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Simple Flexibility Tips for a Yoga Practice
You don’t need to be flexible to practice yoga, but keeping these in mind doesn’t hurt.
One of the biggest myths of yoga is that you need to be flexible to practice it. You don’t. In fact, you should practice yoga to get more flexible.
With that being said, flexibility is a complicated topic and there are a variety of factors that affect it. Practicing yoga regularly will increase your flexibility, but here are some other tips that might help along the way.
1. Stay hydrated
You don’t need anyone to tell you that drinking more water is a good thing. But staying properly hydrated may also have a direct effect on your level of flexibility.
Being dehydrated, as many people are, can result in stiffness and decreased range of motion. Drinking plenty of fluids throughout your day can help your muscles stay limber enough to respond to flexibility training.
Instead of the eight glasses of water rule, try to drink about one half ounce or one ounce per pound of body weight. If you weigh 125 pounds, that’s between 62.5 and 125 ounces of water. You’ll also want to drink more fluids when working out vigorously.
