Increase Strength to Improve Flexibility

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Being flexible makes the whole body just feel better. Unfortunately, as we get older flexibility decreases. Hip flexibility becomes especially poor since most of us now spend a great deal of time sitting in a desk chair working on a computer.

If you have repeatedly tried to become more flexible but can't seem to make any progress the problem may be strength. If you have muscles that are just not used and therefore not very strong it will take a very long time to let them relax into flexibility. 

Add a few strength exercises that target the tight areas of your body and you will see your flexibility increase rapidly. Stiff-legged deadlifts will really help tight hamstrings if you do them with light weight and really focus on feeling the hamstring do the work. Dips will open up tights shoulders, as long as you are careful not to use too much weight or stretch them too far. If you have access to a good teacher, yoga and Tai Chi both have strength related movements that will really open up tight bodies.