How to get your flexibility back quickly

Do you ever look at that person in your yoga class doing moves that seem impossible, or see someone effortlessly bend over and touch their toes, and think, I’ll never be flexible enough to do that?

It’s true that being flexible, particularly in your back, proves very useful in performing everyday activities, as well as preventing and managing joint and muscle pain. But it’s about much more than being able to twist yourself into a pretzel in a yoga class.

“Good back flexibility means that you have good movement throughout all the levels of your spine and even hips,” says Kristin Vinci, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. “This is important, because good back movement means it’s easier to do things in your daily life like bend over to pick something up off of the floor or carry something in from the garage.

Otherwise, you may end up overusing one area of your back, which makes it more likely you’ll experience back pain.”

Back flexibility is especially important if you’re sitting at a desk