Anyone Into Daily Stretching Here? ?

[fridjonk]

I've been stretching daily for a month now and I'm currently working on getting the middle split. I've always wanted to be able to do it but couldn't be bothered with starting it because firstly, it's really fricking painful, and secondly, it takes time. But I bit the bullet and decided to start when I started my calisthenics journey. And now I'm in love with stretching.  

It really helps loosen any tension you have in your body whether it from sitting too much or putting a strain on your body from exercise. I do about 20-minute session after each workout and sometimes an hour before bed. I do mostly leg stretches, most of it being hip flexors and hamstrings, and middle-split I train every other day. Been kind of lazy with the upper body stretching, but will try to work on that as well. I'm also amazed with how fast I've progressed, especially in my hips and hamstrings. 

I'm interested to see if any of you have any flexibility goals, or if any of you stretch or want to get into it.     

Edited February 4, 2021 by fridjonk

[Average Investor]

I stretch 3 times a day before meditation sessions. Lately, I have been doing a bit of yoga too and that has been a huge change. My body feels great typically. I did take it too far once so far though lol. 

[JohnnyAb]

I use this bad boy, daily when I feel I need it, or before training to improve my mobility. It's sooo good. When doing pistol squats, or skin-the-cats on rings, or even simple compounds, it's just a total game changer.

[Michael569]

definitely not much as I'd like to but I love to finish my workouts with 5 minutes in deep squad, the one when your bum kinda nearly touches the ground  bit of yoga here and there and a lot of moving and shifting around during the day but I'd like to make it more regular habit 

[Preety_India]

No. I'm a bummer 

 

But one day I will do all these self development exercise stuff. 

Right now I'm operating in lazy mode. 

Covid is a good excuse for not moving my butt. 

 

[fridjonk]

@Average Investor Awesome! Do you notice any improvements in meditation if you stretch before vs not? 

@JohnnyAb I used to use a roller as well until I got a massage gun. Those rollers are great tho, I might have to start using mine again. Feel like it digs a little deeper than the gun. 

@Michael569 That's my favorite stretch! Really opens up your groin and hips. 

@Preety_India Yeah, sometimes It's great to enjoy being a little bit of a slob in the fitness aspect. We all fall victim to that from time to time.  

 

 

[Average Investor]

@fridjonk Stretching before puts me right into a meditative state, then I do some Kryia Yoga after the stretches. 

[Michael569]

11 hours ago, Preety_India said:

Covid is a good excuse for not moving my butt. 

that's the wrong approach  

Gotta stay fit to fight covid off easier in case you catch it. 

[Waves]

12 hours ago, fridjonk said:

I'm currently working on getting the middle split

Haha somebody has been watching a lot of Tom Merrick's videos here 

I stretch everyday in the morning as soon as I wake up (I'm stiff like a rock, especially the upper back). It just feels like the natural thing to do and it's so good when you've washed out the tension. I do pretty much the whole body, depending on where I feel the most rigid.

I also stretch before going to sleep, same stuff. It's a very good way to wind down form the day, let my mind get calmer, get into body sensations and breath. It's also a nice set up for meditation.

I still have to make specific flexibility goals though. Right now my main motivation is to feel looser and release tension. I'd like to open the hips more, it seems it's time to look into those splits as well 

[Village]

Not really, it feels too forced to me.

[nistake]

Stretching is always good, but especially before a meditation session.

[fridjonk]

@Vxvxen Nice! 

14 hours ago, Average Investor said:

@fridjonk Stretching before puts me right into a meditative state, then I do some Kryia Yoga after the stretches. 

I've not been doing my meditation practices since I started stretching so I'm looking forward to seeing the difference. 

6 hours ago, Waves said:

Haha somebody has been watching a lot of Tom Merrick's videos here 

You got me! Literally been binging his videos ever since I started, lol. 

6 hours ago, Waves said:

I still have to make specific flexibility goals though. Right now my main motivation is to feel looser and release tension. I'd like to open the hips more, it seems it's time to look into those splits as well 

Join the club!

5 hours ago, datamonster said:

Same! Front split is my new year's resolution ? What's your routine?

Don't really have any specific routine other than working on the middle split itself every other day. But I do most of the basic leg stretches daily and try and hit every muscle. 

5 hours ago, Village said:

Not really, it feels too forced to me.

how so? 

@nistake It sure is. 

[fridjonk]

34 minutes ago, datamonster said:

Do you keep stretching when you're sore?

Yes, but I'm careful with not doing too much. I take days off or go easy some days when I feel really sore, but since I'm on creatine I don't feel sore often since I recover pretty quickly. 

What is your front splits routine like? Do you have a specific program you follow? 

[mandyjw]

I found pigeon and fire log yin yoga poses really helpful for back pain all day and helping me feel better when I mediate. I do some other stretches but those are the ones I hold the longest and that help the most. I stretch lightly in the morning before meditation and more intensely after running. 

I tried to do a 30 split challenge a couple years ago and got really far, but it made my hips feel really unnaturally lose and weird while running so I stopped. I think my running habit might be incompatible with it or something. 

[fridjonk]

@mandyjw I love the pigeon as well, it's so relaxing and you can stay with it for a long time. 

Too lose for running? That's the first time I've ever heard of that being a problem.  

[Applegarden]

Yes, but only the spine stretches and neck streches.

[JohnnyAb]

@modmyth

You can do the full body routine in 20 minutes or less. 

Guys mentioned Tom above, check his yt channel out. As far as I remember he has some great content.

[fridjonk]

2 hours ago, Applegarden said:

Yes, but only the spine stretches and neck streches.

Why not include a little leg and hip as well, since most of us sit so much.   

1 hour ago, modmyth said:

For everyone who does flexibility work, what do your routines look like and how long does it normally take you?

Mine can range from 30-70min; just finished an hour session right now. Really depends on the day and if I feel like my body is in the mood. I've found listening to your body to be the key factor here.

1 hour ago, modmyth said:

what does a more minimal but effective routine look like for general flexibility, like the biggest bang for your buck?) Since about last spring, I've been seriously wanting to add one to my fitness routine, but I find that it always tends to be the thing that gets pushed to the wayside in favour of one of the seemingly endless number of things to do (not necessarily fitness related though). I'm just not consistent enough with it.

I'm exactly the same when it comes to stretches. What I did now was I gathered a bunch of info from videos, then I just proceed to do any stretches I feel like doing, and I don't allow myself to skip more than 2 days usually. I'm probably stretching 6 days of the week, most often for 30 minutes after a workout. 

If you're having a hard time sticking to it try and pick a specific time in the day where you always stretch no matter what. I feel like setting a goal is what is keeping me from procrastinating on it.

1 hour ago, modmyth said:

Like right now I'm kind of forcing myself to do fitness stuff just generally because I'm not really in the mood overall lately.

I understand this all too well, and usually, I have to reach a point where I'm so slumped that there's no choice but to start moving my body. You can also ask yourself why do you want to move? and whatever reason you come with, you bring that up every time you feel like you should move but can't find the willpower to do so. 

1 hour ago, modmyth said:

You mentioned you do calisthenics (so do I!). Do you do any other type of martial arts of gymnastics type activities or did you used to? I used to do martial arts as a teenager and it's been a distant goal of mine to work on the splits since then. I was too lazy back then though; other stuff was on my radar too.

Awesome! great that there are more calisthenics folk on this forum.  

I used to practice MMA and BJJ many years ago for some while. But I enjoy ball sports such as basketball and football (soccer) more and I've played basketball most of my life, but not for the last 5 years. I don't really have any reason for wanting to learn the splits other than it being useful in some calisthenics moves. 

May I ask how long you've been doing calisthenics, and what "level" you're at? 

[Village]

17 hours ago, fridjonk said:

how so? 

I never wake up in the morning and say "man, I'd love to do stretching right now!", rather, I might think "they say it's healthy to do stretching", while my body tells me to forget that and go have breakfast instead. So I listen to my body. I generally don't force myself to do anything I don't truly want to.

[Grateful Dead]

Yeah I am streching like 3-4 times a week for a year or so and now I can't even understand how people life who dont streach lol

My favorite is the forward bend where you touch the ground with your hands it's so good for the whole back and shoulders