If you have ever played sports, or at least tried to do it, then in any case you have come across such a concept as stretching. Stretching is an essential part of any sport. If you, for example, decide to load your leg muscles without first stretching them, you not only reduce the effectiveness of the lesson, but also risk causing injury. But even if you don't exercise, knowing how to stretch your legs can help you stay healthy. In this article, we'll look at a set of basic leg stretching exercises.
How to properly stretch your legs?
1. Stretching the groin, inner thighs
Sit on the mat with your feet pressed together. Grasp your feet with your palms. The neck and shoulders are straight. Begin a smooth movement from your hips down to the floor. Stop at the point where you feel a strong but painless stretch. Stay at this point for 50-60 seconds. Return smoothly to the starting position.
2. Stretching the back of the thighs
Sit on the mat, bend your left leg, straighten your right leg in front of you. The foot of the left leg should touch the inner thigh of the right leg. Grasp the shin of the outstretched leg with your hands and begin to slowly bend over until you feel a good painless stretch. Remain in this position for at least 50-60 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat the same for the other leg.
Remember, any exercise presented here will be an effective leg stretch only if your movements are slow and even, without jerking or sudden movements.
3. Stretching the upper leg muscles
Sit on the mat with your left leg bent so that the heel is near the outer side of the thigh. Bend your right leg at the knee, the foot of your right leg should be next to the inner side of the thigh of your left leg. Put your hands back and rest your palms on the floor. Slowly lower yourself back to a gentle stretch on the upper muscles of the left leg. Remain in the stretch point for about a minute and slowly rise to the starting position.
Stretching your legs correctly also requires you to monitor your breathing. At your maximum stretch point, you exhale. Do not hold your breath, breathe evenly and rhythmically.
4. Stretching the hamstrings
Lie on your back, bend your knees. Raise one leg, grab your hip with your hands and begin to slowly pull the leg towards you. The leg should be slightly bent at the knee. Repeat the exercise for the other leg.
One more nuance - exercises for stretching the leg muscles will be most effective if you start exercising after "warming up" the whole body. For example, you can spend 5 minutes on a stationary bike and then start stretching.
5. Stretch with one leg lunge forward
Lower one knee to the floor with your leg extended back. Bring the other knee forward at a 90-degree angle. Place your hands on your front leg and begin slow, rhythmic forward bends until you feel a stretch on the upper leg. Repeat the same for the other leg.
6. Calf stretch
Get on your knees and arms in a doggy pose. Extend one leg forward at a 90 degree angle, place your hands on it and slowly push down and forward. You will feel a gentle stretch in your calf muscles. Repeat the exercise for the other leg.
All of the leg stretching exercises described above should not cause you severe or sharp pain in your muscles or tendons. If pain appears, release the pressure or lower the bend - in no case should you stretch the muscles through the pain. Since you will not be able to do the perfect leg stretch the first time, you need to exercise regularly for this. Try not to rush - it is better to slowly, systematically and efficiently perform each exercise to stretch the muscles of your legs.
The main thing is that there should be a desire to work on your body, and the result will not be long in coming!
You need to stretch after warm-up. This way you can deepen the stretch without injuring your muscles and ligaments.
Warm up before stretching
When you stretch after a workout, the muscles are already warmed up and no additional warm-up is required. If you decide to arrange a separate stretching lesson, first, do a few exercises:
- Joint warm-up: twist the joints, make bends and turns of the body.
- 5-7 minutes of cardio: jogging or exercise Jumping Jacks, Climber, jogging in place with high knees,.
After you've warmed up a bit, you can start stretching.
How and how much to stretch
With the help of these exercises, you will be able to do an independent stretching session and stretch all the muscles in your body well. However, this will take about 60–90 minutes. For quick stretches, choose one to two exercises for each muscle group involved in your workout.
To stretch your muscles well, hold each pose for 30 seconds to two minutes. You can keep still or spring gently. Sudden movements are fraught with injury, so leave them for another sport.
We present exercises for stretching from top to bottom: neck, shoulders and arms, chest and back, abs, buttocks, hips, legs.
Neck stretching exercises
Tilt your head back, pulling the front of your neck. From this position, tilt your head to the left. For more effect, place your left palm on the right side of your head, but don't press hard.
Place your right hand on the left side of your head. Tilt your head forward and to the side, increase the pressure with your hand.
Repeat on the other side.
Place one hand on the back of your head and the other on your chin. Lower your head by making a double chin. In this case, the neck remains straight, the back of the head tends upward. You should feel in the back of your neck, especially at the base of your skull.
Exercises to stretch the shoulders
4. Stretching the front of the shoulders
Place your hands behind your back, wrap your wrist with the other with one hand. Bend your elbows and lift your wrists higher. Bring your chest forward and feel the stretch in the front of your shoulders.
5. Stretching the middle of the shoulders
Grasp the opposite elbow with your hand, bring your shoulder to you and pull it down. Repeat with the other hand.
6. Stretching the back of the shoulders
Grasp your right hand with your left above the elbow, press it to the body and straighten it, lower your right shoulder down. With your left hand, pull your right hand up, lifting it with your elbow. Feel the tension in the back.
Repeat on the other hand.
7. Triceps stretch
Go to the wall, lift your left elbow up, put your forearm behind your back. Pull the left shoulder blade down. To check that it has actually dropped and will not rise during the stretch, place your right hand below your left armpit.
Repeat on the other side.
8. Stretching the biceps
Grasp the door handle, counter or other support, turn your back to it. Extend your arm with your elbow up and move the body slightly forward.
Repeat with the other hand.
This pose allows you to simultaneously stretch the triceps of one arm and the front of the shoulder of the other. Place one hand behind your back from above so that the elbow looks up, and the other from below - the elbow looks to the floor. Try to connect your wrists behind at the level of your shoulder blades.
Change hands.
10. Stretching the extensors of the wrist
Sit on your knees, place your hands in front of you so that the backs of your hands touch the floor, and your fingers point towards each other. Gently transfer your weight to your arms, stretching your forearms. To enhance the effect, try clenching your fists.
Breast stretching exercises
11. Stretching the chest in the doorway
Approach the doorway, rest your elbows on the jambs and push your chest forward, chest muscles.
Place your hand on the wall, lower your shoulder and turn in the opposite direction. Repeat with the other hand.
Back stretching exercises
Stand next to a rack, simulator or other support, turn your left shoulder to it. With your right hand, grab a stand high over your head, move your pelvis to the right and down, stretching the entire right side of the body.
Repeat on the other side.
14. Stretching the muscles of the lower back
Sit on the floor with your right leg forward and your left leg back. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle or slightly more. Put your right hand on the floor, raise your left over your head. Pull the left leg down and back, tilt the body forward and twist towards the right leg.
Change your legs.
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Grasp the lower legs with your hands from the inside, put your wrists on your feet. Lean forward as low as possible.
Sit on the floor with your buttocks touching your heels. Bend forward, lie on your knees with your stomach and extend your arms.
Get on all fours, then push your pelvis back and up so that your body resembles an angle. The arms and back should be in one line, the knees can be bent, and the heels can be lifted off the floor. The main thing is that the back remains straight, without rounding in the lower back.
Grab a low horizontal bar and hang freely, relaxing your body. Legs should remain on the ground. Relax them, bend your knees slightly.
Lie on the floor on your back, arms by your side, legs straight. Raise your legs, and then throw them behind your head. Hands rest with elbows on the floor, hands support. Do not lean on your neck, the fulcrum is your shoulders.
Exercises for stretching the press
Get on your knees, push your chest up, stretching your spine, and then lean back with your hands on your heels. Try to bend in the chest. Do not throw your head back, look up.
Lie on the floor on your stomach, place your hands under your shoulders. Squeeze yourself up, the pelvis rises, your feet remain on the floor. Lower your shoulders, bend in the chest.
Stand up straight with your feet together. Raise your arms and bring your palms together over your head. Bend in the chest and tilt the body back. Tighten to avoid a strong arch in the lower back.
Stand straight, raise your arms above your head, interlock your fingers and twist your palms up. Stretch up and bend first to one side and then to the other.
Lie on the floor on your back, arms spread out to the sides, palms down. Move your pelvis to the left, lift your left leg, bending it at the knee, wrap it behind your right leg and try to put your knee on the floor. Turn your head to the left and relax.
Repeat the exercise on the other side.
Exercises to stretch the buttocks
25. Prone stretching
Lie on the floor on your back, raise your legs bent at the knees. Place your left ankle on your right knee. Press your right knee against your left to deepen. Repeat with the other leg.
Get on all fours with the ankle of your right foot on the knee of your left. Pull your pelvis back to deepen the stretch. Repeat with the other leg.
27. Seated Stretch
Sit on the floor, stretch your legs forward, and straighten your back. Bend one leg at the knee, grab the lower leg with your hands and press it to your chest. The lower leg should be parallel to the floor, the forearms lie on top and press it against the chest, one hand covers the other.
Repeat with the other leg.
Sit on the floor, bend one leg at the knee at a right angle and move it forward, take the other back and straighten it. You can lean forward and place your forearms on the floor.
If you find it difficult to perform this pose on the floor, try placing your foot on a dais.
Stretching the front of the thigh
Calf stretching exercises
48. Stretching against the wall
With the toe of your right foot, rest against the wall, take your left one and a half steps back. The feet are firmly pressed to the floor, the left leg is straight. Try to reach the wall with your right knee, while the muscles of your left leg will stretch.
Change your legs.
Stand up against the wall. Put your right toe on the wall, take your left leg a step and a half back. Bend your left knee, increasing the stretch. Change legs and repeat.
Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. put one leg on the thigh of the other. Grasp the foot with the opposite hand and pull the toe.
Change your legs.
Sitting on a twine is a dream of many from early childhood. But even if you have good flexibility, without preparatory exercises, sitting on a longitudinal twine will be not only difficult, but also risky: you can stretch your muscles and get injured.
We offer you the best exercises for longitudinal twine, which allow you to gently and painlessly stretch muscles and joints... Regular deep stretching will help you get into a longitudinal split quickly, even if you've never done it before.
10 rules for longitudinal twine stretching
1. Stretching can be done only after a good warm-up... Any cardio for 20-30 minutes is suitable as a warm-up. Before the split stretch, you should feel that your body is warmed up.
2. If you want to quickly sit on a longitudinal split, then try to stretch twice a day: morning and evening. Morning stretching, though hard, is very effective. In the evening, it will be easier for you to stretch - by the end of the day, the muscles are more pliable and flexible.
3. Exercises for longitudinal twine are best performed in static poses. Try to use up and down pulsating exercises to a minimum, this can lead to stretching.
4. Linger in each pose. for at least 30 seconds... You can gradually increase both the duration of the exercise and the range of motion.
5. During stretching, you need to focus on the sensations in your body. You should feel a gentle stretch in the muscles, but not pain. If you feel a sharp pain, reduce the amplitude of the exercise or stop exercising.
6. If you are stretching in a cool room, dress warmly. Even after a good warm-up, muscles tend to cool down quickly when the room temperature is low, making stretching difficult.
7. During longitudinal split exercises, always keep your back straight, don't round it... Pull the top of the head up and, when bending down, try to lower your stomach to your legs, not your head.
8. You can record the results with a measuring tape, measuring the distance from the groin area to the floor surface at the time of maximum stretching.
9. If you do not stretch for a few days, be prepared to roll back in the results. The most important thing about splits is regularity.
10. Don't put yourself no specific deadlines for twine (week, month, three months)... Everyone has a different physiology, so someone can sit on a longitudinal split quickly, while someone will need a year of regular training to achieve results.
10 exercises to stretch and warm up before splitting
We offer you a ready-made version of warm-up and warm-up before the split, which will help you conduct your split workout much more efficiently. Stretching on a warmed-up body is much easier and more enjoyable! Be sure to warm up before every split workout.
For each exercise, the number of repetitions on one side is indicated. For example, the first exercise is walking in place with the knees raised. You should do 20 right leg raises, 20 left leg raises, for a total of 40 reps. You can increase the number of repetitions at your discretion (decreasing is not recommended!). If you feel that you have not stretched enough after doing the exercises, repeat the complex again.
1. Walking in place with raising the knees : 20 reps
2. Swing to the legs : 20 reps
3. Rotation for the hip joints : 20 reps
4. Side lunge : 15 reps each
5. Tilt to the leg : 15 reps each
6. Back Squat: 20 reps
7. Back lunges : 10 reps
8. Jumping rope: 40 reps
: 40 reps each (just count to 80 in sync with movement)
10. Jumping with arms and legs: 35 reps
We remind you once again that before doing longitudinal twine exercises, be sure to warm up well. Performing these exercises without warming up is fraught with dangerous injuries and sprains, and this will put off your dream of twine for a long time.
If you want to do the splits faster, you can purchase additional tools for effective stretching: yoga blocks and yoga straps... These simple and inexpensive tools will make many splits much easier for you.
Below are the exercises for the longitudinal twine. Hold each pose for at least 30 seconds. Gradually move to a longer time in a static position: 2-3 minutes.
Longitudinal twine exercises can be performed in several approaches, if time and endurance permits. Perform all exercises first on one leg, then on the other. Is always stretch evenly across both legs(even if you have only left or only right twine in your plans), this way you will quickly come to the desired result.
Thanks to the youtube channel for illustrative photos Olga Sagai.
Exercise 1
As you inhale, lower yourself into a lunge into Runner Pose with your hands on the floor or on blocks. The front leg forms a right angle, the knee of the back leg is extended and extended. Try to lower your pelvis as low as possible without bending the knee of your back leg. Hold this pose. Further, on an inhalation with a straight back, stretch your arms up, while the pelvis continues to stretch down. Feel the tension in your leg muscles increase. When in a lunge, try to distribute your body weight to both legs.
Exercise 2
Stay in a runner's pose with your arms to one side of your front leg. Lower yourself onto your elbows, being careful not to round your back. If you can't get down on your elbows, put blocks or lean on your palms. This longitudinal split exercise helps to stretch the hip joints and groin.
Exercise # 3
Lower the knee of your back leg to the floor with your hands on either side of your front leg. Hold this position, trying to lower the pelvis as far down as possible. You can do a few pulsating up and down movements, but then hold in a static position.
A similar exercise can be done with your back leg resting on a chair, which will strengthen the stretch in your back leg. Lift up behind the crown, increasing the tension:
Exercise 4
Return to the lunge, extend the spine over the thigh of the back leg. As you exhale, straighten your legs, lengthen your tailbone up. Direct your forehead to the lower leg, try to reach down with your stomach, without rounding your back. Extend your arms forward or grasp the shin of your front leg.
Exercise 5
From the lunge, extend your straight leg forward with your back leg resting on the mat. Go into a slope, keeping your back straight. Stretch your arms forward or rest your elbows on the floor. Stay in an accessible position and breathe deeply. Release the tension in the back of the extended leg with each exhalation.
You can increase the stretch on your back leg by placing it on a chair in this way:
Exercise # 6
Move into dove pose. Cover the right heel with the left pelvic bone. Deepen the position by gradually pushing the right shin forward slightly. Lean on your hands. Twist the right thigh inward, lower the tailbone down.
Bend your back leg at the knee, grab the foot with the same hand and pull the heel towards the buttock. Feel the stretch in the front of your thigh. Change the grip of the hands, grab the foot with the opposite hand. As you exhale, lower your forehead onto your free hand. A pigeon is not a difficult but very effective longitudinal split exercise.
Exercise 7
Lie on the floor with your legs bent at the knees. Raise your leg straight up, with an exhalation grasp the foot and pull it towards you with your hands or a strap. The sacrum remains on the floor, the knee is straightened, and the front of the thigh is tense. Feel the muscles in the back of your leg lengthen.
Exercise 8
Move into a downward-facing dog position. Back, nape, arms form one straight line. Stretch the spine, the tailbone stretches back and up. Bend your knees alternately, trying to lower the heel completely to the floor. The thigh tends to the stomach, the back and arms are in the same plane. This longitudinal split exercise stretches the back of the legs. Then lower both heels to the floor and stay in this position.
Exercise 9
Stay in the downward dog position. With an inhalation, pull your leg up, twist the thigh inward. Freeze and breathe deeply. This exercise is useful for longitudinal and vertical splits.
Exercise # 10
Grasp the foot of the same-named leg with your hand. Pull it vertically upward, fix the maximum possible position and linger in it. Make sure that the supporting leg does not turn outward.
How to sit on a longitudinal twine: execution technique
If you have already completed the preparatory exercises, then you can try to sit on a longitudinal twine... You will need two blocks or a stack of books. If you're flexible enough, you won't need blocks.
1. Stand on one knee with your front foot forward at a 90 degree angle with the toe of your back foot resting on the floor. Straighten your back, tighten your stomach, straighten your shoulders. The pelvic bones should be in line and point straight ahead. Inhale and as you exhale, begin to gradually part with your legs in different directions, lowering your pelvis down.
2. Reach the extreme tolerant position and freeze. Once the pelvis is low enough, hold the floor with your hands and stretch your legs at the knees.
3. Gradually, step by step, you will be able to sit on the longitudinal twine.
4. Gently come out of the split position. Stretch your legs forward in front of you, shake them a little to relieve tension. Do the same exercise on the other leg.
The screenshots in the article were taken from the official youtube channel of Olga Sagai.
With high-quality performance of longitudinal split exercises, you will definitely come to your goal. Longitudinal twine is available to absolutely everyone at any age, regardless of innate flexibility. But some will need more time to stretch, some will need less. It depends on both genetic characteristics and sports background.
Stretching at home for twine is an integral part of your workout, thanks to which you will quickly achieve the desired result and at the same time maintain your health. In addition, such exercises will improve the condition of the genitourinary system, spine and intestines.
Also, the twine is a good preparation for expectant mothers (including those who are just planning a pregnancy).
Psychological preparation
Each person wants to achieve the desired result as quickly as possible. Therefore, a completely natural question arises: after how long will I sit on the twine?
It depends on several factors:
- age;
- gender (girls are genetically more flexible than guys);
- genetics;
- muscle coordination;
- warm-up intensity;
- initial flexibility;
- the correctness of the stretching exercises.
The attitude with which you train is also an important factor. To achieve a similar result in the human body, the structure of muscles, ligaments and joints must change. The length of this process depends on your age and fitness level. For example, children will do splits much faster than adults, since their bodies are not fully formed.
Advice! The most important thing to achieve a goal is not to try to achieve the desired result in a day or two. Before each workout, tune in to do all your exercises a little better today than you did yesterday. As a result, you are guaranteed to sit on the twine.
To be successful, be sure to keep a training diary. Research has shown that this psychological moment, which has nothing to do with physiology, actually works. In addition, thanks to the notes, you can see your progress, which, in turn, will help you not to lose heart at a crucial moment.
Physical training
In order not to harm yourself while doing the exercises, you need to warm up your body and muscles. One of the best ways to do this is through a joint warm-up with brisk push-ups and squats. The fact is that such training improves muscle coordination. The effect is so subtle at first, but it will be of immense benefit as a result.
Let's look at an example. During push-ups from the floor, triceps are involved. However, as you progress, you can feel the biceps tighten. Such involvement of other muscles is precisely indicative of poor muscle coordination. The same thing happens during stretching - just such "helpers" often interfere with sitting on the twine.
To perform articular warm-up in all large joints, circular movements must be performed at the maximum possible amplitude. Movements are made 15-20 times in each direction.
Advice! To achieve the maximum effect, you need to perform an articular warm-up from top to bottom: first the cervical spine, then the wrist joints, elbow joints, shoulder girdle, lumbar region, body, ankle, pelvis and knees.
You can also warm up muscles by running on a treadmill, cycling and jumping (with or without a rope). However, these exercises will not help improve the muscle coordination required for splits. Therefore, it is best to prepare for exercise with a joint warm-up.
How does it look in practice? At the moment of maximum tension when stretching, take a deep breath and hold your breath a little. As a result, you will feel how the muscles give in and relax. When performing the exercises, you must clearly adhere to the written instructions. Follow the golden rule of stretching at home: stretch where it hurts until it stops.
To achieve the desired result, you need to take at least 30 seconds for each exercise. In this regard, the rule applies: the more, the better. However, each person has a psychological barrier, because of which it is difficult for him to remain in one position (even in the absence of pain). To achieve the desired result, you need to fight this.
Advice! To get the most out of it, you need to exercise in the morning. One hour of morning stretching is equivalent to three hours in the evening.
Stretching exercises should be as varied as possible. Often, beginners cannot do the splits due to a couple of unstretched muscles, while their general flexibility is above average. Stretching evenly will help you achieve the desired result faster. If you stretch one muscle group well, it will definitely help with other exercises.
We sit on the twine
There are several types of twine:
- longitudinal;
- transverse;
- sagging;
- vertical;
- on hands.
For each of them, you need to perform certain exercises.
Advice!The best way to achieve the desired result and improve your health is to move from simple to complex. In other words, you must first master the longitudinal twine, and then proceed to the study of the transverse, sagging, vertical and on the hands. Jumping from stage one to stage three can cause muscle damage or injury.
Longitudinal twine exercises
Since the longitudinal split uses the same muscles that work when walking, it is easiest to sit on it. To do this, you need to perform the following exercises:
Lunge with one leg forward and bend the knee so that the foot is perpendicular to the floor. Rest your palms on the floor on both sides, keep your head straight, look forward and spring for one minute. To do this, use the palms and muscles of the perineum.
While in the pose described above, straighten your torso, arch your back, raise your arms, and stretch as high as possible. This exercise stretches the legs and strengthens the muscles in the perineum. Breathing should be even and your face relaxed.
Lower your back leg to your knee, while the other should be perpendicular to the floor. Place your palms (or fists, whichever is more convenient for you) on your lower back and bend back. During this exercise, you can tilt your head back or keep it straight.
Return to the original position (exercise number 1). Place your palms on either side of your bent knees with your toes facing each other. Stretch your chest toward the floor. When performing this exercise, the upper body should be parallel to the floor.
Take the same pose as in the previous exercise, only stretch your chest and chin towards the floor.
Return to your original pose. Gradually bring the knee of the "back" leg closer to the floor.
Advice! Watch your breathing and technique with each exercise. Each time you do it better and better, and in the end you will do the splits.
We sit on a transverse twine
To master the cross twine, do the following exercises:
- Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and rest your hands on your lower back. Bend back slowly trying to see your heels. If you put your hands on your stomach during execution, the abdominal muscles will be additionally worked out.
- Straighten up, place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders and catch your breath. Then bend forward so that your back is parallel to the floor. The arms should be extended (for convenience, they can be closed in the lock). Look ahead.
- Spread your legs so that your head and elbows fit between them. Next, bend down and rest your palms on the floor. When doing the exercise, do not strain your back or neck. It is also forbidden to bend your knees. Rock back and forth slowly.
- Perform the previous exercise, but with support on the forearms.
- Stretch your arms up, turn your socks outward and spread your legs wide.
- Do a deep squat. In this case, the back should be relaxed and straight, and the knees should be widely spaced to the sides. Start with 8 sets and build up over time.
- Take the same pose as in the previous exercise. While squatting, hold for 30 seconds and then rise. Please note: beginners are not immediately given this exercise.
- Perform side lunges. When the exercise is easy, grab your ankles and reach towards the floor. Start with 8 sets and increase every 2 weeks.
- Place your legs as wide as possible and bend forward so that your back is parallel to the floor. In this case, you can lean on your elbows. Watch your breathing: at the entrance, the muscles should be tense, and as you exhale, they should be relaxed.
- Do the same as in the previous exercise. Slowly lower your crotch and abdomen to the floor. After this succeeded, gradually straighten your pelvis, place your feet on your heels and straighten your back.
Advice! Do not underestimate preparatory exercises - they also have great benefits for the body. You can start mastering the following types of twine only after you have learned how to perfectly sit on the longitudinal and transverse.
Nutrition
Eating well will also help you achieve your goals faster and strengthen your stretched muscles. In this regard, one of the best remedies is fish oil. It is also recommended to add fatty amino acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 to the diet. Eat flaxseed oil, nuts, and eggs regularly.
Also, an important factor is the maintenance of water balance in the body. You need to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. Add juicy fruits to your diet. Stop consuming salt to achieve your desired results faster. It can be replaced with seaweed, lemon juice, herbs, and natural spices.
- carrot;
- nuts;
- spinach;
- meat;
- seafood;
- legumes;
- citrus fruit;
- berries (blueberries, blackberries, cherries and raspberries).
Advice! To prevent inflammation in the joints, add vitamin complexes or foods high in calcium to your diet. In this case, the recovery of the body should be uniform, so you need to eat protein foods throughout the day.
Summary
Proper stretching at home will help you do the splits. To do this, you need to follow the basic rules:
- breathe correctly;
- perform exercises correctly and smoothly;
- stretching each muscle group should last at least 30 seconds;
- versatile stretch;
- exercise in the morning.
Also, proper nutrition is an important factor. It is necessary to exclude salt from the diet and add calcium-containing foods, berries, citrus fruits, carrots, nuts and spinach to it.
Before you start training, you need to prepare your body well. To do this, use all the same articular gymnastics mixed with push-ups and squats at a fast pace. As a result, you will improve muscle coordination, without which it is impossible to sit on the split.
Advice! Even with a technically competent performance of the exercises, it is impossible to achieve the desired result if you are not mentally disposed to train. The best way to fix this is to keep a diary in which you record your successes and achievements every day. As a result, you will be able to track your progress.
And most importantly, don't compare yourself to others. The time after which you sit on the twine depends on many conditions: initial physical fitness, age, gender, and so on. It will be better if you compare yourself to yesterday's self. Such measures will help to focus on the results achieved, and not on what so far does not work out.
Also, do not forget about good sleep, which is the basis for rapid muscle recovery. Another important factor is maintaining water balance - every day you need to drink at least two liters of water.
Everyone wants to be flexible and plastic, but by nature this is not given to everyone. However, you can improve your stretch with exercise at any age. Especially many are interested in how to sit on a longitudinal and transverse twine. Today we will talk about stretching the legs.
What is the use of stretching for the body (stretching)
Proponents of stretching (from the English. Stretch - to pull) are convinced that it benefits the body and is important not only to surprise others. Some firmly believe that there is no benefit to stretching. But how are things really going?
The most important benefit of stretching is the marked improvement in flexibility. This can help you do some strength exercises at full strength, making them more effective.
Also, stretching has shown itself well as a rehabilitation practice for people, for example, suffering from pain in the neck or knees.
However, contrary to popular belief, stretching does not prevent injury if you do it before training.
In addition, research has shown that stretching before the main workout can even decrease strength performance.
But after the main active workout, it's time to do some stretching. This will help stretch and relax the muscles in your body and prevent or reduce pain after exercise.
Simple Initial Leg Stretching Exercises
The best efficiency and safety is shown by static stretching, since in these exercises the position is fixed and held for some time without any movements. Dynamic stretching can be more traumatic for ligaments and joints.
Many static stretching exercises are yoga asanas (postures). Let's get to know them.
It doesn't matter what stretching exercises we look at, they will be beneficial for both women and men.
There are a lot of variations of this exercise, from the simplest to those that only professionals can do.
We start with the simplest option.
Execution technique:
- We kneel down and lower the pelvis to the heels.
- We spread the knees to the sides as much as the current stretching capabilities allow.
- We linger in this position.
If this pose is not difficult, we complicate the exercise.
Execution technique:
- We get on all fours, spread our knees to the sides, as far as the current level of stretching allows.
- After that, we unfold the legs so that the inner side of the lower leg lies on the floor. The shins are parallel to each other. The socks look to the sides.
- In this position, it is permissible to gently sway back and forth to deepen the stretch.
The goal is to completely lay the inner side of each thigh on the floor.
Another fairly simple, but no less effective version of the frog exercise is squatting.
Execution technique:
- We squat down, feet are at the width of the pelvis, socks look to the sides.
- Lower yourself so that your thighs touch your calf muscles.
- Keep your back straight, try to roll your tailbone back a little.
- We bring our hands together, joining the palms, the elbows rest on the inside of the knees.
- Thus, it turns out that you push your knees to the sides with your elbows. If everything is correct, you will feel a stretch on the inner thigh.
These exercise options, with regular exercise, will allow you to sit on a side split.
There are more specific variants of the "frog".
Advanced frog pose
In this variant, the task is to put your feet on the floor. Of course, this option is only suitable for advanced people with a good level of stretching.
First you need to practice.
Execution technique:
- We lie down on our stomach, stretch both legs.
- With a breath, raise the body.
- We bend one leg at the knee and pull it up to the buttock of the same name.
- With the hand of the same name, we clasp the foot and gently begin to press to the floor.
- We do the same with the second leg.
And gradually we try to do the exercise with both legs at once.
Side lunges for beginners
Another good enough exercise for stretching your inner thigh muscles is side lunges.
Execution technique:
- We stand straight, the back is straight, the gaze is directed forward.
- Feet are about shoulder width apart.
- We take a wide step to the side and bend the leg at the knee.
- In this case, the knee should not go beyond the toe.
- We bend the body to the leg and touch the floor with our hands.
- In this position, you need to linger for 30-60 seconds and repeat on the second leg.
Butterfly pose - gymnastics not only for women, but also for men
Another borrowed yoga exercise for the inner thigh is the butterfly pose.
In fact, doing it yourself is ineffective, since it is not possible to apply the necessary pressure on the legs. It is worth asking someone to gently press on your hips for the best impact.
Execution technique:
- We sit on the floor with a straight back.
- We pull our legs to ourselves, as far as possible, and connect the feet.
- Clasp your palms around your feet and pull them towards you, while trying to put your hips on the floor.
When the level of stretching becomes better, you can tilt the body forward from this position and try to reach the floor with your forehead.
Stretching from a sitting position - developing muscle flexibility
Seated bends are difficult for those with poor stretching. It is easier to perform bends while standing. But this is an effective exercise and shouldn't be discounted.
- We sit on the buttocks, stretch our legs - this is the starting position.
- Try to keep your back straight in this position. If the stretch is not very good, you will already feel a stretch under the knee.
- Place your palms next to you and rest them on the floor as if you want to push off, trying to tilt the body forward. Pull the socks towards you. Hold this position for a little while.
- Now stretch your body towards your feet.
- If this is easy for you, place your chest and abdomen on your hips and remain in this position for 20-30 seconds.
- After that, return to the starting position, pull one leg towards you so that it rests its foot on the inner region of the other leg, and the knee looks to the side, and again stretch, bending forward. Wrap your arm around your outstretched leg. Hold this position.
- If possible, you can lie on your stomach on an outstretched leg.
- Repeat the same on the other leg and return to the starting position.
- Now spread your legs to the sides as much as the stretch allows and tilt your body forward.
- If it works well, we try to lower the body to the floor between our legs.
- If it doesn't work out very well, you can put your hands on your palms behind and gently push yourself forward.
- We linger in the incline for 20-30 seconds and straighten up.
- Now we stretch our body not to the center, but to the right leg, trying to also lie on it with our stomach.
- After that, we change the leg.
- We straighten our back and begin to stretch not with our stomach to the leg, but sideways. The task is to wrap your hand around your foot.
- We change the leg.
You can do 2-3 such circles to more effectively stretch the ligaments and muscles.
It is best to do these exercises either in pairs, as a joint stretch, or with someone else's help to help you stretch.
Stretching from a standing position is also suitable for an unprepared person.
Stretching while standing is usually easier and more comfortable even for an untrained person with not very good flexibility, so it is better to start stretching while standing, and then move on to other exercises.
- We get straight.
- Take a deep breath and bend down with a round back. Relax and allow your neck, head, arms and body to be in a comfortable, loose state. Feel a gentle stretch in the spine and linger in this position.
- Take another breath and reach with your hands to the floor, trying to put your entire palm on the floor.
- Then grab your knees and place your chest and stomach on your hips.
- If nothing works at all, place your hands on your shins and stretch gently in a comfortable position.
- We straighten up, take a deep breath and repeat the whole circle again.
- After that, we spread our legs wider than our shoulders and bend forward to touch the floor with our toes.
- If you can, place your entire palm on the floor.
- The important challenge here is to strive to do everything with a straight back. Yes, with a rounded back you can bend deeper, but as a result, the quality of the stretch will decrease.
- A good stretching exercise from this position: we bend down until at least fingers touch the floor and begin to rearrange our hands, as if stepping forward from the legs, and then returning to the legs.
- Now we bend to the right leg, trying to also stretch with a straight body.
- We straighten and repeat on the other leg.
Lunges - Deep Stretch
We looked at mainly exercises that stretch the inner side of the thigh well. When done regularly, they will help you sit on the side splits. Be careful if you have or have any knee problems
For convenience, in the initial stages, you can put something under your leg so that it relaxes in this position, and does not strain
This exercise is also borrowed from yoga and is good for stretching on a longitudinal split.
Follow these tips and your workouts will become even more effective:
- Stretch regularly to get noticeable results. 3-4 times a week will be enough.
- The stretching complex (suples) is best done in the evening, not in the morning. The muscles warmed up and stretched during the day, so it will be easier to perform the exercises.
- You need to do it for at least 30 minutes. We hold each position from 15 seconds to 1 minute.
- Before stretching, it is advisable to warm up the muscles: do swings, squat, otherwise you can pull the ligaments and muscles of the leg.
- Static stretching is safer than dynamic stretching, but that doesn't mean you can't help yourself by swaying. However, here you need to understand the measure: there should not be sharp jerks with a large amplitude (watch the training video).
- You shouldn't feel a lot of painful tension in your legs. You don't need to stretch until it hurts.
- The most important thing is to try to relax in every position. It is only when you relax that the muscles begin to stretch.
If you are not very flexible by nature and are sure that it is too late for you to do stretching, and nothing will work out, this is a misconception. The older a person is, the longer it may take for them to see visible results, but anyone can improve their flexibility.