For an added hip stretch, you possibly can open the leg to the facet whereas holding the strap in a single hand.
I additionally suggest utilizing a yoga wheel if you wish to enhance spinal mobility to go deeper into backbends. There are numerous methods to make use of them, akin to a supported prop in Fish Pose or as an help to arrange for superior poses like Forearm Wheel.
You may as well get units of different-sized yoga wheels to help you as you progress in your yoga journey. For instance, the UpCircleSeven 3-PackYoga Wheel Set comprises 6, 10, and 12-inch wheels, so you possibly can improve the dimensions as you turn into extra versatile. The wheels are additionally extremely sturdy, holding as much as 550 lbs, so you possibly can belief them to totally help your weight.
Apply Yin Yoga
It’s necessary to know that flexibility isn’t purely associated to our muscle groups. The situation of our deeper connective tissues, like tendons, ligaments, and fascia, additionally determines how versatile we’re.
Due to this, I at all times suggest yogis mix yin yoga with the extra conventional types like Hatha. In yin yoga, all of the poses are held for prolonged intervals (2 to five minutes per pose) to entry and stretch these deeper connective tissues.
In case you apply yin yoga recurrently along with your ordinary yoga apply, you’ll seemingly discover you possibly can go deeper into your favourite Hatha yoga poses. Plus, most of the Hatha flexibility yoga poses listed above (akin to pigeon and lizard) will be practiced as yin poses by holding the stretches longer and passively.
One other means to enhance flexibility is through the use of a foam curler. Foam rolling breaks up knots within the muscle groups and fascia and helps create smoother muscle contractions. I like Lululemon’s Double Curler, because the exterior curler massages your legs and arms whereas the inside helps launch rigidity within the again.
Last Ideas On Yoga Stretches For Flexibility
Irrespective of how match or wholesome we could also be, most of us expertise tightness in a single space of our physique. These flexibility yoga poses will make it easier to launch rigidity, stop ache, and luxuriate in larger vary of movement in your day-to-day actions.