I wanna be more flexible.....need help

[Katkalilla]

I am trying to increase my flexibility and just get in better shape in general. I have been looking all over for ways to stretch and exercise that will help me in both areas, but cant really seem to find any :help: . I found a good site on how to stretch properly, but they dont give any specifics on what stretches you should be doing. I know yoga would help, I can do most of that.....well I know a few poses anyway.....okay okay, I only know a few. Any ideas for me would help. I am doing this all from home and dont have any props or machines of any kind. I have been trying my best on what I can come up with on my own, but it doesnt seem to be very effective so far
Any ideas???????

[Katkalilla]

ooooh!! I also want to know how to get rid of that pesky little paunch )thats what I call it) The lower part of your tummy, right below your belly button. I do tummy exercises, but it seems to be only helping the bits above my belly button. I cant do regular sit-ups because they hurt my back, any thoughts?

[zoebird]

you're supposed to have a little lift below your belly button--most women do because of the shape of our lower abdominals (they're more cylindrical than flat like a man's) and the slight amount of excess fat that we carry there. Know why it's there? reproduction. So, it may never go away, no matter what you do (mine doesn't. ever. and never will. so, i had to learn to accept it. and, my husband, as well as many other men, love that spot sticking out.)

but, for flexabillity and exercise, yoga is a great way to go. Most libraries and video stores have videos that you can rent and try at home--if you can't go to class, which is best. also, there are lots of places online where you can get information about yoga poses and yoga series. Yogadancer.com has a great 'asana index' which has names, pictures, and descriptions of postures.

the best 'squences' to do is sun salutation. there are two kinds of sun salutation: sivananda and astanga. sivananda has one 'complete' sun salutation whereas astanga has sun salutation A and B. I practice both kinds, sometimes in the same practice, sometimes not. with sivananda, you practice 7 on each side; for astanga, you usually do 3 As and 3 Bs--though there are days when i do 57 As and 57 Bs (yoga 108s, which is a sacred number). some teachers reccomend working your way up to 108 sun salutations. It may take years.

So, i recommend that you google "astanga sun salutations" and then go to yogadancer.com's asana index to read how to do each individual pose--to get the benefits of doing the poses properly. If you have the time and money, i recommend taking yoga classes from a qualified instructor. It's the best way to learn and not have horrifying alignment which can lead to injury.

good luck!

[bethanie]

YOGA! Get a yoga book or take a class or both. Yoga has caused me to be amazingly flexible.

B

[IamJen]

It's already been said :), but I've got another vote for yoga. Working with a ball helps sometimes. Check out your library...you may be able to find some videos to check out and preview.

[Elena99]

I agree with yoga, too. After a few months of classes, I felt (and feel) so much more flexible.

Do you have a YMCA near you? See if they offer classes. Going to at least a few classes will help you learn, and then you can do more on your own.

[VeggieBiker]

It's not for everyone, but martial arts greatly improved my flexibility.
Don't worry it if you carry a "paunch", most women are genetically predisposed to carry some extra weight there. I worked out really hard and managed to develop a "four-pack" of abs above my navel but I couldn't lose the gut.

[remilard]

http://www.afn.org/skydive/sta/stretch/stretching_toc.html