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Can one get flexibility and strength back once lost?
Hi everyone!
So the title says it all but I'll detail my question a bit.
As a child I was naturally flexible, growing up I had some dance training but only for fun, nothing serious.
After high school I decided I wanted to enroll in a profesional dance school to become a dance teacher. Surprisingly I was pretty flexible and gained muscle mass and strength fast. True, we did train for about 6 to 7 hours a day.
7 months later, I had to stop dancing because of some knee problem. I was so sad that I just rejected dance alltogether after that.
During 10 years I didn't dance at all and led a pretty unhealthy life.
Today, I'm dancing again, totally in love with pole dancing but my body is holding me back. My flexibility is gone, my muscles are so small and it seems I have to work twice as hard as anyone else to gain just a bit of strength!
I remember thinking that I wasn't that flexible compared to the other girls when I was training to be a dance teacher, but now I realise that I really was and would kill to get that flexibility back!
So, do you think that the body has some sort of memory and that if I stretch enough I might get my flexy back?
And I know my muscles are going to build up if I workout enough, actually my abs seem to strengthen pretty fast, my real problem are my legs. Any tips for that?
Thank you guys so much for your help!!
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4 Replies
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I do not see why you couldn't. I am 42 and have never been able to do the splits but I have dedicated myself to getting them this year (and I am getting close). I think the only thing that may have changed is perception….we remember how we "used to be" and think it is taking so long to get back "there", but think….it has taken you 10 years to get where you are now.
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Strength, absolutely. As complete beginner 8 months ago I could barely hold my body on the pole in the simplest of moves and now I can easily lift myself up, invert, and many other things I would have thought impossible. I am still working on flexibility. 10 years ago I could easily do the splits(well, not sideways, but you know what I mean), but now I am a good 8-10cm off the floor when I go down(5cm when warmed up better). I have been taking stretch classes and the instructor swears I am getting better and I do feel I am myself so I will let you know in a couple of months, but I believe that flexibility is something that our bodies can relearn. Just remember that when stretching it takes the body 30 seconds or so to realise it is being stretched so you need to hold the stretches for longer than that for them to be effective.
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Hi guys! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gifhttps://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gifhttps://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif(It's a sunny sunday so I'm happy!)
Chemgoddess, I've been following your progress with your splits for a while now, congrats by the way it seems you're getting there https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif! It's really encouraging so I've started my home exercices last night. I find it rather difficult to workout alone, I find myself more efficient in class but let's say that's going to be my 2011 challenge!
Madfelice, I'm a beginner too (4 months) and it is true that when I look back, I realise I am a bit stronger than I was, climbing is becoming easier, sit ups and push ups I can actually do now lol!!
how often do you take those stretching classes? I go 1 a week to an actual stretching class and then stretch at the end of each pole class 2 or 3 times a week max.
Do you think I should attend another stretching class and maybe stretch everyday at home for an hour or so?
I'm going to start a little "flexibility progress notebook" and see if I do make any progress!
Thanks for your help girls!!
Have a nice day (or night…)!!
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I go to the stretch class once a week. I always have the best of intentions about doing exercises at home, but it never seems to happen very often owing to kids, fatigue(usually from the kids!!), or just plain old too much mess on the floor(again the kids are the culprits) and an unwillingness to pick up to do the stretches(lazy, I know). I also only have one poe class a week so that is limited too. Feeling pretty bad at the moment because my pole has been taken down because the room is being renovated so I have no pole at home and therefore no practice for about 4 weeks. Hopefully in a week or so the room will be finished though ad things will be back to normal. The kids will also no longer be playing in the room where my pole is so i will be able to do more stretch exercises which will hopefully help.
I would continue with the regime you are following now but add stretch time a few times a day at home. I read that one stretch session working on front splits and one working on middle splits with general stretching on the other days of the week is a good way to get things moving because doing the same exercises every day doesn't so much increase flexibility but instead works more with muscle memory. There was more to the article than that, I will try and find it again and post it for you if you like.
As for strength, I do a lot of crunches and pull ups on the pole pretty much whenever I walk past and we are given a drill each level at pole class specifically designed for that level. They are not necessarily achievable at home(obviously pole climb drills are not feasible with the average ceiling height at home) but I try and adapt them to suit and they really work.
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