How to Be Flexible
Do walking lunges., Do straight leg kicks., Do arm circles., Do hacky-sacks., Do butt kicks.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Do walking lunges.
Lunges are great for improving flexibility in your legs as they engage many of the main leg muscles, including your quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves, in addition to loosening up your hips.Incorporating a walking movement makes this stretch more dynamic.
This is important as dynamic stretching has been found to be more effective than static stretching in increasing flexibility before a workout.To perform a walking lunge:
Take a big step forward, bending your front knee until it is over or slightly behind the toes.
Your back knee should almost be touching the ground, while your back should remain upright and your abdominal muscles tight.
Slowly raise yourself out of the lunge and step forward with your back leg, entering into a second lunge.
Use slow, controlled movements to get the most out of your stretch.
Repeat 10-15 times. -
Step 2: Do straight leg kicks.
Leg kicks are great for stretching out the hamstrings and improving hip mobility
- two areas that are essential for good flexibility.Just be careful not to kick your leg too high
- you should only swing as far as feels comfortable, otherwise you risk injury.
As your flexibility improves you will be able to kick your leg higher.
To perform a straight leg kick:
Swing your leg upward in front of you, keeping your knee straight.
Bend your toes back, so you feel the stretch through your heel.
Remember to keep your back straight and don't bend the knee of your supporting leg.Aim to get your leg parallel with your hip, at first, then try to get your toes parallel with your shoulder, once flexibility increases.
You can do 10-15 repetitions of this exercise using the same leg, or you can perform it using a walking motion, alternating the stretches between both legs.
Think of a marching tin soldier! , Arm circles are simple exercises with an important function
- namely, loosening the shoulder joints.
The shoulder joints have a higher potential range of motion than any other joint in your body
- so they are a great place to start when you're looking to improve flexibility.To perform arm circles:
Stand with your feet about a shoulder-width apart and extend your arms straight out to the sides, so they're in line with your shoulders.
Begin rotating your arms forward in small, circular motions, without moving your wrists or elbows.
After about 20 circles, change direction and begin rotating your arms backwards.To increase the intensity of the arm circles, you can rotate your arms faster or use weighted plates or dumbbells that are light enough to allow you to do 8-10 rotations. , The hack-sack exercise
- which imitates the movement used when playing hacky-sack
- is great for targeting muscle groups that are often neglected, such as those in the inner thigh.
It improves leg flexibility while also increasing the heart rate and helping coordination.
To perform the hack-sack exercise:
Lift your leg up, bending your knee so that it points outwards.
Try to tap either your ankle or the inside of your foot with the opposite hand, without bending forwards.Repeat 10 to 15 times on each leg.
Incorporate a hopping motion to increase intensity. , Butt kicks are a type of dynamic stretch which mainly target the quadriceps muscles, along with stretching the hip flexors.
They can be performed while walking or jogging and are a great way to warm up before doing any exercise that involves running.To perform butt kicks:
Bend your knee backwards in an exaggerated motion, until your heel hits your glutes.
Your knee should be pointing towards the floor and form a straight line all the way to your torso.
Repeat the exercise with the other leg, using either a walking or jogging movement.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions with each leg.
Don't worry if your heel cannot quite reach, it is quite common to have a limited range of motion with this movement.
You should be able to complete the exercise once your flexibility increases. -
Step 3: Do arm circles.
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Step 4: Do hacky-sacks.
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Step 5: Do butt kicks.
Detailed Guide
Lunges are great for improving flexibility in your legs as they engage many of the main leg muscles, including your quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves, in addition to loosening up your hips.Incorporating a walking movement makes this stretch more dynamic.
This is important as dynamic stretching has been found to be more effective than static stretching in increasing flexibility before a workout.To perform a walking lunge:
Take a big step forward, bending your front knee until it is over or slightly behind the toes.
Your back knee should almost be touching the ground, while your back should remain upright and your abdominal muscles tight.
Slowly raise yourself out of the lunge and step forward with your back leg, entering into a second lunge.
Use slow, controlled movements to get the most out of your stretch.
Repeat 10-15 times.
Leg kicks are great for stretching out the hamstrings and improving hip mobility
- two areas that are essential for good flexibility.Just be careful not to kick your leg too high
- you should only swing as far as feels comfortable, otherwise you risk injury.
As your flexibility improves you will be able to kick your leg higher.
To perform a straight leg kick:
Swing your leg upward in front of you, keeping your knee straight.
Bend your toes back, so you feel the stretch through your heel.
Remember to keep your back straight and don't bend the knee of your supporting leg.Aim to get your leg parallel with your hip, at first, then try to get your toes parallel with your shoulder, once flexibility increases.
You can do 10-15 repetitions of this exercise using the same leg, or you can perform it using a walking motion, alternating the stretches between both legs.
Think of a marching tin soldier! , Arm circles are simple exercises with an important function
- namely, loosening the shoulder joints.
The shoulder joints have a higher potential range of motion than any other joint in your body
- so they are a great place to start when you're looking to improve flexibility.To perform arm circles:
Stand with your feet about a shoulder-width apart and extend your arms straight out to the sides, so they're in line with your shoulders.
Begin rotating your arms forward in small, circular motions, without moving your wrists or elbows.
After about 20 circles, change direction and begin rotating your arms backwards.To increase the intensity of the arm circles, you can rotate your arms faster or use weighted plates or dumbbells that are light enough to allow you to do 8-10 rotations. , The hack-sack exercise
- which imitates the movement used when playing hacky-sack
- is great for targeting muscle groups that are often neglected, such as those in the inner thigh.
It improves leg flexibility while also increasing the heart rate and helping coordination.
To perform the hack-sack exercise:
Lift your leg up, bending your knee so that it points outwards.
Try to tap either your ankle or the inside of your foot with the opposite hand, without bending forwards.Repeat 10 to 15 times on each leg.
Incorporate a hopping motion to increase intensity. , Butt kicks are a type of dynamic stretch which mainly target the quadriceps muscles, along with stretching the hip flexors.
They can be performed while walking or jogging and are a great way to warm up before doing any exercise that involves running.To perform butt kicks:
Bend your knee backwards in an exaggerated motion, until your heel hits your glutes.
Your knee should be pointing towards the floor and form a straight line all the way to your torso.
Repeat the exercise with the other leg, using either a walking or jogging movement.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions with each leg.
Don't worry if your heel cannot quite reach, it is quite common to have a limited range of motion with this movement.
You should be able to complete the exercise once your flexibility increases.
About the Author
Rachel Griffin
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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