r/flexibility

Hey everyone, I just started paying attention to my flexibility and I'm trying to understand what's going on with my back/hips. Attached some side-view photos while sitting on the floor.

My main question: why can't I sit on the floor with straight legs and a straight back? As you can see in the photos, my lower back rounds pretty heavily instead of staying neutral.

The hardest position for me by far is downward dog, I can really feel that my back isn't straight there either.

Some context: I'm just starting out, so this is all very new to me. In some stretches I feel more of a pinching sensation than a stretch/pull, mostly around the hip/pelvis area. Not painful, just different from what I'd expect a normal stretch to feel like.

Any insight on what's limiting me here (hamstrings, hips, pelvic tilt, etc.) and where I should start would be really appreciated!

I’m 24 years old and recently recovering from a groin/soft tissue hip flexor injury. 2 months ago I could barely put my socks on in the morning. Was extremely limited and painful. From as long as I can remember I could barely sit cross legged for a long time without my left groin bothering me due to tightness. Here is where I’m at now. As you can see my left knee is sky high. My adductors are very tight. I’m active going to the gym 5 days a week. I’m working on stretching and strengthening my adductors and my glute muscles. Today I had the courage to try the 90/90 hip mobility exercises aswell as heel clicks. Anything you guys recommend I try?

Hi everyone!

I’ve been meaning to post here for a while because my posture has progressively gotten worse over the last 1.5 years, and it’s really really started to affect both my confidence and how my body feels. I’m aware there are probably multiple factors contributing to it, and I’m feeling overwhelmed about where to start (strengthening, mobility, posture habits, etc.). I’d really appreciate any advice based on what I’ve noticed:

- 25M, 5’10”, slim/toned build. I exercise regularly but have neglected core training and stretching/mobility.

- Tight lower back and hamstrings make me round my shoulders and upper back instead of hinging properly when I bend over.

- Extremely tight upper chest/pecs. My traps and upper back feel constantly overworked because I’m always trying to force them back.

- I’m a side sleeper and wonder if constantly loading one shoulder is contributing.

- I have an anxiety habit of playing with my hair for long periods with either shoulder elevated. I’m working on stopping it, but I believe it contributed to muscle imbalance and scapular winging.

- My pillows are thick but unsupportive, where like my head is pushed forward, shortening and tightening my front neck muscles and ligaments.

- I can hyperextend my neck quite a bit, making my C7 vertebra appear much more prominent and it’s quite distressing. I feel like there has been a shortening and arching of the back of my neck.

Overall, I feel much stiffer than I used to, especially through my upper body, and my range of motion has decreased. I’ve started doing yoga once a week (hoping to increase to twice), weight train about 3 times a week, and get acupuncture in this area about 1/2 times a month, every other month. I went to a pain management DR and had an MRI and there is no nerve or spine damage and she finds this to be purely muscular.

Does this sound like a fairly common pattern? If you were in my shoes, where would you start and what would you prioritize first? I really appreciate any guidance :(

My lower back doesn’t hurt either and I can easily reach the floor with both hands. Should I keep stretching like this and slowly put my feet totally straight or am I doing this wrong?

I’m flexible until it comes to the lower back but my body naturally wants to be in this position as it feels some tightness in calves and hamstrings, which no matter what, never stops being tight (strengthening / massaging, etc)

I don’t want medical advice, just know if it’s ok to keep stretching this way because it feels so good.

Pictures for reference (sorry for ugly feets)

Middle splits were suggested in the comments to help improve drop stance. That's always been weaker for me, so I'm making sure to add more of it to practice.

I started doing these in September last year. Back then I struggled to touch the floor on the first set, but on the second set I was touching the floor pretty consistently. Now it's easy from rep 1.

Planning to load this more in the future. I'm taking the weight progression slowly though, in this time I've gone from 30kg to 42.5kg.

How is my form?

I think my shoulder are perhaps not open enough and I'm dumping most of the bend into my lower back, especially as I try to lower my elbows.

I've never been to a stretching (or yoga) class so any advice is welcome.

45 y/o male. My current goal is to get my head-to-toe in my forward fold. I’m very limited by lack of ankle dorsiflexion…it’s been stubborn, but improving. Flexibility isn’t the only thing I’m working on so I have to balance all my other goals. I also practice calisthenics, weightlifting, yoga, and handstands.

Just for context, I took the first picture in Dec 2023 but didn’t really start any designated mobility work until September 2024. I imagine my forward fold didn’t change at all for those 9 months. There was also a time when I couldn’t touch my toes, but I don’t have any pictures from that time. At some point I made it a goal to just be able to touch my toes (which is a worthwhile goal!) and that’s where I stayed for many years.

Routine:
Sept 2024-March 2025: I started doing flowy mobility work, like animal flow type stuff.

April 2025-June 2025: I started doing light stretching daily, specific to my flexibility goals, which at the time were pancake and front splits. I saw some, albeit minimal progress.

July 2025-Feb 2026: I switched to only working on front splits during this time, stretching at a high intensity 2x/week using different strategies like PNF, active, and passive stretching. I think the increased hamstring flexibility helped carry over to my pike/forward fold during that time.

March 2026-June 2026: I purchased a program I found online and have been sticking to it, focusing on my forward fold and my side splits. I stretch 2x/week.

Final Thoughts:
I’m happy with my progress, and I wanted to share, to hopefully inspire others. I know at the beginning I had intrusive thoughts like: “Am I too old to start stretching?”, “I’m not a naturally flexible person”, “Flexibility is something you either have or you don’t”.

You’re not stuck in your current state. Flexibility is something you can train and improve. Every body responds differently to stimulus. It takes consistency at the right intensity over time. I hope you can find a method that works for you and your goals, and stick with it and feel better in your body. Thanks! ☺️

Sooo I know I’m not there quiet yet but for me, reaching calf touchdown is a HUGE cause célebrè. I’d been stuck in a middle splits plateau for months and by February, had even come to accept that MAYBE this pose was anatomically impossible for me. But after completely changing my approach to training, there’s been some major shifts. So what changed?

🪷 Shorter, more focused sessions: a few months ago, I was doing 2 hour long sessions focused entirely on middle splits, doing every single drill I’d ever learned, yet still, there didn’t seem to be any improvement. Now I do a lean mixed splits session instead.

🪷 Strength work: adding strength work, in the gym + as part of my flexibility practice, has been a game changer. Particularly focusing on glute max and glute med.

🪷 Learning what to + what NOT to engage: middle splits are so dependent on anatomy- femur neck length/ angle, hip socket depth/ angle… SO many variables that can either make the pose accessible or challenging. If your anatomy (like mine) isn’t conducive to simply slide into a middle splits, it doesn’t mean that the pose is impossible. Rather, instead of relying on passive flexibility, we can deepen our middle splits via strong quad and glute med engagement to actively deepen the pose. We also want to relax our abs which, if the glutes aren’t firing enough, will involuntarily contract, preventing us from going deeper.

🪷 Entry method: instead of entering middle splits from standing, I now enter from straddle. This creates an opportunity to prepare the body by consciously engaging the legs and relaxing the abs BEFORE entering the pose rather than trying to find that activation once you’re already in it.

🪷 Addressing nerve tension: nerve tension (in this case, mainly the obturator nerve which runs along the inner leg) can prevent our ROM. Adding obturator nerve glides to a splits routine is an effective way of relieving this.

🪷 Less time spent warming up + more time spent on active flexibility drills AFTER splits holds: I’ve found that this focus on using the new ROM and building end-range strength has massively helped in cultivating sustainable, functional flexibility.

Much love and turtle power 💗🐢✨

Still lots of work needed on some, but I'm proud of my progress

I have been doing daily stretches for my side splits, middle splits, shoulders, and back but wanted to know if from this photo you see any areas needing extra attention or any general tips to achieve a needle. Thank you!

I (21 y.o. male) have mid-back kyphosis. I have always been active and a runner so I don’t understand how it happened. I hate the way I look and the way I feel. I can’t imagine living the rest of my life like this. I’m unable to do basic exercise at the gym and in dance because of limited mobility. Is there anything I can do to straighten the curve and regain mobility?

What I do daily:

Anchored Thoracic Extension - 60 second hold

Prone Scorpion Twist - 45 second hold each side

Kneeling extension - 60 second hold

I’ve been practising Anna McNulty’s contortionist back stretches which have rapidly improved my spinal flexibility. I practise roughly 4 times a week

https://youtu.be/kZXLH3LyLLo?

https://youtu.be/QvsEr6LtTxg?