The first personal training certification that I took about 17 years ago taught us that the average American spends about 18 hours a day or more in a seated position. Think about it - let's say 8 hours sleeping in the fetal position, 8 hours sitting at a desk - that side sleeper is already at 16 hours and we haven't included any Netflix time, meals, or commutes!
Also, if spinning is your exercise - you are in a seated position with your hips flexed once again. The one opportunity to do something in a standing, upright position and you opted to contribute to your issues instead.
Our lifestyle has several different factors that contribute to whether we are flexible or tight. It is important to know the contributing factors so you can do you best to build a healthier lifestyle. Even diet and dehydration has an effect on your flexibility levels so that may be why you feel tighter some days more than others. Other factors include: lack of movement, injury, scar tissue, poor workout habits, poor sleeping positions, poor posture, stress, and pain. You may not be able to do anything about an old injury but most of these aspects you can control.
My biggest concern for people in regards to flexibility is the aging process. As we age and get tighter, it begins to affect our daily activities. The changes are slow.
First, you can't reach your toes.
Then, you may notice your balance isn't as great.
Slowly, you won't be able to bend your knee and grab your foot from behind.
Eventually you will have a harder time sitting down and standing up.
Getting up from the floor becomes a huge process with multiple steps.
Now eventually, you are no longer going to be able to get up and down on the toilet and that means you are going to lose your independence because you didn't want to stretch 10 minutes a day.
Flexibility contributes to balance and your reaction time, so it is also a leading cause of falls.
Out of my concern, I launched my new online course, Simply Stretch. I have always wanted to create a program for people that have an aversion to yoga! Everyone needs to stretch if they want to feel their best (unless you have a connective tissue disorder like Ehlers Danlos or Marfan's Syndrome).
Unfortunately there is a lot of confusion around stretching so most people avoid it because they aren't quite sure what to do, and what they have tried may not have felt very good. I break it down for you in this online course and it is a routine you could use for a lifetime. It is set up so you can get detailed instructions for each individual stretch, or you can join me for the full sequences (12-20 minutes). I really wanted you to be able to create a routine that works for you. That is also the reason I didn't put any music in the background, that way you can set the mood too! It's only $145 to sign up.
This is set up as a "drip course". That means each day you will have access to new lessons and stretches to try out. No routine takes more than 20 minutes so that is all the time you need to set aside. For two weeks I would like you to go through the new stretches in the course each day and then you will be able to set up your own unique routine given the knowledge you have learned. You have access to these videos for a lifetime and can continue using them anytime you want. I'm confident that these stretch routines will not only help increase your flexibility but will improve your quality of life by moving through your everyday activities with ease!
If you would like to find out more, there is a short video and more details here!