Exercises to Increase Flexibility

ejaghana · 12-05-2007, 09:40 AM

I just recently took up yoga, and I know that will help a lot, but I have been dancing for a long time and am still terribly un-flexible! Are there any workouts, DVDs, etc (aside from yoga) that you'd recommend to help me become more flexible?

aziyade · 12-05-2007, 10:23 AM

Amazon.com: Broadway Dance Center: Active...

*Shira* · 12-05-2007, 10:35 AM

I just recently posted a review on my web site for Perfect in Ten - Stretch. You can find the review at Belly Dancing: Shira's Reviews of Fitness Videos, Arranged Alphabetically . Scroll all the way down to the bottom, to the category for non-belly dance.

Also, Rania's Daily Quickies video has a nice 10-minute flexibility routine as one of the workouts it offers. That same workout appears on one of Rania's Bellydance Fitness for Weight Loss videos, but I forget which one. I'm not a big fan of the Bellydance Fitness for Weight Loss series because I really don't like the music, but I do like those 10-minute bonus workouts that are compiled on Daily Quickies.

ejaghana · 12-05-2007, 11:14 AM

Thanks ladies, great info. I think I'll get both. I think Borders has the daily quickies.

I might wait a little while for the Broadway Dance Center one cause it seems a little too advanced for me!

aziyade · 12-05-2007, 02:17 PM

A lot of those stretches in the Broadway Dance one are from Dancing Longer Dancing Stronger, the book. You can modify all of them to fit your own level, but I have to admit the organization of the dvd is a little annoying. You can't really sit down with it and DO the whole thing, unless you have like 2 hours to kill.

LauraLevana · 12-09-2007, 09:41 AM

Advice from a former gymnast--slow and gentle is the key. You should feel "reaching" but never pain. When you get to the point where you feel it would hurt to go farther, stop and hold for 20-30 seconds, then see if you can reach just a little farther.

Pilates is very helpful.

kashmir · 12-09-2007, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ejaghana

I just recently took up yoga, and I know that will help a lot, but I have been dancing for a long time and am still terribly un-flexible! Are there any workouts, DVDs, etc (aside from yoga) that you'd recommend to help me become more flexible?

Problem is different parts of you will have different levels of flexibility. You need to target your stretches for what is inflexible in your body.

Best practice is to target one muscle per stretch until the group is all a similar flexibility. Imagine tying a piece of wool to a rubber band. Now hold the free end of the rubber band in one hand and the free end of the wool in the other and stretch. How much longer does the wool get? Same thing happens to your body if you aren't careful.

Worth spending a couple of hundred buck on some one on one with a sports physio for a personal assessment and program to address your areas of need.

ejaghana · 12-09-2007, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kashmir

Worth spending a couple of hundred buck on some one on one with a sports physio for a personal assessment and program to address your areas of need.

You're right. I probably should spend some money on a personal trainer. I need a program that will work for me. Some strength training and such. I'm relatively thin but very out of shape. I'd like to whip myself into better shape without losing weight.

sati · 12-10-2007, 01:27 PM

Pilates is great because it will build core strength along with flexibility. The better yoga routines will do that too.

hannan · 12-16-2007, 02:22 PM

I strongly recommend classical stretch, Classical Stretch
wow, two classical stretch recommendations from me in one day! I'm not affiliated with them, just a fan.
-Hannan

Nepenthe · 12-16-2007, 05:39 PM

What surprised me when I started yoga was that after all these years of bellydance, I'm pretty flexible in a lot of places but my hips are extraordinarily inflexible....downright tight. I'm the least flexible hips in the class (and I take it at work, so I'm one of the youngest people in the room.)

kamilia · 12-17-2007, 01:48 PM

My problem is that bellydance has seemed to tighten the muscles around my hips (you know! those outer thigh things close to your hip bones...maybe?) Is that what you're going through, Nepenthe? I have to do so many of those strange stretches that get at that outer-thigh area.

kashmir · 12-17-2007, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nepenthe

What surprised me when I started yoga was that after all these years of bellydance, I'm pretty flexible in a lot of places but my hips are extraordinarily inflexible....downright tight. I'm the least flexible hips in the class (and I take it at work, so I'm one of the youngest people in the room.)

What do you mean by "least flexible hips" - do you mean internal and external roattion - or something else? For myself I know I have less than 15 degrees external rotation in my hip joint due to bone angles and lengths. Belly dance has nothing to do with it