Did you know that you can improve your flexibility through simple exercises you do on a regular basis? Most people think that when it comes to being flexible, it’s either something you are or you aren’t. That isn’t the case at all. A few gentle movements that take only a few minutes a few times per week can make a measurable difference in a surprisingly short period of time.

This doesn’t mean that you need to do a full workout to improve your flexibility. Instead, you can do a few of the moves and stretches listed below and you’ll be able to bring some improvement to various parts of your flexibility.

Why Improve Your Flexibility?

Working to improve your flexibility may not sound as impressive or as important as, say, losing weight or building muscle, but it does your body a surprising amount of good. When you improve your flexibility, you can reduce your risk of injury, make it easier to do regular activities in your daily life, and enhance your mobility. If you keep it up, you’ll be better able to maintain good balance and mobility into the later years of your life.

Since the exercises to improve your flexibility don’t take very long, you can easily do them while watching TV, during commercial breaks if you’re watching video with ads, or even while you’re waiting for the water to boil so you can make your dinner. The less you do during the rest of the day, the more important it is that you focus on your flexibility and balance when you can.

Exercises to Improve Your Flexibility

Whether you’re hoping to improve your flexibility from being quite stiff or because you want to be exceptionally bendy, here are some great exercises to help you achieve your goal. The key is to be consistent about doing them and to hold each yoga position for between thirty seconds to a minute, depending on your current flexibility level.

• Seated Straddle
• Cat Pose
• Cow Pose
• Lying Hamstring Stretch with Strap
• Toe-Reach with Strap
• Pigeon Pose
• Kneeling Hamstring Stretch
• Figure Four Pose

Doing at least two or three of these stretches each day can help you to improve your flexibility over time in a way that you can really feel. If you can complete the entire list each day, that’s wonderful. However, if you can only do a couple of them, that’s fine too. The trick is to make sure you make your way through the entire list each week at least once and that you do them regularly instead of simply doing the list once, once per week.