Goal = More flexibility. Solution = Vinyasa or Hatha Yoga, Yogalates, Pilates, Mobilise or ....?

[lljkk]

Those are the in-person class options available to me locally. Does anyone want to suggest which one of those options would be best for reducing stiffness, maintaining flexibility?

Context: I get a lot of cardio exercise already. Feel like my body is stiffer, less supple than I'd like. I dislike sitting still & don't want to meditate. My fear about Yoga is that I'll be bored stiff (!!). But otherwise, I'd prefer a class to videos. Thanks in advance for any insights.

I really think it depends what you'd enjoy - the best exercise is the one you stick to. I know I don't put much effort into yoga but it's still a quite nice stretch, Pilates I find a bit tedious. I do a strength/mobility programme linked to weight training and I stick to it because it links to my love of weights. My motivation is that I'd be gutted if I injured myself and couldn't lift. So I think all of those could be good, so do whichever resonates and that you'll be more likely to stick to.

thanks!

I think I am going to try several & will report back. :-)

That sounds like an excellent idea!

Look if there are adult ballet classes, flexibility, posture and confidence will all get better!

I used to do vinyasa yoga which is flow ie movement orientated. I didn’t get bored. Can’t say I felt my flexibility improving but I’m super inflexible so there were probably gains, just not very big ones.
Pilates is a great complimentary activity to your cardio - great for long term injury prevention. The amount of stretching/flexibility work you do is very teacher dependent though.

If you do a lot of cardio, incorporate stretches into your routine.
Sit on the floor at home for a little while daily.
Yoga is what I'd go for. It doesn't feel like you're doing a lot, but it notices. Focus on enjoying the class as relaxation rather than 'sport'.

I think trying several is a good idea if you want in-person classes.

I really like Pilates and think it has many benefits - the time I stuck at it though was a Sunday morning class, in a gym with a sauna, close to a nice park, and mates to go for coffee with afterwards! If it works for you, the teacher is good, and you enjoy it, then I think all those classes will help with feeling stiff (suspect most gentle, focussed, structured movement would).

I teach both yoga and pilates and would not consider pilates massively helps flexibility compared to yoga. Vinyasa is yoga flow with the breath, more physical, it is derived from Hatha just the postures are sequenced a bit faster and with the breath - hatha we hold it a bit longer - I generally do half flow at the start then hold the postures longer - if you find the right teacher, yoga is not boring. Pilates is a form of exercise - yoga not really - it is a mind, body, spirit practice much more about being present and letting go - pilates is mindful in that it requires concentration but not the same as yoga and I never do a relaxation in pilates, only in yoga. They are both great it just depends what you enjoy and what you are looking for.

Why is Pilates great for long term injury prevention?

It strengthens your ‘core’ muscles helping your body to engage the right muscles when you do other exercises. Eg it encourages shoulders to be well stabilised by your back muscles reducing risk of injury when weightlifting; it wakes up your glutes and helps stabilise your pelvic area which is great for running injury prevention.

@PilatesPeach i would agree with everything you say. It just happens my Pilates teacher does do some stretching in every class but I would agree it’s overall more strength work than flexibility by a long way.

I do hatha yoga which does include a bit of breath-work and stretches/twists at the beginning to warm up, then the main set of yoga poses (sometimes hard work when you’ve got to balance, hold the pose, breathe and relax all at the same time!) and a short savasanah at the end.

I’ve become much more flexible, strong and streamlined/toned through this style of yoga and I come out of the class feeling very calm and empowered (as opposed to pumped and sweaty )

Ironically, it’s still a cardio-respiratory workout, but in a different way so would probably improve/complement your gym work too.

@PilatesPeach, would you recommend Vinyasa or Hatha as likely to better for flexibility?

@lljkk as a general rule (can't speak for every yoga teacher) Vinyasa would move faster so Hatha you would hold the stretch longer but I find a whole class of hatha rather slow and prefer a mix - if I had to choose one I would prefer to do a Vinyasa - it is more dynamic and flowing but it so much depends on the teacher really.

Reporting back (!!) Had a class tonite that was described as simply "Yoga", must be Hatha. Challenge for me was there was lots of time on our knees, I have history of patellar tendonitis & scabby right knee after a tumble last week (then I brushed the scab open again only 25 minutes before class, oops, big plaster). Glaring fluorescent lights when on our backs.

I 'felt' all the stretches in my legs much more than back. Teacher talked a lot about back stiffness & self-esteem issues, kind of weird. I started day-dreaming about what route to walk home. We ended on "The Bridge", she invited us to do the Crab if we knew it (which I did know & did do it, but I can't hold it, that was tough, no one else in the 12 or so people there did it). I felt like my posture was better walking home which would encourage me to go again... to a teacher who doesn't go on about angst.

I got some ideas for stretches I can do at home in 2 minute bursts which is what I wanted, I suppose. Will report on next class I try when I can.

Thanks for reporting back - I do love an update!
If you want things you can do in 2 min bursts, I started out with tommorrison.uk/7-days-of-awesome. I now have the programme but this is a free taster that gives you 7 things you can do when you want to.

Update to say I went to a Vinyasa session last week (well hybrid, instructor said). I liked everything about this better than the Hatha session.

Less painful, nicer views, nicer instructor, less weird chatter, no glaring lights, less boring, cheaper even.
But it's not as convenient so I won't be able to go again for > 2 weeks.

Boohoo because I'd like to try it again.

I am useless at standing on 1 leg ! Challenge worth working on. Might strengthen my back in process.

Still ended with some "comparison was that good enough?" talk from instructor. Are all exercise or yoga sessions like that, with someone exposing insecurities? Maybe I'm not around other people enough to know.

and RayKray, that link looks well dodgy

@lljkk not dodgy. Google Tom Morrison Simplistic Mobility Method if it is of interest but you don't want you click

lljkk to find the right yoga for you you may have to kiss a lot of yoga frogs! As you seem to see from your first two classes, they can be very different. Even the exact same class/sequence taught by different instructors can feel very different! And sorry PilatesPeach to contradict a yoga instructor, but some classes can definitely be a workout (eg Bikram/ashtanga) whereas others very much more passive (Yin/Kundalini). Definitely not all go for the deeper psyche/spiritual aspect! Keep trying different ones to find what you enjoy, all will help with flexibility to a degree and as with any exercise, finding the one you enjoy and therefore will do regularly is the goal!

@sleepwhenidie not disagreeing that yoga can be a workout depending on the type, just distinguishing it from pilates which is exercise that you concentrate on whilst doing it but does not have the same philosophy behind it that yoga does and I have never done meditation or chanting in pilates for example as a participant - yoga postures are the vehicle we use to come inwards to find peace/strength/healing/motivation - whatever we set as our intention - to whether done in a bikram/vinyasa/yin/kundalini etc style whereas pilates is not like this.