Hi guys, am back as I promised to share on how I've been doing. As I wrote before am on a quest to shed off some pounds, build some muscle and be flexible. This means that mainly my workout sessions will involve yoga and some cardio. Well things have been fine, I guess. I really love being flexible, being able to do the handstands, splits. Pictures of some great yogis like Tara Stiles fascinate me, ( actually I like her videos she inspires me) However, things aren't usually so great and simple as they make them look on the videos and blogposts. Here's why. In the past week I was working on building my flexibility and trust me, I was terrible to be honest. My hips are really aching and my back is a little sour. But I tend to believe that's normal considering that I've never tried being flexible before but I believe it's worth it and it's what I want. Here's what I've learned could help me and other people who relate to this become more flexible. 1. Have a routine We all have parts of our bodies that are more flexible than others. In this case we need to work on those areas that are not so flexible. In order to become more flexible for yoga you need consistency and to have consistencconsistency you need a routine.. Write down all the areas that need to be stretched and write down all the stretches you need to practice. The next step is to schedule some time after class to practice these stretches. Consistency is the key. 2.Hips. I came to learn that king lotus and pigeon poses require flexible hips. In order to become more flexible in this are I will do the butterfly stretch more. 3. Spine. To open up tight shoulders, start byby hugging yourself in a standing and also a seated position. Then roll your spine vertebrae by vertebrae. You will manage the camel and rabbit poses with this stretch. 4. Hamstrings To stretch your hamstrings, sit down on the floor with your legs straight infront of you and your back and spine upright. Bring your chest towards your legs and make sure your hands are reaching out towards your toes. This stretch gives you lean hamstrings that are perfect for the monkey pose. Other activities I learned that could help improve flexibility are reducing the intake of caffeine. I didn't know about that until recently but am ready to try. I love caffeine and I know this might be a problem to me and to most people but great bodies come at a cost. From what I've learned we should replace caffeine with water. This means taking along of water can improve our chances of becoming more flexible. Caffeine dehydrates our bodies which weakens our muscles therefore we need to be more hydrated to achieve various fitness goals. Heat can also improve our flexibility. Practising stretches at a warmer environment can help improve our flexibility. I practice yoga on mornings and evenings and tends to be a little chilly but am planning on having my heater on every time am practising. You can do the same, avoid practicing yoga when muscles are cold. I think this is also Basic physics because if you wanted to bend a metal you have to heat it first. Breathing is also a very important part of yoga and flexibility. Breathe in and out as you stretch to keep your muscles oxygenated and avoid the pain of deoxygenated muscles. It's also important to balance. Don't just work on the less flexible areas. Even the more flexible parts of your body can be improved. Lastly, don't give up. Am no expert in this area so am in this with you. I will be sharing my progress and what I've learned and no matter how complicated it may seem it can be done.
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