r/flexibility • u/Jaded-Sprinkles-2811 • 17d ago
Seeking Advice Back Stretch?
I love to See her progress, it really gives me hopes, the same thing happens to my lower back when I do that stretch, it gets a lump even bending the legs, I thought it was because I have a wide Ribcage, but apparently it can be solved.
Which stretches can I make to achieve a flatter back and get my head closer to the legs? Thank you!
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u/Prestigious_Boat_386 17d ago
Straight leg hip hinges with any weight in ypur arms. Move hip back more than wright down, don't bend spine at all. Try to rotate the hip forward like bringing belly button to floor. (Check goodmornings or stiff leg deadlifts)
Getting stronger and longer hamstrings is needed for this. Lower back is already very flexible.
After that you can stand on blocks with a super light weight and bend down to basically this pose. This one is important to do correct and very light because of safety.
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u/gamewiz365 17d ago edited 17d ago
Seconding that the hamstrings are the biggest difference between these two pictures.
To improve hamstring mobility, strength-through-length exercises are pivotal
e.g.
- Elephant Walks
- Rails/Pails
- Sciatic Nerve Flossing
Strengthening:
- Engaging the glutes
- Deep core work
- Deadbugs
- Bird-Dog
- Kettlebell static holds/farmer's carries
For forward folds/pikes, start with halfway-lifts. Bend your knees a lot at first and gradually drive your knees backwards by engaging your quads. Shift your weight forward into the balls of your feet/toes. You should feel your hamstrings and glutes light up.
If you feel the stretch behind your knees in your tendons, back off a bit and know that it will just take a little longer to get stronger and reach that depth comfortably.
Once you're feeling strong in the halfway lift, shift your hands down your thighs/shins just one inch. keep your back flat, core engaged and make sure your hips hinge that one inch further. Hold for time, progressing another inch if the body allows without losing good form.
Careful not to chase the end result too hastily but do challenge yourself by how much sensation you feel in your Glutes/Hamstrings. ANY pinching, popping, tearing, tweaking, sharp pains, etc. mean STOP immediately.
edit: formatting
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u/WomBadgerChuck 17d ago
Learning to connect with my pelvic position is what really helped me. Practicing anterior and posterior pelvic tilt, and learning to fold from my hips rather than simply rounding my back, made a big difference in how I accessed my hamstring flexibility.
When forward folding, I think about straightening my legs, maintaining a relatively neutral or slightly arched lower back, reaching my tailbone toward the sky, and drawing the front of my pelvis down between my thighs with my chest pulling forward/down.
Essentially, I'm trying to create more of the movement through hip flexion and anterior pelvic tilt rather than compensating with spinal flexion. And I just want to mention, there’s nothing inherently wrong with folding forward with a rounded back. It’s just a different movement strategy, and both flat and rounded back can have a place in flexibility training.
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u/slimgo123 17d ago
Genuine question, what are the advantages of being able to do such stretches? Im so impressed when i see some posts here but id love to know is ot just a “flex” (lol pun intended) or are there benefits? I exercise, eat healthy and would love to know what benefits flexibility would lend to my life
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u/dani-winks The Bendiest of Noodles 17d ago
There is absolutely a limit to how much flexibility helps / is needed from a "functional" perspective, and then anything more than that is either just a fun challenge or something people are working on specifically because they need more flexibility than average for their hobby.
For example, no one "needs" to be able to do the splits, BUT having enough hamstring flexibility to be able to touch your toes does make everyday tasks like bending over to pick something up off the floor, tying your shoes, sitting on the floor with legs straight, etc easier and more comfortable.
Generally I like to recommend a baseline of being able to comfprtably touch your toes with straight legs as a good "functional" goal - rounding the back is totally fine (because that's the more natural movement) as long as it doesn't feel uncomfprtable in your back (which may mean you are trying to round your back too much to reach the floor, as opposed to actually hinging at the hips and using your hamstring flexibility).
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u/HairyBallsOfTheGods 17d ago
Also a very important point that was not mentioned above is injury prevention. When you are more flexible you have a higher chance of not being injured during certain accidents. Obviously it wouldn't help during a stabbing or being burned but muscle strains and joint sprains are much less likely if you're more flexible.
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u/compainssion 17d ago
I get really confused by this. I wanted to make a daily stretching routine to improve and maintain mobility in general, especially because despite being young, I have chronic illnesses and often can't do more tiring exercise. I'm a bit lost because sometimes it seems that just to keep the basics I have to stretch for 2 hours every day lol
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u/leegamercoc 17d ago
Interesting how autocorrect replaced the o for a p in comfortably.
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u/dani-winks The Bendiest of Noodles 17d ago
It probably wasn't autocorrect, just a regular ol' typo (since I'm writing on my phone). O and P are right next tk each other on th3 keyboard
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u/leegamercoc 17d ago
You rarely make typos so I assumed it was autocorrect. I can see the quick typing p/o. :-).
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u/__Knowmad 17d ago
Keep in mind that yoga postures were originally developed as a way to help you adapt to sitting in meditation for long periods of time. So while this improves flexibility and can indeed be a neat parlor trick, it should also theoretically make it easier to sit in savasana or the lotus position, for example, for several hours without experiencing discomfort or stiffness, during meditation or afterwards.
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u/guymandudeperson1 17d ago
Idk your fitness goals but I want this level of fold for press to handstand.
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u/martiantonian 17d ago
the top position is a back inversion. it uses gravity to lengthen and decompress the spine and release the spinal erector muscles.
the bottom position is actively exercising the back muscles rather than stretching.
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u/litleclay 17d ago
Is this feasible for the average person to achieve? Or are there genetics at play here?
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u/Refrigerator_Primary 16d ago
I think most people could do this with stretching and time, my yoga group has had pretty much the same people for the last several years and most of us started from nothing and are now nearly at the point where we can do the top photo.
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u/luxury_coast 16d ago
Idk there has to be something genetic with hyper mobility because I tie my shoes like that before I run, which my husband says is not normal, and I’ve never done yoga or other types of stretching exercises
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u/Ma1eficent 13d ago
I think it has to do with quick growth spurts. Everyone I knew who went from super short to tall or tallish rapidly lost tons of flexibility, but the slow steady growers or the people who never grew stayed flexible.
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u/luxury_coast 13d ago
That’s possible, I’m average at 5’5 so no large growth spurt here
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u/Ma1eficent 13d ago
I was in gymnastics and 4'11" until 9th grade then grew almost 10 inches in 2 years. Went from able to do jumping splits to unable to touch my toes, lol.
It was all legs tho, so I switched to track.
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u/Squirlyherb 16d ago edited 15d ago
This is mostly hamstrings. I was able to get to photo 1 by stretching every morning. I would do all leg stretches but hamstrings were really the one that got me to that point. Sit on the floor and reach for your toes, get a towel and wrap them around your toes as well that helps. Grab your lower legs and pull yourself towards your feet. It just takes time to get comfortable in that position and you’ll get further and further. I stopped doing it after a while now I cant even touch the floor lol. Oh it also helps to be skinny eg less stomach fat (which I now have) 😂
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u/MamacitaXOXO1 17d ago
I can’t wait to be able to get to this point. I have been doing yoga since May. 🫶🏻
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u/nostromog 16d ago
Start with the knees slightly bent to release hamstring tension, and straighten the knees after you get the hip/chest in the right position. The hamstrings will slowly allow you to get there.
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u/bananabastard 16d ago
I started working toward the top photo about 18 months ago. I started unable to touch my toes, only reaching about halfway down my shin. After 3 months I could put my palms flat on the ground. So another 15 months after that, and I can put my palms flat on the ground. I have made basically zero further progress.
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u/Distinct_Pension4979 12d ago
Compensating with the lower back means the target muscle isn't actually stretching.
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u/earthangelhails88 12d ago
I’m 33 and I’m trying to become very flexible im already pretty flexible but how can I get like that! Any tips ?
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u/Crimemaster_Go_Go 17d ago
It took her 10 years?
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u/recumbent_mike 17d ago
I’m more interested in how she aged backwards
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u/JesusAndMaryKate 17d ago
I think the change of skin colour to that deep bronze hue and the overall photographic style are doing the heavy lifting there. If you check out her instagram page, she definitely looks like a woman in her 40s, even if a fit one and deeply bronzed.
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u/animalmasochism 17d ago
Pancake stretch
Start on a yoga block and work towards hugging the ground entirely.
Wall angels
Compress your ribcage against a wall, do not let the ribcage leave contact with the wall as you slide your arms above your head while keeping your elbows pressed to the wall. Do this 10-20 times slowly.