Yoga daily flexibility training

The core of ordinary people's daily yoga flexibility training is never "splits, lowering the waist, and twisting difficult poses". Instead, it is to gradually lengthen the muscles and fascia within the safe range of one's own joint mobility, in conjunction with breathing, and at the same time, support the strength training of the corresponding parts. Do not pursue comparison with others. Maintain regular practice 3-4 times a week for 20-40 minutes each time. In 1-2 months, you will noticeably reduce body tightness and expand the range of motion.

A while ago, I met a young girl who had just graduated in the gym. She read too many notes on the Little Red Book about "Practice a one-word horse in one week." When she came to class, she secretly compared her forward bending range with the students next to her. Others could put their hands on the ground, but she forced her upper body down. She limped when she walked out of class. Her hamstring strain took half a month to heal. To be honest, too many people equate good flexibility with "being able to do difficult poses". Instead, they forget that the essence of flexibility training is to help you relieve tight points in your body and make daily actions easier. It is not just for showing off on social media.

The training logic of different yoga schools is quite different, and you can choose one based on your own physical condition. If your muscles are usually very tight, and your shoulders and neck are as hard as stone slabs when you sit in the office every day, then the practice logic of Yin Yoga may be more suitable for you: hold each posture for 3-5 minutes, without exerting force, and slowly sink into it with your own weight to rub away the nodules in the deep fascia. I have seen many programmers practice Yin Yoga for half a year. It was difficult to turn their heads before, but now their necks can turn 180 degrees without getting stuck. If your own muscle strength is weak and you often suffer from sprains and backaches, then Vinyasa flow yoga or Hatha yoga is a safer idea: tie flexibility exercises and strength training together. For example, after practicing hamstring stretching, immediately do 3 sets of magic chair poses to strengthen the strength of the front thigh. Otherwise, the ligaments will be loosened and the muscles will not be able to hold the joints, which will make you more susceptible to injury. If you have old injuries on your body, such as lumbar protrusion or rotator cuff injury, then Iyengar's assistive devices are absolutely necessary. If you can't reach the ground, use bricks. If you can't stretch your shoulders, use stretching belts. Stabilize all the angles that will put pressure on the injured area before practicing. There is no need to carry it.

Oh, by the way, let me dispel a rumor. Don’t believe the nonsense about “stretching the muscles to open the hips and open the legs to slim down the legs.” If your legs look slimmer just after stretching, it’s because the accumulated edema has dissipated, and it will go back after you sleep. If you really want to lose fat, you still have to cooperate with diet and aerobics. Flexibility training does not have that miraculous effect.

Speaking of which, I just want to mention a controversy that has never been unanimously concluded in the industry: Should stretching be done before or after training? Some sports science research shows that static stretching before exercise will reduce muscle explosive power, and if you do jumping or strength movements next, you will be more likely to get injured. ； There are also senior yoga teachers who believe that doing static stretching before practice to open up the range of motion will make it less likely to get stuck in subsequent practice. My own experience of practicing for 7 years is that you really don’t have to worry about this. It just depends on your training content that day: if you want to stretch your shoulders, back and legs today, then do 5 minutes of cat-cow and dynamic sun salutations to warm up your body, and then do static stretching. It’s absolutely fine. ； If you want to practice power flow and dance Sun Salutation A today, then do dynamic jumping jacks and arm circles to warm up before the practice, and then do static stretching to relax the muscles after the practice.

A 52-year-old aunt asked me before, saying that I was born with hard bones, so could I not be able to practice flexibility? How can anyone be born tough? That aunt has been working in finance for 30 years and always lowers her head to settle accounts. When she first came here, her hands could only touch her knees when she came here, and she could only turn her head 90 degrees. She was not in a hurry. Every time she went to class, she would only stop at the position where she felt a slight stretch, and she would not compare with the little girl next to her. She just came here three times a week and practiced for 8 months. Now her palms of forward bends can completely touch the ground. She had to lie down for a week if she had a stiff neck before, but now she has not done it in a year. You see, the so-called "hardness" actually means that the muscles and fascia are stiff due to long-term inactivity, and it has nothing to do with the bones.

There is another small detail that many people overlook. You must not hold your breath when practicing flexibility. Many people subconsciously hold their breath when they reach a sore spot. The more you hold your breath, the tighter your muscles become and they cannot stretch at all. Just breathe normally with your belly. When you inhale, open up the space. When you exhale, slowly sink a little lower with your breath. You don't need to ask for more. Every time you exhale, sinking 1 millimeter more is considered progress.

I have been practicing for 7 years now, and I still can't do the full lotus position. The horizontal and vertical splits are just 10 centimeters off, but so what? Now my waist is not sore when I carry 20 pounds of cat litter up to the 6th floor, and my shoulders and neck are not stiff after sitting all afternoon. This is enough. Flexibility training has always been a process of dialogue with your body. If you bend forward one centimeter more today than yesterday, and if you turn your head no longer stuck today, you have made a profit. If you insist on comparing the amplitude with others, you will lose the original intention of practicing yoga.