Hello everyone, If you noticed you have tight hamstrings or inflexible hips it definitely is related to nofap. Stretching is a key component to any exercise or routine you have and also part of the reason you can't practice good form. If you are used to being sedentary and not moving throughout the day that is probably how you developed inflexible hips. Also if you haven't been stretching for at least 30 min 4-5 times a week you will most likely be inflexible. Flexibility is what helps your body hold the form and basic composure during your movement. Working on it can help recover the stiffness in your joints. You might not feel it now but when your older you will feel much more stiffer and slower than you are used to. So I recommend before anyone jumps into a heavy routine or intense exercises you work on your flexibility first and then start with gaining strength. For example, if your the type of person who wants to do heavy barbell lifting, but your squat is bad, don't keep doing the lifting, work on the squat form and flexibility. Start practicing the basics, look into yoga, then head into splits, and see what you can do from there. Keep in mind not everyone is naturally flexible so it may take you close to a year or months before you can master it down.
Took me many years to realize how important it is to stretch. I have especially tight hips and hamstrings. I think my body type has much to do with it. Now, much of my routine at the gym involves stretching and deep breathing. I’m always amazed at how comfortable and limber I feel afterwards. Stretching to me is like oiling a rusty chain. Great advice!
I've been doing daily yoga for two years (plus) and I'm only just starting to feel the benefits of loose hips. Years of neglect left me so inflexible I couldn't even sit cross legged and I couldn't reach past my knees. I had to sit at a chair to tie my shoe laces, etc. Now after a bit of warming up I can JUST touch the floor from standing with straight legs. Still a long way off where I was as a child, and yoga enthusiast, where I would wrap my hands around my feet with ease, do the splits, etc etc. But I'm enjoying the process and will continue to make progress as best as I can.
Although I haven't been doing 30 minutes of stretching 4-5 days a week lately (or at any point in my life actually) I should probably put in 5-10 extra minutes every day as I am currently dedicate perhaps 10-15 minutes/day on it. Still, it has worked quite good so far since I have been practicing an aerobic/endurance related sport on a semi-professional level for the past fifteen years and have never been hurt/injured long-time, maybe because of my stretching routines that many other distance-runners don't seem to care about. It could also have to do with nutrition since I avoid added sugars and almost all kinds of inflammatory foods (such as bread, white rice, pasta, flour and processed foods) on a regular basis. The vast majority are probably completely unaware of the perils of added sugars, white-bread, artificial sweeteners and processed foods. Many of them walk around with inflammations in their bodies for years and decades which eventually result in chronic illnesses, metabolic syndrome and a myriad of related diseases, illnesses, aches and pains.
To be clear, when you spend a lot or even a moderate amount of time sitting on a chair watching porn or masturbating, you pretty much lock up your leg muscles between your thighs and butt. You flatten them out and never use them properly. Combine that with tensing up over time because of orgasm. You don't think to stretch them out every time. You weaken the muscles and possibly develop tension creating knots in that area. That is why you cannot stretch all the way. If you notice gymnasts and dancers level of flexibility is advanced because they are trained to stretch everyday. It plays an important part in how they perform. They start from young ages because that is when the muscles are most pliable. If you never thought to start from an early age it would be tought for the average person, but even tougher for the person who is sedentary, which most pmo users are.
I do not think it smart idea to just google up random streches, and do them. Even doing them often. It is complex topic, maybe you got stiff muscles because your wrong movement patterns, so it a "software problem", not a "hardware problem", so it like you had a minor injury years ago, and your body learnt to move itself in a less optimal way. Or you just sit all day, and you programming your body how to sit all day. Also do not forget flexibility can mean instability too. Do you want an instable pelvis, hips, spine etc? I do not. I read many people said they do yoga for that. Watched a professinal's video about yoga, who said well yoga can be healthy, but most poses are complex, they maybe look same as you saw them in video while you doing them, but you use totally wrong muscles, so you fck up yourself just more. Many poses also dangerous if you got herniation, or even meanwhile you streching your back in some yoga poses you causing mini traumas for the collagen strings on your spinal disc that can lead to herniation in future with wrong movement patterns. Maybe smart idea to look for professional help, who can tell if you really need that streching, or you need to do maybe some correcting exercise, changing your bed, foam rolling, some massage therapy, your habits, whatever. I got the idea why this topic started, but keep in mind every body got different problems.
I have the worst hamstring flexibility of anyone alive. I can barely squat to parallel with just my bodyweight and not even that under load. I'm not overweight in the least or out of shape otherwise but as far as flexibility I'm a wreck.
That's understandable being in your fifties. Being in your twenties you don't want to feel stiff as a rock and I'm the same as you body-wise, but my bust is big so it's hard to balance a squat.
I’m the same way. Never felt natural for me to squat. I’d advise you to work on that flexibility and range of motion because tight hips and hamstrings play a big role in the development of arthritis. Trust me I know.
