Howdy! I heard you wanted to train flexibility? You have come to the right place!
Everyone starts somewhere, and with enough determination and practice (and of course, time), you can achieve what you now think is impossible!
Before everyone else online says it. No, you are most likely not too old, nor do you have a genetic/anatomical limitation. It is true that certain body pose some challenge when it comes to training, but with careful ttraining, you too — yes, you who is stiff as a board — can also become flexible.
After all each body pose a different and unique challenge during training and that is normal. Just because your body is challenging to train in some aspects doesn't mean it cannot be trained.
Although almost everyone can train, there are certain cases that will servely impact how much and if you are able to train. If you are one of the following cases, I suggest you not to use generalized online resources like this website or any other online resources, and I would recommend seeing a doctor to confirm your ability to train, and a sport physical therapist to develop
a personalized training plan that might suit your situation best. These cases are:
Before we go any further, let me introduce myself. Hi, I am Soup Isarangkoon. I am a contortionist who has trained contortion since April 2023. I have always had natural flexibility, though I always lacked strength, stability, and control to go along with my limber body. Contortion training gives me the strength, control, and balance that supplements my flexibility well, and I have been the healthiest, bendiest, and strongest I have been in my life. Because I have trained extreme flexibility through contortion, I have amassed some knowledge regarding training for flexibility, which is why I started this website as a hub of knowledge for anyone to use. I hope you like the resource I put together! Happy training!
The good thing about flexibility training is you generally need very little space and very few equipments. This is pretty much everything you need for flexibility training. If there are more equiments needed for specific stretches, those will be specified in the respective pages explaining the stretch.
If you are training for flexibility, especially for poses that you need muscle strength to hold, you would need a diet that will help build and repair muscles. As such, diet rich in or supplemented with protein is a must. You should also have good amount of calcium in your diet as they are essential for bone health, and muscle contraction.
Other than that, you don't need to adhere to any specific diet, as long as they are proper and well-balanced. Lastly, DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF!
If you decide to take protein powder, any protein powder for the amount recommended at the side of the bottle will do. There is no specific kind or brand you would need. Don't fall for the "collagen-fortified" or "XYZ brand" They are all just marketing. In your GI track, all the protein will be broken down into its constituent amino acid to be used as building blocks for protein. Your body doesn't care what brand or kind it is.
This should go without saying but drinking adequate amount of water, roughly 7-9 glasses a day is important for any physical activity.
Stretching can help increase general mobility in day-to-day activity, lessen the chance of injuries and more. Other than that, it's also fun!
Although there are many things that many people wish can be 'fixed' with stretching, the reality is that stretching can't fix everything. Here are some of the things it can't help with (at least not by itself):
Now that you know that basic starting info for flexibility training, let's browse through various stretches. (Coming Soon)
For more questions, please visit the FAQs.