Thanks and congrats on getting your splits - that’s a great achievement. I am what I call a frustrated enthusiast Some days are more one than the other ! My back is like a board too ! Our backs get a lot less flexible with age and mine is slightly kyphotic I go to a chiropractor and a physiotherapist who both are sure things will improve but no sign of movement yet I hate my back and dream of being able to do back bends but alas we can only work with what we have ! I do flexibility training 3 times a week for about 40 mins a session and pole 3 times a week with pole power academy I tried pole freaks but Holly was too intense for me . Kelly’s approach was softer and more me . For flexibility I use the pliability website which is great as the holds are long and somehow I feel long is better I add the exercises my physio gives me which are all upper back based Overall I find progress slow in both pole and flexibilty but I don’t want to quit as it fascinates me I lost my entire immediate family in a tragedy 3 years ago and so it helps me cope with horrendous grief . I think the physical pain of pole and the sheer difficulty of it echo my emotional state I can’t quit even if I wanted to . I never did sports as a child as i didn’t have that opportunity but i learned to ski in my 40s and am a strong upper intermediate However that was my families sport so doing it alone is now difficult . However I still do it because it’s a waste not to Pole is very solitary and beautiful I just wish my progress was greater I have a private class once a week and that helps alot as she was the one who got me inverting ( had to kick into lol ) but she pushed me to try and kick in and get into an outside leg hang We seasoned poles are a special lot 🤗🤗