The cycle never ends

When people think about the struggles of being a flexibility coach or educator, they usually imagine the long hours of training, the physical demands of demonstrating complex movements, or the mental load of tailoring programs to each person’s needs. And yes, those challenges are real. But if I am being honest, they are not the hardest part. The real struggle is much quieter, much less glamorous: answering the same questions, in different forms, every single day.

It chips away at you. Not all at once, but little by little. You would think that, with all the good information available now, people would have moved past the old myths. But every few weeks, like clockwork, a new wave of misconceptions rolls in. Someone will ask, "Isn't stretching dangerous?" or, "Will stretching before a workout make me weak?" Others will confidently declare that static passive stretching is outdated or harmful, convinced they are shattering myths, while in reality, they are only showing how little they understand the science behind flexibility.

It would be so easy to give in to frustration. And truthfully, some days, I do. I have to remind myself that the people asking usually have good intentions. They have simply been misinformed, often by someone they trusted. Sometimes the misinformation comes from a coach or therapist who knows just enough to sound convincing, but not enough to teach responsibly. These individuals often see themselves as myth-busters. They speak in absolutes, use technical jargon to dress up half-truths, and build large audiences online. But what they are really doing is creating more confusion for everyone else to clean up.

As a flexibility educator, I have come to understand that my role is not just about teaching methods and movements. A huge part of the work is clearing away the debris left behind by others. Explaining. Clarifying. Demonstrating. Again and again. And knowing, deep down, that next week, I will probably be having the same conversation all over again.

This cycle speaks to a deeper challenge in our industry: mistaking novelty for expertise. Because flexibility training is only now starting to gain mainstream attention, many people believe they can master it overnight. They jump into advanced topics without building a foundation. They cherry-pick research without understanding the bigger picture. They make sweeping claims based on personal stories instead of solid evidence. And while they believe they are helping, they are often only making the waters even murkier.

There are days when I feel like throwing my hands up and walking away. Days when the weariness sits heavy in my chest. But then I remember why I chose this work in the first place. I became a flexibility coach and educator because I believe in the power of good information. I believe that better movement leads to better lives. I always knew it would be a long road. I knew that real education would never be a ‘one and done’ kind of task (kind of like stretching).

If you are a coach reading this and feeling that same weariness, I want you to know you are not alone. Every time you patiently answer a repeated question, you are doing sacred work. Every time you gently correct a misconception, you are building a stronger, more honest foundation for the future. It might not be flashy. It might not go viral. But it is real work. And it matters.

Yours in flexibility,

Dan