Stretching made simple

I think stretching feels nice and is good to do sometimes, but I’m not as keen on it as I used to be. 

My primary motivation for stretching was that I wanted my naturally flexible body to become even more flexible. First I wanted to reach beyond my toes, and then I wanted to do the splits, and then I wanted to put my leg behind my head and then… it was never enough.

Not dissimilar to a lot of people in the yoga world, I confused being highly flexible with being more 'advanced' at yoga. Like I was somehow a better person for being able to touch my toes, which is very fucking weird (to say the least).

But, being flexible is generally considered a marker of good health and fitness and people love the idea of stretching to become more flexible (even if the true benefits of flexibility are difficult to define). If you find pursuing flexibility to be a worthwhile use of your time go for it. You can become more flexible and stretching can help you with that, but it helps to be realistic and acknowledge the genetic and environmental factors at play.

As Annie Rice notes in her recent Guardian article about when yoga turns toxic:

The relative ease with which certain bodies can do certain shapes is most likely due to hypermobility or a childhood spent doing gymnastics. The rest of us muggles can try a thousand times harder and never achieve it, or do so only to the detriment of our long-term health. But this kind of physical expectation made its way into mainstream.

This mini series will help make stretching less stressful

Whatever your motivation for including stretching into your movement routine, knowing that some people’s bodies are just naturally more flexible than others can help take the pressure off. It might also prevent you from attempting stretching routines that are wildly unrealistic and punishing. 

I’m here to tell you that finding enjoyable and interesting ways to move your body is enough.

Class 4: Using a wall (14 minutes)

In the final class of the series, you’ll explore three passive stretches for your hamstrings (back of your legs) and adductors (inner thighs) using the wall for support. You’ll hold each position for approximately 20 seconds. You’ll repeat each position a total of 3 times.

Optional equipment:

• Some wall space (the back of a closed door, or the edge of a chair/sofa)

• Anything that will help you feel more comfortable

Next up

No holding yourself back

Join the free mini class membership and get early access to the next class.

You’ll be able to start from scratch with extended access to the all classes in this mini series too!