Get Some Inspiration on the Home Stretch With Our Flexibility Competition
A month is a short time. Even towards the end of our agility challenge, you may not find that you have made much progress. But every little thing helps, and it inspires to see the progress of people who have worked on their stretching for years.
Takethis one for example. Gracie Biswax says she did several workouts every day, including lunges and dove poses, and then tried splits. Even though her muscles were stretched by day 50, she was able to completely relax by day 89 and looked pretty amazing by day 100.
For a longer term view of progress, here are six years of Lachlan Walker’s work . He notes that passive static stretching did not help as much as stretching while contracting the muscles involved. There is some science in this: Proprioceptive neuromuscular relief (PNF) stretching involves alternating contractions with stretches, and in some studies it works better than passive stretching .
And for even more inspirational inspiration, here’s what happens when someone who is already hyper-flexible goes to the next level . Amanda Nicole Smith performed a 100-day flexibility test focusing on backbends and associated movements. She improved her form, but also notes in the comments that the significant progress was internal: movements that were difficult at the beginning became easier in the end.
If you joined us in early March, you only have three weeks. So if you haven’t made much progress, it’s okay: three weeks or even a month is just a fraction of what might be possible if you continue. This is true of all of our fitness goals, by the way. When you find something you like, keep doing it!
So what’s your solution to the flexibility problem? Have you noticed that stretching has become easier, or have you made progress in a different way, such as incorporating flexibility into your daily routine?