Hey folks, I’ve been weight training a lot lately and I’ve noticed that I’m getting less flexible. When I was a young kid I had a large orange book full of yoga poses and exercises that I used to do, and I did them often because I had a set routine.
What I am wondering is if anyone could recommend a full body stretching routine that is focused on progressively increasing flexibility and range of motion.
I’d also love a recommendation for a book/article on how stretching/flexibility works that isn’t too technical.
I would be able to contribute an hour or two per day to this, and want to use little equipment.
I appreciate any suggestions my fellow dopers might have.
I like the explanations and the detailed desciption of the downward dog. My only complaint is that in Salutation B (the longer one) it goes from downward dog to a forward lunge without explaining how. Here’s how. Lift the leg that will step forward, and stretch it out behind you. Bring your knee towards your chin as far as it can go. You can arch your back and go on tippy-fingers for extra space, then place your foot down as far forward as it will go, or between your hands, whichever comes first. . When you have your balance, adjust into a better lunge (just being realistic here!) and continue.
Here’s a very helpful site. Click on any pose on the column on the left.
A good mantra to remember: only do a pose insofar as you can do it with proper form. Don’t cheat; don’t strain. Stop short of any feeling of pain, be persistent but don’t overtrain, and the horizon of your limitations will continually recede.
Thanks for the suggestions so far. I might have been a little unclear; I’m looking for a collection of stretched that will increase my range of motion. They don’t have to be yoga. They also don’t have to be full body - just as a collective group every part should be stretched. For an example of range of motion; I’d like to work towards being able to do a split.
Bob Anderson’s Stretching book is the classic. It groups stretches by body part and suggests routines based on activity. Like if you bike ride, here’s some stretches that will be beneficial.
Be aware that some stretching is good but stretching well beyond your intended (sport specific) range of motion is not advised. So if you’re not going to be a prima ballerina, being able to do a full split is probably not going to be helpful to your weight training and is likely to cause an injury.
. When you have your balance, adjust into a better lunge (just being realistic here!) and continue.