Along with movement and alignment with gravity, flexibility is a characteristic of a healthy neuromusculoskeletal system. Flexibility is the ability of your body to be elastic and flexible, which relates to your neuromusculoskeletal system’s ability to recover from trauma. Elasticity specifically refers to the body’s ability to bounce back after any form of multidimensional stress. Children often provide a clear reference point for the normal function of the neuromusculoskeletal system, much of which has been lost in the adult.

Flexibility can improve without causing injury to the body when the principles of active stretching and exercise are applied. In order to regain some of your inherent flexibility, you must take care not to exceed the active range of motion of your joints. In other words, don’t overstretch! You will know when you are overstretching if you elicit any type of pain response, or if your whole body is not consciously engaged in the activity. It is nearly impossible to actively overstretch. This is particularly hard for Americans, who subscribe to the idea that “if a little is good, a lot must be better,” or “if there’s no pain, there’s no gain.” These perspectives produce a plethora of bad results.

The following flexibility exercise has been extremely helpful in caring for my own structural system and for countless numbers of patients. This is an excellent exercise to perform each morning and evening, producing quick and obvious results. Performing this on a regular basis helps to improve both the flexibility and the efficiency of your neuromusculoskeletal system. As is true with all other alignments and exercises, the absolute essential starting point is to maintain an active awareness. Let the body’s Intelligence guide you through this exercise and help you recognize what is a particular benefit for you. Continue to create your own structural health program by feeling the results and taking note of what does and doesn’t work for you.

Wringing Out the Spine
This is a “feel good” exercise that introduces movement into the spine and encourages flexibility. It is especially beneficial for the lower back. Perform this exercise while lying on a carpet or mat as indicted in the illustration.

1. Lie flat on your back with your arms stretched out at your
sides for stability. Let the palms of your hands touch the
floor.

2. Bend your knees to your chest, and elevate your feet a
foot or so above the floor. Maintain the relative position of
your knees throughout the exercise.

3. Move your knees as far as you can to one side without
straining, and simultaneously turn your head to the opposite
side.

4. Return to the original starting point, and repeat the exercise
on the other side.

Maintain the image of wringing out a towel throughout the exercise, your spine representing the towel. Repeat the exercise several times on each side. If you wish, you may pause for a moment or two with your knees on the floor before proceeding to the other side.