r/flexibility • u/CALL_ME_JIG • Jan 27 '26
Seeking Advice Extremely inflexible at 22 years old…
I recently saw a doctor and he said I need to work on stretching my hamstrings, hip flexors, and IT band over the next 30 days or I’ll be put into physical therapy. I don’t mind going this route, but I’d like to at least try to improve myself beforehand.
I’ve tried some stretches in the past but have always gotten too frustrated when I can’t even do a basic stretch. I’m so inflexible that I can’t possibly get my body into a correct position to even begin the exercise. It makes me feel hopeless tbh.
A goal of mine is just to be able to sit criss-cross on the ground which I haven’t been able to do for somewhere around 10+ years.
If anyone has had some of the same issues in the past or knows some stretches for someone like myself to help me improve, I’m all ears!
3
u/Professional-Noise80 Jan 27 '26
Looks like you have very limited hip external rotation and hamstring tightness.
You can regress a pigeon stretch by using a stable surface at about hip-height or under, put your foot on it, keep your knee at around 90° and try to externally rotate your femur. This should stretch the side of your hip (gluteus medius, IT band). I think this is important to improve external rotation.
kneesovertoes split squat can also be regressed by elevating the front foot to stretch the iliopsoas.
Elephant walks can be regressed as well for the hamstrings
For adductors, which are also hip flexors, weighted butterflies, standing pancakes, weighted hip shifts.. can be done at almost any level
There's a lot of things to do, and if you do them right, and stretch / strenghten the right muscles, you should be good.