What is flexibility actually for? (Part 1)

We spend a lot of time (and money) trying to become more flexible. But toward what end?

My dad always used to tease me for asking too many questions. I was most definitely the “But why?” kid. His most common response was a curmudgeonly but affectionate: “Stop asking questions and just do it! Listen to your dad!”

So naturally, in a world where wanting to be more flexible is as taken for granted as the sun rising and setting, there is an Elena asking “but why?”

The most common things I’ve heard over my 10+ years of teaching movement…

1. Because my doctor said it’d help my “insert body part here” pain. Understandable, but incomplete - pain is multifaceted. Often when something hurts we need more than just stretching.

2. I really want to be able to put my foot behind my head (or insert other flexy pose). There’s nothing wrong with having a goal or wanting to do something cool just to do something cool. The issue is when we become so focused on the end goal, we forget the value of the process. Or if you’re doing yoga to get there, we woefully miss the depth of the practice itself.

3. Blank stare because I’ve heard it was good for me. “But whyyy?” I ask - not because stretching isn’t good for you, but because vague reasons usually mean a vague approach, which often doesn’t get us to our end goal, try as we might.

Far be it from me to poo-poo any of the above. I’m not here to judge anyone’s goals for anything at any point. But as a yoga teacher or something, it is my job to ask us to dig a little deeper, so whatever conclusion you come to feels True in the self-help-book Capital T way.

In other words…

Imagine going to the Cheesecake Factory (I haven’t been there in 15 years) and ordering “food.” Fine if you have literally no preferences other than to be satiated, but absolutely does not meet the brief if you’re looking for 5-star linguini bolognese with extra meatballs.

“I want to be more flexible” vs “I’d like to be able to touch my toes” vs “I want to be able to get up and down off the floor when I’m 108.” All different levels of specificity.

The more specific you get about your goals, the more specific you can be about your approach, which means a higher likelihood you’ll actually achieve the thing.

Whether that’s picking your kids up off the ground, hauling floorboards for home improvement projects, doing the splits in your dance routine, or, if it’s your jam, getting that cool instagram photo at the beach.

Instead of chasing more range for its own sake, we reverse engineer based on what we actually want to do.

If your goal is to get off the floor more easily, you probably need hip mobility and leg strength, not just a deeper pigeon pose.

If your goal is to do a triathlon without your hips exploding, you need range that you can actually use under load and fatigue, not just passive flexibility from rolling around on a mat.

For hauling around those pesky floorboards (I have learned recently that they are so, so very heavy), spinal mobility, a good squat, and strength to control it all reign supreme.

Flexibility matters in relation to where you're actually trying to go.

So before you YouTube another flexibility class or ask your friend to stretch your hamstring like in an old 80’s workout dvd, pause first. Ask the question my dad hated: but why? What do you actually want to be able to do? And is what you're doing actually pointed at that?

More coming in part 2: what flexibility training actually looks like when you know what it's for. Aka, the practical bits.

Love & Snacks,
Elena