Unlock Your Flexibility: The Perfect Routine to Regain Your Range of Motion and Feel Great Again!

The feeling of being less flexible than you were isn’t great. Groaning as you pick something up off the floor. Sitting on the floor with your legs “crossed”, but really your knees are touching your ears! Remembering the glory days when you could easily do the splits. 

Like everything in life, unfortunately getting your flexibility back takes work. But…. when it starts to become a habit and you start to notice the results it’s very rewarding.

A lot of people wouldn’t know, but strengthening muscles can improve your flexibility just as much as stretching. Evidence for the foam roller at this stage is non-existent in relation to flexibility. 

The question is: if I was to try and get more flexible within six weeks, what would I do?

In a nutshell, I would have a strengthening program that focuses on as much range as possible with which I could control safely. Probably using the Pilates reformer a couple of times per week, combined with a stretching program at night.

A combination of the above would definitely see me improve in that time. 

A 2023 study showed static stretching with five lots of 30 second holds, six days per week, for six weeks, increased flexibility significantly. Other studies have reported the same for calf and hamstring flexibility, for a total duration of 120 and 180 seconds respectively.

I’ll be honest, there is no way I would do six days per week. I would do four nights in front of the TV doing 4 x 30 second holds for each of the muscles I wanted to improve. 

In a 2021 systematic review they looked at strength training to increase flexibility versus stretching. Interestingly the studies were actually showing that strength training improved flexibility more than stretching, but the difference was not significant enough. So both improved flexibility. 

So if you are super keen on increasing your flexibility, do both. Aiming for full range of motion  strengthening safely is the key. Using the Pilates reformer is amazing because you can keep your body well controlled, but get full range of motion out of your muscles with resistance. Think legs in straps. Amazing way to improve your flexibility. If you're interested in our BIMFIT Pilates you can find more HERE. 

But I would also add stretching to really nail it 

The final thing to note is that if you just focus on static stretching you may increase your flexibility, but a study in 2019 demonstrated that you are actually weaker in this new range so simply being more flexible isn’t that great, especially if you are more susceptible to injury! 

So, to summarize, if I was super keen I would do Pilates three times per week; home strengthening one to two times per week; and four sessions per week of static stretching, for a minimum of 120 seconds (broken into sets of 30 seconds). If you are keen to give the above a good crack let me know how you go!