Help- as flexible as a plank of wood (but fit and strong) !!

[wooly31]

As above really. I know I'm not the most flexible but I'm pretty active (run, gym etc) and go to yoga about once a week. Yesterday's cool down in body pump had us in hip opener and foward fold type postures. 2/3 class dived into them like swans. The rest (mainly me) creaked forward a few inches and then exchanged helpless- how do they do that -looks with fellow err..stiffies?? Please share your tips for home stretches that really get into hips (ab and ad suction) and lumber flexibility. When I toe touch all the movement comes from hip and thoracic spine iyswim, lumber spine does tilt... and...I can barely even sit cross legged
Any thoughts painfully- gratefully received

Pilates has helped me. I go to a class.

Yoga has helped improve my flexibility, though I'm still relatively stiff around hips/lower back after over a year of weekly classes. My teacher says stiffness is your body's way of preventing harm, only go as far as your body will go and don't compare yourself to others. If you repeat the poses that are tricky for you often, then it will improve over time.

I'd say flexibility can be improved with regular stretching, although people will vary in their capacity for flexibility.

If going to a yoga or pilates class isn't viable there are some good you tube channels.

I recommend yogatic for yoga.

OP this was me. I'm still pretty inflexible but when I started Pilates I couldn't even bend over to ninety degrees - all movement was from hips and t-spine. 9 months later and with slightly blended knees I can now touch the floor and do proper roll downs. I can't recommend Pilates highly enough for flexibility. It's also given me really great muscle definition.

Thanks for the replies- looks like I should drop a cardio session and get myself to pilates/yoga. I suppose it takes longer to gain flexibility than strength or fitness so maybe I need to be more patient and do more!!

You can easily do stretching exercises at home, 15 or 20 mins a day would be fine.

No need to sacrifice a cardio session