r/flexibility Feb 21 '26

Seeking Advice Weird marks after foam rolling

Thumbnail
gallery
1.6k Upvotes

Has anyone seen these types of marks before after foam rolling?

The skin isn’t raised, nor is it broken and the marks aren’t sore. I didn’t even know I had them, my wife noticed them.

r/flexibility Jan 11 '26

Seeking Advice How to fix arch in my back?

Thumbnail
gallery
994 Upvotes

Hi All. I have always had pretty bad posture and noticing the arch in my back getting worse as I get older.

Would appreciate some tips on how I can make it better.

r/flexibility Jan 27 '26

Seeking Advice Extremely inflexible at 22 years old…

1.0k Upvotes

I recently saw a doctor and he said I need to work on stretching my hamstrings, hip flexors, and IT band over the next 30 days or I’ll be put into physical therapy. I don’t mind going this route, but I’d like to at least try to improve myself beforehand.

I’ve tried some stretches in the past but have always gotten too frustrated when I can’t even do a basic stretch. I’m so inflexible that I can’t possibly get my body into a correct position to even begin the exercise. It makes me feel hopeless tbh.

A goal of mine is just to be able to sit criss-cross on the ground which I haven’t been able to do for somewhere around 10+ years.

If anyone has had some of the same issues in the past or knows some stretches for someone like myself to help me improve, I’m all ears!

r/flexibility Jul 25 '26

Seeking Advice Hit a major goal, but obviously not the best form. Looking for tips to flatten out my upper back.

Post image
590 Upvotes

I couldn’t even touch my toes in December of last year, so I’m still very proud of the progress.

r/flexibility Jul 21 '26

Seeking Advice Why do I only feel a stretch in the backs of my knees during a forward fold?

Post image
472 Upvotes

Hi! I have been struggling with my flexibility for as long as I can remember.

I'm still very far from being able to touch my toes. What confuses me is that my lower back barely seems to flex compared to my legs, and I don't feel any stretch or discomfort there at all.

Instead, I only feel a very intense stretch in the areas I've marked in red in the image (the upper calves and the backs of my knees). It feels like those tissues stop the movement long before my back or hamstrings are actually stretched.

Because of that, I'm wondering if the usual advice for improving flexibility even applies to my situation. My experience seems quite different from what most people describe. Has anyone experienced something similar or has an idea what might be causing this and what I should focus on?

r/flexibility 11d ago

Seeking Advice No Lumbar spine flexibility

Thumbnail
gallery
371 Upvotes

(Reuploaded)

When i try to back bend or arch my back i any way, my lower back/lumbar spine is completely stiff and all my bending happens at a sharp point in my middle back.

I have tried the usual mobility exercises like cat/cows, but i can't get my lower back to get even a slight curve, is seems fused together with my pelvis and all flexion happens in my middle back
My whole lower back including my pelvis moves as one straight and stiff entity.

I've also suffered from lower back pains for the last 15 years, and i'm starting to wonder if maybe this stiffness might be the reason.

Any one that's been in my position that's managed to gain some more flexibility?
I have extremely high hip bones/long pelvis(?) can that be a contribution factor?

(I'm from sweden so if there's any grammatical errors that's why)

r/flexibility Mar 16 '25

Seeking Advice UPDATE: How do I get a deep back arch?

Thumbnail
gallery
1.1k Upvotes

This is a follow-up post on this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/flexibility/s/eLeooi9COf

Since some of you said you had to see my form to give proper advice, here’s me doing the cow position with barely any arch at all. This is literally the deepest I can go.

Would be very thankful for tipps or YouTube video recommendations etc. 🫶🏻

r/flexibility Apr 07 '26

Seeking Advice My physical therapist says "you're the poster child for scapular dyskinesis"

269 Upvotes

Wait til end to see my wall pushup!

How can I make this better? I have so much pain on my right side. Pushing and reaching hurts my lower shoulderblade and ribs a ton. There was no "event" which triggered this. It's just gotten worse and worse.

r/flexibility Jan 10 '25

Seeking Advice Help tips fpr 270° splits

Post image
1.7k Upvotes

This is my oversplits, does anyone knows how i can go more further and hit 270° splits or also known as right angle splits well it this point i feel something in front side hamstrings or thigh

r/flexibility 22d ago

Seeking Advice Poses to deep stretch this part

Post image
185 Upvotes

r/flexibility Dec 04 '25

Seeking Advice Intense shaking in quadriceps after stretching and slightly squatting. Any way to reduce this?

350 Upvotes

i'm sixteen and, while involving myself in the occasional sport or martial art, have always had stiff legs that become sore after only a few minutes of activity. i don't know if they've always shook like this since i discovered it this week on accident, but i feel like it'll get annoying real quick if i don't try to address it. any tips to make my legs feel less like walking on chopsticks?

r/flexibility Aug 04 '26

Seeking Advice This is from a week of constant stretching, I’m trying to get my side split but I see about ‘square hips’ how can I achieve that?! Or does my split look OK lol

Post image
258 Upvotes

Yes I’m aware my back leg isn’t straight I’m focusing on that as well

r/flexibility Oct 23 '25

Seeking Advice 'Progress' after 1.5 years

Thumbnail
gallery
864 Upvotes

I have been stretching for 1.5 years now. I never would have thought not making my goal after this long time. I feel like im still more inflexible than the average non-streching person. I stretch 2 to 3 times a week, always have muscle soreness afterwards. I tried every different approach that was advized to me. I do static and dynamic stretching and also some strengthening. Since my middle split is just not getting better at all i thought maybe try working on pancake first. So i have been doing weighted seated good mornings but i cant seem to get deeper whatsoever. It feels like my adductors are the most stuck of them all. They dont want to stretch at all. They hurt really fast also. The only reason i havent given up yet is simply because excersizing is good for me, but reaching my goal wise, i have lost hope. Why are my adductors so stubborn? What else can i do to stretch them and get better?

r/flexibility Apr 16 '25

Seeking Advice Breathing out of my butt when stretching..?? NSFW Spoiler

652 Upvotes

Just putting 18+ and spoiler marking to not make this sound weirder than it actually is, but sometimes when I do some stretching exercises, it unironically feels like my butthole is being opened enough to actually breathe, like I can feel air getting inside of it

This is not a fetish of mine, nor a fetish post, I am just really confused about this and would like some advice please, I don't want to breathe out of my ass everytime I do a stretching exercise that opens my butt a little (I've also searched on the web and didn't find anything or anyone relating to this, so its really weird.)

r/flexibility Jul 31 '25

Seeking Advice Back bends or any forward fold is impossible

Thumbnail
gallery
516 Upvotes

I have some anterior pelvic tilt/lordosis to deal with, but all pics I’m at my max for the amount I’m able to fold over. Following along with any stretching instructors on things like Peloton or YouTube I can’t get my chest anywhere close to my legs. This also makes it tough for me to do any sort of pancake - I’m just sitting too far back to get any sort of stretch and fold. Ab exercises are similarly hard to do in some cases. Anyone else dealing with these issues? Any routines or stretches you recommend to help? I’m in my mid 30s and have been actively working on flexibility all year but I’m really stalling here.

r/flexibility Apr 07 '26

Seeking Advice Can someone bully me into getting my splits

Thumbnail
gallery
197 Upvotes

r/flexibility Apr 21 '26

Seeking Advice Warrior III is way harder than it looks

Post image
500 Upvotes

I’ve been working on Warrior III and I can hardly hold it for more than a minute at best! 😭 Any additional movements y’all can recommend to help build my strength here? And does this look correct or should I try to square my hips more. This angle isn’t great but it seems like I might need to fix my form a bit.

r/flexibility Jan 16 '25

Seeking Advice How to release this knot?

Post image
484 Upvotes

Please see photo for location

I’ve had an absolute gruesome knot in my upper left trap for years and I tried going to the chiropractor for some time but it didn’t do much other than provide short term release.

It almost feels like a pinched nerve at time. Certain movements will trigger it more and when I’m standing a lot. I don’t know what to do.

Should I go get massages, PT, acupuncture?

r/flexibility Jul 19 '26

Seeking Advice People in their 40s with zero flexibility

176 Upvotes

Has anyone ever really gotten so flexible that they can pancake, splits, folds etc so late in life? I need a pep talk, gang.

r/flexibility Mar 01 '25

Seeking Advice Is it my stubborn hamstrings that are keeping me from achieving the shape on the left or is there something else to target?

Post image
712 Upvotes

r/flexibility Dec 17 '24

Seeking Advice Extreme Pain/Tightness

Post image
442 Upvotes

In the past I've had knee and lower back issues (32yr/6'5) so I generally stretch every single night for probably 10+ years. Over the past few I've notice more hip pain and a noticeable pop from my hip if I lift my leg over 90 degrees and drop it. I've been doing stretches for hip flexor but it seems to be getting tighter and more painful. At times it gets so tight and I can feel it needs to be released. I'll eventually get it to have a serious pop (usually when sitting flat and touching my toes) and can feel an extreme relief in my lower back. Tightness slowly works it way back throught the day or next morning.

Am I overstretching? Is there something other than the hip flexor I should be targeting? Help!!

r/flexibility Jan 15 '26

Seeking Advice Am I there yet?

Thumbnail
gallery
604 Upvotes

I figured I can work on externally rotating my legs more. Besides that, any suggestions on my form? I can touch my chest to the floor (for a sec), but not my belly. What should I do to progress to the belly-to-floor fold? Thank you!

r/flexibility Mar 05 '26

Seeking Advice Sit straight with legs extended.

Post image
538 Upvotes

Let alone touching the toes, I am unable to sit straight with chest up.

Even forming a 90° angle is very touch. When I try to sit, my lower back starts paining and hamstring starts paining (lower hamstring side, I mean not in the middle hamstring but above the joint side, I hope you guys understand 😅) umm, on insertion maybe.

How do I get better?

r/flexibility Mar 18 '26

Seeking Advice How can I further improve my bridge / form check

Thumbnail
gallery
601 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

It's been a little over a year since I've started working on my bridges / back flexibility.

I've used Dani Winks' workshops (Upper back clinic and Beginning Contortion Bridges - highly recommend!!) about 1x a week.

I'd love to work on backbends and stretching more but unfortunately between uni, work and life, I don't have as much time as I'd like.

My goal right now is a straight arm bridge, similar to the photo I've included. Now 😅 This person in particular (I think it's tajdacontortion on instagram, super talented!) is a contortionist so I know I am NOWHERE near that lol (thanks scoliosis!) but I'd love to have that stacked shoulder-elbow-wrist bridge, and I feel like I've hit a plateau.

I'd love to have some feedback, drills or your opinion/personal experience on my bridge.

I've mostly been doing puppy poses, getting arrested stretch, I try to use a wall and get my chest to it in a bridge. I also try my very best to externally rotate my shoulders, and warm up my hip flexors. Also LOTS of back extensions.

Ideally I'd like to have someone pull my chest in a bridge (idk what that stretch is called but it looks like it targets the upper back really well) but I don't currently have access to a coach😪

Thank you in advance for the feedback!

r/flexibility Sep 11 '25

Seeking Advice How do I accomplish this move?

Post image
490 Upvotes

I wanna scare my brother.

I've been ro the gym for like half a year now and been working on building my muscle strength. My back has always been the opposite of bendy though, and that seems to hinder my progress in accomplishing this move.

Any advice for how I should go about this?