Does Yoga Help With Flexibility? (Reality You Need To Know)

Does Yoga Help With Flexibility?

No doubt yoga have plethora of benefits, from better health to stress relief, weight management, cardiovascular conditioning, etc…etc. This list could go on forever!

Similarly may of us practise Yoga to improve Flexibility & Strength along with better health benefits as a bonus.

But many of us doubt, does yoga really improves flexibility?

well, we all can see social media is full with yoga students who can stretch their bodies in unimaginable ways, so it’s natural to prejudice yoga might be only for flexible folks.

But it’s time for a reality check. Is it just a fad or Does Yoga Help With Flexibility?

Yes, Yoga can help improving flexibility. Doing regular practise of yoga really helps to improve flexibility within 3 to 4 weeks.

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Does Yoga Help With Flexibility?

In recent years the practice of yoga has gained popularity as a form of physical fitness and exercise, and has been said to improve strength and flexibility.

People begin to practice yoga for various reasons and some choose to practice to increase their flexibility.

So in this process they might get stuck in the dilemma that Does Yoga Help With Flexibility or not?

For many Flexibility as a result of yoga practice may seem like the most logical connection ever.

Because they had practised or practising yoga from a long time time and had seen great difference in their flexibility.

But for a beginner or newbie, its quite difficult to believe in it.

So lets dive into various research and study done on the relation on yoga and flexibility.

Will Yoga Increase Flexibility?

YES or NO!

To see it let’s take a look on some quality controlled study.

The study was conducted to find out the effects of selected asanas in Hatha yoga on agility and flexibility level of thirty peoples ranged between the chronological age of 18-25 years.

The selected people were further divided into two groups as A & B.

Yoga asanas experiment was done Group A & group B was considered as control.

They were subjected to the six week training programme some very basic Hatha Yoga asanas:

Swastikasana
Mayurasana
Matsyendrasana
Paschimottanasana
Gomukhasana.

The experimental group received training in above mentioned Yoga postures for about 90 minutes

Guess what is the result?

So at end, findings of this exploratory study concluded that the treatment of six week yoga asanas training programme showed significant improvement in agility and flexibility level.

All in all just by doing very basic asanas we can see such significant improvement in flexibility. So by regularly doing some basic to Intermediate Yoga Poses definitely helps to improve our flexibility.

Also according to study done on the effects of selected asanas in Iyengar yoga on flexibility.

The main aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of a six week Iyengar yoga intervention on flexibility.

Finally, as expected, study concluded that after attending Iyengar yoga practice for a total of 6 weeks, consisting of one 90 min session per week significantly increased their flexibility range of motion – especially in hamstrings and spine.

These are not just a one or two studies which shows improvement in flexibility after regular practise of yoga. Various immense similar studied are there which concluded, well guess what?

No surprises again – yoga wins every time.

So now after looking at all this studies, you should be out of dilemma Does Yoga Help With Flexibility?

Yes, Yoga definitely improves flexibility!

Is Yoga Good For Flexibility?

Yoga is good for flexibility, no doubt in that, various studies had proved that.

Improved body flexibility is one of the most obvious and quickly achieved effects of regular Yoga practice.

Is Yoga The Best Way To Increase Flexibility?

Yoga is one of the best way to increase flexibility.

Futhermore, its common to think that, Is yoga as effective as other activities in improving flexibility?

Lets take a look at this study done on Flexibility of the elderly after one-year practice of yoga and calisthenics.

This study compared the flexibility of elderly individuals before and after having practiced hatha yoga and calisthenics for 1 year (52 weeks), at least 3 times/week.

Results showed that the practice of hatha yoga was more effective in improving flexibility compared to calisthenics.

Subsequently, there was significant increase of total flexibility in the hatha yoga group (by 22.5 points) and the calisthenics group (by 5.8 points), that is group practising yoga were almost four times more flexible than calisthenics group.

Additionally, if you ask me wether yoga is best for flexibility or any other activities.

Any time I will always suggest to go with Yoga.

Yoga does more than just what we think. It’s a total mind-body practise that combines strengthening and stretching poses with deep breathing and meditation or relaxation.

Yoga not only helps with flexibility but also includes spiritual and all round development of body.

But if your goals are different or you want to just improve flexibility of a certain body part then you can choose any other method.

Is Stretching Or Yoga Better For Flexibility?

Yoga and stretching both are better for Flexibility. Depending on your goals both can be beneficial for you.

Also If your goal is just to increase your muscle flexibility then you can go with stretching but if you want to live healthy along with all round development of body then there is no better option than Yoga.

How Does Yoga Improve Flexibility?

Yoga poses stretch your muscles & increases muscle strength and endurance, with emphasis on movement through a full range of motion to increase flexibility and mobility.

Yoga involves lengthening or elongating muscles along with complete awareness and focus on your mind as well as your body.

How Often Should I Do Yoga To Improve Flexibility?

To improve flexibility you should do yoga at least three times a week .

Regular practise of yoga for three to four times a week for around 60 to 90 minutes will definitely increase your agility.

How Long Does It Take To Become Flexible With Yoga?

It takes around four to six weeks to become flexible with yoga.

Also Practicing yoga to improve your flexibility will require a complete comprehensive approach.

Because flexibility varies widely from person to person depending on exercise history, Genetics, gender, and other various reasons.

That’s why for some people flexibility can significantly improve after three to four weeks of basic yoga practice. For others it might take months of strict practise.

However presently you may never be able to stretch like Yoga students on social media , your flexibility will slowly get improve over time.

We all see just their ability to stretch to such an extend and performing various Advanced Yoga Poses, but we don’t see theirs years of rigorous practise.

But Most people start noticing a difference after three to four weeks of practice

Which Type Of Yoga Is Best For Flexibility?

Hatha Yoga & Iyengar Yoga is best for flexibility.

Whereas there isn’t a best yoga type for flexibility, all forms of yoga are good options for flexibility.

Yoga Flexibility Before And After

Your mobility & flexibility will definitely increase gradually after yoga unlike before!

With each practise session, go at your own pace.

When you Strat practising yoga regularly for around 3 to 4 times a week for about 60 to 90 minutes, then slowly bit by bit your muscles will start stretching more as a result your flexibility will get significantly improved.

Conclusion

Flexibility is one of the key elements of good physical health.

Everyone wants to increase their flexibility, but choosing a right method is always beneficial.

But out of various other practises, Does Yoga Help With Flexibility?

The Answer is Yes!

If you ask me does yoga improve flexibility. Yes, yoga definitely helps to increase our flexibility.