How to become more flexible

Why do we lose flexibility?

We're born with pretty flexible tendons and joints - as anyone who's seen a baby happily nibbling on their toes can testify. But a few years down the line, most of us have already lost an amount of flexibility simply because we're not using our full range of motion.

Nell Mead, physiotherapist, explains that you start losing flexibility as soon as you go to school and start sitting down more.

"If you don't use the stretchy material within your muscle (filaments) then they become shorter," she says.

In addition, as you get older your body naturally becomes less flexible.

Karen Laing, instructor from Fit School, says that as you age, your tendons, ligaments, and muscles lose elasticity and stretch-ability.

Why is flexibility important?

In years gone by, it was believed that the more flexible you were, the better it was for your health. However, we now know it's possible to be too flexible. Flexibility is important as it allows you to do the things you need to do with your body - from tying your shoelaces to fastening your clothing. But too much flexibility, including in conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, may mean less control over the movement of your joints.

So how flexible do you need to be?

The amount of flexibility required varies from person to person. If you're hoping to take on some mountain climbing, you'll need a little more range than if you get your exercise through walking. Exercise aside, we all need to have the range of motion required to complete the daily tasks required of us.

If you've lost flexibility, whether through age, injury, or insufficient stretching, you may find that you are unable to do a task that was previously in your range of movement. For example, struggling to fasten your bra, or clip your toenails.

One way of ensuring flexibility is maintained is through daily movement and stretching.

"Try taking your body through its full range of motion every day," advises Mead. "That could be just having a stretch - it could be doing a session of yoga or dance if that's what works for you. The full range every day because then you won't lose it."

Becoming more flexible

As well as maintaining your existing flexibility, you may wish to develop more flexibility as part of a new exercise regime, to prevent injury and ensure ease of movement.

Mead explains that the differential here is pain.

"If when you try to stretch into a position your arms or back feel sore, it's worth getting checked out as you may have an injury," she says.

If you don't need medical treatment, there are many ways to increase your flexibility - through being mindful of your body and carrying out stretching exercises. The important thing here is ensuring you carry out any exercise in a careful and controlled manner in order to benefit fully.

Flexibility as part of your workout

If you simply want to improve or maintain your range of movement, the types of exercise you may want to turn to will differ depending on how you want to use your body. Laing recommends ensuring balance in the different exercises and movements you carry out as part of your fitness regime.

It's easy to neglect flexibility, but crucial to build it into your everyday movement for long-term health and fitness.

Exercises to help with flexibility