One of the last-minute goals I added to my list of 2024 long-term goals revolves around stretching. I say “last minute” because I think I added this to the list in early to mid-January. But that doesn’t diminish the effort or the meaning behind wanting to meet certain flexibility-related goals by December 31st.
My 2024 Flexibility Goals
By EOY (End of Year), I want to be able to do one if not all three of these things:
- Touch my toes when standing up and bending over forward (without bending my knees)
- Reach my toes when sitting and bending over forward (again, straight knees)
- Sit in my right split
There was a time, circa 2014 or 2015, when I was able to sit in my right split after years in dance. My right was always better than my left, and I think I still have a photo of me before I started college and stopped dancing. But I wanted to add these flexibility goals to my existing fitness goals to: 1) help measure my progress, since I stretch after I workout, and 2) have something tangible to strive for.
My Plan to Improve Flexibility
Currently, I workout two to three times a week and I stretch afterwards. Two are instructor-guided online barre classes, but even then I do an extra five to ten minutes of stretching my own. But outside of these, I’ve kicked around the idea of starting early morning stretching to develop more of an everyday routine.
I know there can be dangers of stretching cold muscles, which is why I’ve looked more into Morning Yoga, sun salutations, or even other daily stretching routines that are meant to be complete outside of exercise. I do work a desk job as well, so that’s all the more reason to commit to regular stretching.
We’ll See How My Early Morning Stretching Goes
My plan is to try morning yoga and see how I feel! Hopefully it will help me develop a more solid stretching routine to improve my body and to help reach my overall flexibility goals.
