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The Bendy Blog: Flexibility Training Articles
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Help! My Wrists Hurt in a Bridge
If you’re new to working on bridges (aka “full wheel" pose”), you may experience some discomfort in your wrists since they’re not used to supporting your body weight in such a flexed position. Thankfully there are plenty of adjustments you can make to make your bridges more wrist-friendly in the short term while you work on your wrist strength & flexibility in the long-term (also continuing to work on your back and shoulder flexibility will help your wrists too - more on that later!).
Wrist Warm Up for Bridges
If you’re new to working on poses like bridges (aka Full Wheel) you may notice that your wrists seem to get tired and worn out long before your arms, shoulders or back
Making sure your wrists are warmed up before practicing, as well as adding some conditioning exercises, is a great way to strengthen (and stretch!) your wrists over time so they can support you in your bridge.
How Long Does It Take to Do the Splits?
How long will it take you to be able to do the splits? The boring answer is it depends. A vast generalization would be it could take between 3 months and a couple of years, depending on your starting point, what your stretching routine looks like, what the rest of your life looks like, etc.
Back Extensions: The Backbender’s Broccoli
Whether you are a seasoned yogi, novice contortionist, or just plain working on your back flexibility, back extensions are arguably the best conditioning exercise you can possibly do for your back flexibility. I like to call them a “broccoli” exercise - they’re part of a healthy “diet” of backbending training . . .
Working Towards King Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
Being able to touch your foot to your head in Pigeon pose (aka King Pigeon, or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana for you yogis) is a great goal for intermediate and advanced students who are interested in working their full body flexibility because it really does require your full body. Also obviously it looks pretty damn cool, which is also a totally appropriate reason to want to be able to do a pose. Below are some suggested variations and drills to help your progress towards a backbend-ier Pigeon.
Body Wheel Stretches for Back & Shoulders
Last week I talked about some of my favorite active back and shoulder exercises using a body wheel (or yoga wheel), this week I’m covering some of my go-to passive stretches using a wheel.
Active Back Flexibility with a Body Wheel
As I’ve written before, my body wheel is one of my favorite flexibility props. It’s a nice way to get some support in stretches - particularly for your back and shoulders.
As I’ve harped on before, a large component of getting more flexible is getting your muscles stronger while they’re in a stretched position (that’s that “active flexibility” all the cool kids are talking about these days). The wheel is great for this because it supports rounding active back exercises in a comfier way than yoga blocks ever can. Here are some of my favorite drills…
5 Puppy Pose Variations for Open Shoulders
One of my favorite stretches to work shoulder flexibility - especially if you’re trying to open up your shoulders in your bridge - is puppy pose. And just like with any flexibility work, it’s helpful to work on both your passive and active stretching, so here’s a short sequence to help you do both, utilizing different variations of the classic puppy pose.
Foam Rolling Your Low Back (Safely!)
Are you guilty of PUMMELING your low back with a foam roller? While it may sound like a good idea, a foam roller on a floppy spine can cause more harm than good - especially if you have any back pain. Learn how to safely roll out your low back.
The Best Etsy Shops for Aerial & Contortion Costumes
I often get asked for costume advice/ideas for contortion - and I freaking LOVE Etsy for catsuits and bodysuits. You have to be prepared to pay $100-$200 for a costume, but rest assured you are getting a quality costume that will last you a long time!