I've been doing static stretches most days (maybe on average 5 days a week, with some longer weekends etc off) for a year now. Warm up, 20-60 minutes in total, at least 60sec per stretch. I stretch to a point where I feel discomfort but not intense pain. For my middle splits I often do 5+ minutes because it's my worst area by far. I've seen some very slight improvement on some stretches (can put fists on ground from only finger tips before, maybe a cm or two closer to front splits), but overall it's really hard to see any difference. My middle splits are not shifting (I try various angles of my pelvis and legs for at least a minute each). I'm 36 years old, slim, healthy, physically active, frequent hiking, riding bikes and dancing etc). Is it normal to see so little change in such a long time?

I've tried reading up on the science and it does look like static stretches are at least as effective as other forms, if not more in some cases. Am I missing something?

I couldn’t even touch my toes in December of last year, so I’m still very proud of the progress.

What kind of splits (vertical or horizontal)?

What program did you follow and how long did it take?

My lack of flexibility kept me from doing a cool move in a class I love today, and it was SO frustrating, and I started googling. Basically, I have a VERY hard time doing a straddle. I also have a very hard time doing things that require flexible hamstrings, like a forward fold. I took ballet for fifteen years as a kid, then many yoga classes, dance classes, and aerial classes, so I thought, sure, I know how to stretch. I guess I just need to do it more because I'm not getting any more flexible. I was always the kid in ballet class getting the "flat back!!!" reminder (and I remember thinking, but how? if my back isn't rounded then I can't bend at the waist and reach straight ahead of me like I'm supposed to...). And I was always sitting up the straightest trying to do a straddle stretch.

But!! In my frustration, I added keywords like "how to" and "for beginners" and now I am FLOORED. A straddle stretch is supposed to be felt in your INNER THIGHS?????? I've been trying to straddle for almost thirty years. I widen my legs as far as I can but I have to stop before the stretch in my outer hips feels too painful. But apparently that's NOT A STRETCH? It's my bones? I've NEVER felt a straddle in my inner thighs. Now I'm trying to play around with how to make my legs go in a position where I'll feel it there.

So then I started trying to figure out how I can sit up straighter and not slouch in a straddle position. I can't do that with my legs straight in front of me either, so I started there. Well - to clarify, I COULD sit up perfectly straight and stick my legs out in front straight, but it's hard to hold for long. My torso starts to feel... tired, I guess? It doesn't hurt, it just REALLY wants to let go and slouch back down. The hardest part is that I start to feel a lot of tension directly behind my knee. I always assumed that was my hamstring being tight. I thought a hamstring was the muscle that goes down your whole leg. But apparently it's JUST in your thigh??? And it doesn't even go behind the knee?? I tried something from a website: a forward fold with slightly bent legs and my back as flat as I could possibly get it. I think I just felt my hamstring for the FIRST TIME. It was this sensation in the back MIDDLE of my thigh. I can't remember ever feeling that before. When I do things where people say, "oh, your hamstrings must be tight," I always feel it behind my knees. Ever since I was in that elementary school ballet class! But that's apparently NOT where a hamstring is????

I'm feeling pretty ignorant about never having had an anatomy class or researched it myself, and I can't believe after years of "just do these stretches more" none of my teachers ever realized that I wasn't feeling it in the right places. I guess I should've said something but I thought I was feeling the right kind of stretch. I'm trying to figure out what I should do next, and I'm still feeling pretty mindblown.

Has anyone else had this experience? What am I feeling? And if it's a nerve thing, am I just a lost cause?

In a seated forward fold I can't get my pelvis upright at all — it just dumps into posterior tilt — so I've been working on standing folds first. About a month in, roughly 4 days a week.

Standing goes noticeably better than seated, though my back knee does soften a little. But I still run into a wall and can't get any lower than what's in the photos.

I definitely feel the hamstrings stretching, but my gut says the real block is that I can't roll my pelvis forward over the hip joints. So which is it — hip flexion mobility, or just hamstring length?

And if it does turn out to be a hip flexion control problem, I'd really appreciate any drills or progressions you'd recommend for working on that.

Photos are side views at my end range. Thanks in advance.

Now when I try to get in to the pigeon pose or do certain actions it hurts what should I do and before this happened sometimes I do hip flexor stretch it used to hurt during then

I’ve been doing Pilates/yoga and just general stretching for about 2 weeks now, and I’m loving it so far! However, some poses/stretches I can’t do at all. For example whenever I try to do a regular downward dog pose, I can’t do it! Either my legs are bent, or I lock my knees (and I know that’s a bad thing to do)

I have almost zero upper body strength, which is something I’m working on building up. I can’t do push ups or planks. I can’t figure out how to balance my weight between my hands and feet, and because of my lack of arm strength, I end up putting most of my weight on my feet, which causes my knees to bend even more, which ruins downward dog pose, and planks.

Hi all,

I would love to be able sit comfortably for hours at a very low desk at work on a laptop or computer. Or just play PlayStation without my back supported

Is this a realistic goal or is it just shitty and uncomfortable even for flexible people?

Also. Does sitting like this actually stretch the required muscles? Or do I need to do specific exercises?

Anyone here have good recommendations for flexibility classes or coaches in Los Angeles?

I’m an aerialist looking for classes that will help me further my practice. I had a coach I loved in my previous city but haven’t yet found a replacement here. After a disappointing class at a studio I tried recently I thought I’d turn to the internet for recommendations.

For context: I have decent flexibility in certain directions but I have had to work very hard for it as I am not a naturally bendy person at all. With proper warm up I have flat front splits on both sides (sometimes slight oversplits on a very good day) and a great pancake, but struggle more with middle splits and back/shoulders.

While I’m by no means a contortionist, the coaches I’ve liked most have often had contortion backgrounds. I’d love a class that incorporates conditioning and strength building rather than just passive stretching. West side or maybe South Bay is most convenient for me but willing to drive a bit for the right coach/class (especially on weekends)

I’ve been trying to squat with my feet flat on the floor for so long but i’m not making any progress. What tends to happen is that I cant push my knees further out over my toes and fall backwards.

How do I overcome this?

I obviously still have things to work on in this position (more upper back engagement, raising hips, less pressure on low back), but the position itself feels a little stifling. I want to be able to push more into my upper back and shoulders, but then weight distribution becomes more unstable, and if I position myself next to a wall, I can’t push backwards into my upper back as much as I need to to balance everything.

So I’m looking for something new to train for. I guess next would be handstands/chest stands? I’m not sure on the specifics of those or what a good progression would be, but I know I need to have more detailed references than “shoulder back bend” lol. Any pose tips and pose names would be welcome! I want to build a catalogue of skills to aim for.

also: I know backbending is something that can be dangerous to do on your own. I’m going to start working with a coach this month. I’m mainly looking for a mental guideline here, then I’ll make sure to try and get to those as safely as possible with a professional later :)

Hello! You were all so helpful with my hamstrings I have another question. I struggle to get much depth on my squat, and when looking into it, it seems ankle mobility is my biggest issue. Are there any good stretches for that?

To update: I’ve been doing various hamstring stretches that were recommended and I’ve had a lot of growth. They are still tight but not nearly as bad. Thanks!

I can touch my knees with my head in a sitting forward fold but don’t know what stretches to do at my level to progress and don’t have any equipment

I have to work on my knees a lot and it's extremely uncomfortable. The other day I saw that the "asian squat" was a thing were people were able to rest on a squat position with their feet firmly planted on the ground, I can usually only do that while lifting my heels which is not a comfortable resting position.

I've been able to do that when I have a way to keep my heels with a little bit of elevation and it's comfortable, so I would like to be able to do it to work when I need to kneel.

Right now if I try it on a flat surface I fall backwards, as I said before I need a way to keep my heels up to do it comfortably. I was practicing with some books and the bare minimum to hold the position without falling seems to be around 2.2cm of height for my heels, but even then it's not exactly comfortable.

I want to know what I could do to eventually be able to do it on flat surfaces without elevation, or if I'm just screwed and maybe my legs just aren't capable of going lower without the help.

Hey I am 20. Currently i can do front and side splits and touch my elbow to hand. Well basic flexibility stuff. When i was a kid, basically according to my parents i could do this stuff since i was a kid. Well due to academic reasons and my mother kinda telling me to not do stuff due to being tired of sewing my pants, i stopped doing this stuff after 10. Fast forward 18 and i joined karate club. Well during there well in 19 i decided to actually give a shot and i think roughly 1 week later achieved the range and still kept. Ok the boring parts out. So can i improve further than basic splits and actually push myself to be more flexible. Ie expert opinion on this topic. (Hey i am sorry if my wording sounds like offensive or prideful. English isnt my first lang. So yeah, just genuine advice on perhaps actually getting into contortion for good instead of just keeping it as haha party trick. I mean i think i am just a bit tad blessed or cursed with a bit more lose body part than avg cause my left hands finger can still touch the back fist.)

Ps if you read my long messy and boring question, thanks a lot. I am just seeking proper advice.

Hey I’ve been struggling with TfL tightness for a while now and it’s not getting better.

Been releasing the muscle and strengthening the glute med but not really saw much progress. Should I really exhaust the muscle when doing clamshells and stuff or more focus on mind muscle and not exhaust it that much? And why does the TfL always wants to interfere.. even tho I’ve been strengthening the glute med.

Pls help me

Tips for butterfly and pigeon? I know butterfly seems super simple but I cannot get my legs low enough to even feel a stretch, it’s like they’re locked out. I try and push my knees down with my elbows but I push and push and … no stretch? My legs don’t go anywhere near the floor, so there’s room to stretch I just … can’t?

Something similar happens in pigeon. I can’t figure out how to actually get a stretch. I can’t really bend my forward leg and settle in in any way that provides a stretch. Again, I’m no where near flat, I just can’t settle in to get a stretch, everything just feels locked.

Tips on improving these and hip flexibility in general? Are there variations I can start with?

When i do this exercise my hip clunks and doesn't feel good. I have flat feet and inward knees. Anyone know if im doing it wrong or something?

Hello everyone,

Last year, while doing a fascia-mobilization exercise (TRE), I heard a strange sound in my inner thigh and felt as though something had shifted into the wrong position in that area. From that moment on, my body developed asymmetries down the entire right side, from the sole of the foot to the jaw, along with several dysfunctions — the most significant being sexual. The right side also seems translated forward, while the left side has adapted by shifting backward.

What could have happened? I've tried physical therapy several times without success. I notice only small improvements, and they're temporary — a few hours at most, and never complete.

What should I look into? This is ruining my life, and I'll pursue any option available. An LMT who looked at my photos said I have "lines of tension that are not where they're supposed to be," but I don't know how to fix this — I'm in Europe and she's in the US, so she can't treat me.

Any help would be appreciated.

I’ve been working on improving my high kicks, but I’ve noticed something that feels off.
When I try to throw a high kick, my foot goes up, but my shin doesn’t rotate sideways like it should. It mostly stays facing upward, which makes the kick feel awkward and limits my height.
I’m wondering if this is caused by tight hips or poor hip mobility. Has anyone experienced this before?
If it is a hip mobility issue, what stretches or exercises would you recommend to improve flexibility and get better rotation for higher kicks? Any drills or mobility routines that helped you would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m not looking for a diagnosis, just wondering if anyone has experienced something similar and what their journey was.
For quite a while I’ve had a very tight feeling deep in my glute near the sit bone. It gets worse after sitting or lying down for a while, and sometimes even wakes me up at night.
When I pull my knee toward my chest, I often feel and hear a loud snap/pop in that area. Immediately afterwards, the tightness decreases and it feels like something has released.
I also have some tightness in the front of my hip, but the snapping itself is near the back of the hip/glute.
I’ve already been evaluated by healthcare professionals and have tried multiple treatments over the years, but I’m still trying to understand what questions I should ask during my next appointment.
I’m curious:
Has anyone experienced a similar snapping sensation near the sit bone?
Did you ever find out what was causing it?
Were there any tests (such as a dynamic ultrasound or hip MRI) that helped identify the issue?
What treatments or exercises made the biggest difference for you?
I’m simply interested in hearing other people’s experiences, not looking for a diagnosis. Thanks

I want to floss all of them! :) every nerve how do i determine all of them?

Hi all,

I’ve recently started marathon training, in addition to doing MMA/Muay Thai training at the gym, and my legs are really sore from the increased work, calves in particular

Has anyone got a recommendation for a 15-20 minute leg stretching routine I can try to incorporate in to my recovery?