Why some succeed and others don’t

Flexibility training is physically challenging, but there is another, lesser spoken about aspect that plays into it – it’s your mindset and your ability to delay instant gratification and forego quick results.

In a world that celebrates quick wins and immediate results, flexibility training stands as a testament to the power of persistence and dedication. It requires a mindset that can focus on the long term goals and doesn’t get derailed when things get boring and tough.

Unlike other sports and activities where visible progress often develops at a faster pace, flexibility is a journey that doesn’t yield immediate outcomes. It requires a commitment to the process and an understanding that results will take time to develop.

Progress in flexibility is often measured in very gradual gains. Getting your splits or achieving a beautiful backbend is build on small victories — often change is not visible for quite some time, but instead lies in how you feel. Progress can look like an improved ability to relax & breathe in a position, to stay longer in a stretch, to contract your muscles harder, to tolerate a little bit more load or to connect better with your body and what it needs. These seemingly little improvements become the wins you celebrate. And yet, some weeks it’ll feel like you’re going backwards. This slow and gradual progression requires a mental resilience that surpasses the desire for instant gratification.

Flexibility training demands the ability to embrace the discomfort of a position, acknowledge the ebb and flow of progress, and stay committed despite the absence of immediate results. This is why many people give up before they ever reach their goal and fail to realise what their body is capable of if they tried.

But the mental fortitude required for flexibility training extends beyond the physical realm. It's about fostering a relationship with your body, understanding its signals and needs, knowing when to push and when to be soft, and learning to appreciate the joy of progress no matter how slow.

As you hit the inevitable bumps along the way in your pursuit of becoming more flexible, remember that every session, every drill and every moment of discomfort is a step toward a physically and mentally more flexible you. In fact, it’s often the challenging sessions that teach us the most. Flexibility is not a sprint; it's a marathon that rewards the patient and persistent (the stubborn ones some might say).

Learn to enjoy the process, celebrate the good days & small wins, and let the mental fortitude you develop along the way be the most enduring reward of all – it will serve you in other areas of your life too. The good news is, that while it might take time for visible changes to occur, it won’t take long for your body to feel the rewards that flexibility training has to offer.

Stay flexy,
Kat