How Yoga Helps with Inflexibility (Even If You’ve Never Done It Before)
Introduction: Why Yoga Is Perfect for Inflexible Beginners
Does the thought of touching your toes feel like an impossible dream? If so, you’re not alone. It’s the most common thing I hear as a yoga teacher!
Many people assume yoga is reserved for those who can effortlessly bend, stretch, and contort their bodies like a pretzel (yes we’ve all seen those people on instagram!). They think that because they are inflexible and don’t look like the conventional yoga type, that yoga is not for them. The truth, however, couldn’t be more different…
Yoga is one of the most effective tools for improving your flexibility—regardless of whether you can’t touch your toes or you feel stiff as a board. In fact, through just a short but regular yoga practice you will see a huge difference in your body -developing a greater range of motion, mobility, and comfort in your body!
If you’ve never tried yoga before, don’t worry. In this blog, you’ll discover how yoga works to improve inflexibility, some example beginner-friendly poses, and some practical tips for starting your journey toward a more flexible body with yoga.
1. What Causes Inflexibility in the Body?
Flexibility isn’t something we’re all born with—it’s shaped by our lifestyles, habits, and even our age. Here are a few common reasons for inflexibility:
Sedentary Lifestyles: Sitting for long periods can lead to tight hip flexors, hamstrings, and lower backs.
Aging: As we age, our muscles and connective tissues naturally lose elasticity.
Stress: Mental tension often manifests physically, causing muscles to tighten.
Muscle overuse or injury: lots of activity and exercise or muscle injury both cause the muscle fibres to bunch up and shorten and most people don’t stretch enough
You can read more about why you’re inflexible in my article here: Why Am I So Inflexible? 5 Common Reasons You Feel Stiff (And How to Fix It)
While inflexibility can feel limiting, the good news is that yoga is one of the absolute best ways to improve your flexibility so you feel freer, lighter and more mobile in every day life!
2. How Yoga Improves Flexibility
Yoga is fantastic because it does multiple things at once to improve your flexibility. You are working on your muscles, connective tissues, and joints. Through a combination of gentle stretching, mindful movement, and breathwork, yoga helps:
Increase blood flow to muscles, promoting their elasticity and muscle repair.
Lengthen tight muscles, improving your range of motion with active and passive stretching.
Strengthen weak muscles an important accompaniment to muscle length - short / tight muscles aren’t always strong, they are often actually weak so we need to build both strength and length together :)
Encourage relaxation, which allows your body to release tension and gets into your deep connective tissues helping you to alleviate stiffness.
Find a deeper stretch than other methods - your natural stretch reflex will switch on if you go into a pose too quickly as your body is trying to keep itself safe - with yoga we can carefully work to calm your nervous system and extend your range of motion.
It should be said at this stage that yoga isn’t a quick fix— although you will notice some improvements after just a couple of practices you need to commit to a consistent and sustainable practice to touch your toes or transform your flexibility.
3. Best Yoga Poses for Beginners Who Are Inflexible
If you’re a complete beginner, don’t worry—there are plenty of poses designed to support you as you begin your yoga journey. Here are five beginner-friendly poses you might like to try:
1. Child’s Pose
Gently stretches the lower back, hips, and thighs.
Start by sitting on your heels, then fold forward, extending your arms in front of you. Rest your forehead on the floor or a cushion for support.
2. Cat-Cow
Loosens the spine and improves posture.
Begin on all fours. Inhale as you arch your back (Cow Pose), lifting your head and tailbone, then exhale as you round your spine (Cat Pose).
3. Downward Dog On A Chair Or Wall
A great alternative to the full pose, stretching the hamstrings and shoulders gently.
Place your hands on the chair and walk back until you find a spinal stretch - keep the knees bent and then gently push the bum up and back. If using a wall place the hands at shoulder height and step back until your body forms an “L” shape. Keep your arms straight and your back flat.
4. Seated Hamstring Stretch
Targets the backs of the legs and lower back.
Sit on the floor with one leg extended straight and the other bent, with your foot resting against your inner thigh. Reach towards the extended leg, keeping your back straight.
5. Reclining Pigeon Pose
Opens tight hips gently.
Lie on your back, cross one ankle over the opposite knee, press away with the hip to feel a gentle opening. If it feels ok with the hip lift up the bottom foot and place your hands around the back of the thigh or front of the shin to pull the supporting leg towards your chest.
These poses are accessible for most people and ideal for an inflexible beginner looking to ease into a yoga practice that will start to gently stretch their muscles and work their flexibility. If you’d like more guidance on these poses and are interested in starting your own flexibility journey with yoga then sign up to the waitlist for my Yoga for Flexibility challenge here:
4. Tips for Getting Started with Yoga as an Inflexible Beginner
Starting something new can be daunting, but these tips will set you up for success:
Choose the Right Style of Yoga: Begin with gentle forms like Hatha yoga. These focus on slower movements and longer holds. Check out my class schedule here to try a class for free.
Use Props: Blocks, straps, and cushions are invaluable tools for supporting tight muscles.
Start Small: 10 minutes of yoga 3-4 times a week can make a difference.
Be Patient: Flexibility develops over time—embrace progress, no matter how small.
Follow Guided Sessions: Beginner-friendly online videos or classes are a great way to get started. Check out my class schedule here to try a class for free.
5. How to Stay Consistent and Track Your Flexibility Progress
Consistency is the key to seeing results in yoga. Here’s how to stay on track:
Set Goals: Whether it’s touching your toes or holding Downward Dog comfortably, write down your goal and try to make them achievable. For example, “I want to touch my toes in 90 days.”
Track Your Progress: Take a picture of yourself in positions at the start of your yoga journey (think forward fold and squat for example). After a few practices take the pictures again and you already start to see the difference - think what it could be after 45 days, then 90 days - it’s huge the mobility gains you can achieve!
Celebrate Wins: Progress, no matter how small, is worth celebrating. I love seeing my students improve and love celebrating them when they do something they couldn’t do before!
Join a Community: Practising with others can keep you motivated. In the Worker Bee Membership we have a lovely friendly community of likeminded non-yoga-types and it’s brilliant to practice as a group to keep that commitment level high!
Get External Accountability: Getting reminders and encouragement to continue from someone else can be really helpful! For example I send accountability emails in my yoga challenges to keep you on track and motivated!
6. Frequently Asked Questions About Yoga for Inflexibility
Q: How long does it take to see results?
A: While results vary, many beginners notice improvements in flexibility after just a few practices and then I typically see their flexibility improvements becoming a bigger and lasting change after 6-7 weeks of regular practice.
Q: Can I do yoga if I’m very stiff or overweight?
A: Absolutely! Yoga is adaptable and inclusive, with modifications to suit every body type and level of flexibility.
Q: What’s the best time of day to practise yoga?
A: Anytime that fits your schedule is great, but mornings are ideal for energising stretches, while evenings help with relaxation.
Conclusion: Join the Waitlist for My Flexibility Challenge
Yoga is one of the most accessible and transformative practices for improving flexibility, no matter where you’re starting from. It’s not about touching your toes on day one—it’s about committing to a journey and working with your body to find positions and exercises that work for you.
Ready to take the first step toward touching your toes? Join the waitlist for my Flexibility Challenge today. This guided 45 day programme is designed to support beginners like you with tailored poses, expert tips, and a supportive community to cheer you on.
Sign up below to join the waitlist and start your journey to transforming your flexibility so you feel lighter, freer and more confident!
