Cases when novice athletes injure: stretch, tear ligaments, get bruises and hematomas are not uncommon. Everyone knows how the human brain works. If he receives a signal about a great desire to do something, he immediately finds solutions to implement his plan.
So, let's take a look at the mistakes when stretching.
#1 ... Lack of warm-up before stretching. This point is important for both beginners and pros. It doesn't matter how much you train already, you need to remember that before you start to stretch, the muscles must be soft, elastic. In order for them to become like this, arrange for yourself intensive warm-up for at least 10-15 minutes... It can be anything: cardio workout, jumping rope, circuit training, running, etc. If you feel hot and sweaty, this is the time to start exercising.
#2 ... You don't need to try to move mountains for the first day. Sag between chairs, throw your legs too high. If your ligaments are immediately faced with this tension, it can turn out to be deplorable. Start with lunges, folds and swings. These exercises will prepare your ligaments for further work.
#3 ... Avoid jerky stretching exercises. As you know, in order to stretch, muscles and ligaments need fixation and time. Therefore, in no case try to sit in the twine with jerks. Fix the position in which you spread your legs as far as possible, and stay in it for several minutes. During this time, you yourself will notice how you gradually disperse into a twine. Spend more time, but do not damage your ligaments. Be sure to take breaks of several minutes before such approaches.
#4 ... Don't ask or let non-professionals stretch you. Firstly, they may not calculate the strength, and secondly, it is completely wrong to pull you. For example, with the same jerks that we talked about above, or twisting the hips is wrong. With such a stretch, you can get a dislocated hip and get other unpleasant sores.
#5 ... Don't take long breaks. If you are already determined to stretch, then do not give up halfway. It happens that in the first few days, a beginner sits in a split, or stands on a bridge and, to celebrate, quits training. After the break, he comes to the gym, thinking that he is a pro, immediately sits in a split and tears the ligaments. Better to practice every day or every other day a little.
#6
... Both beginners and pros alike need to give up some exercise without a warm-up.
It is on the split jump ( in longitudinal or transverse). The fact is that this harmless exercise can also damage the ligaments. Unheated, rigid, inelastic ligaments may not withstand a twine pull. Therefore, warm up well at the very beginning of your workout. We talked about this earlier.
#7 ... Dramatic fever. What is it, and how is it dangerous? Muscle pain is called muscle pain that occurs some time after exercise. You don't need to be afraid of it, on the contrary, pain means that the stretching process has begun, and you are working correctly. The danger is that DOMS should not be confused with acute, sudden, sharp pain. It can be a wake-up call that you have damaged your ligaments. In this case, try to stand up gently and try to walk a couple of steps. If even walking causes severe pain, see your doctor immediately.
#8 ... See a professional trainer to help you stretch. From my own experience, I can say that when the coaches stretched us out in the classroom, it was very painful. We cried, clenching our gymnastic leotard sleeves in our teeth. And that was quite normal. Without patience and pain on the twine, you most likely will not sit down, ( an exception only for those who are naturally given flexibility). BUT! There was a case when one of the coaches fell ill, and her sister just came into the gym, having no idea how to stretch. She volunteered to replace our coach. As a result, when I was stretched into a transverse split, this sister incorrectly fixed my thigh. Which ultimately led to the dislocation. Trust only knowledgeable people!
#9 ... Ligament restoration is a long and unpleasant process. Treatment can last from 2 weeks to six months. Massages, hot baths and special exercises will become your recipe for the coming months. Does anyone really want to get injured instead of flexibility?
Keep track of how and what exercises you do, consult with a trainer and remember that health comes first.
This article was prepared by stretching and fitness trainer Svetlana Rey.
It turns out that even the masters of enlightenment these days are discussing splits. They, of course, say that we are equally perfect both before and after the split, the split itself does not make us cooler. However, the fact that they are talking about it testifies to the relevance of the twine in our day. Many strive for them, and this path is not easy. Here are the most common mistakes along the way. If you keep them in mind, then you can not only bring the cherished goal closer, avoiding injuries, but also slightly improve your health.
A large number of people, in an attempt to sit on a split, exhaust themselves with unpleasant stretches, injure muscles and ligaments - and all for the sake of one element, which can sometimes be used in dance. Or it may not be used. The ability to raise your legs high and the ability to sit on a split - different types flexibility, do not confuse them. This will be the first mistake on our list.
1. If I sit on the twine, I can consider myself flexible.
You can be flexible, but do not sit on the twine. There are different types of flexibility, but the twine is one gymnastic element, an exercise that is neither a panacea nor an indicator of flexibility.
This is an exercise that can be mastered along the way of your development, but remember that this position of the legs is not physiological or natural, it is important to master it competently, and not anyhow.
2. If I want to raise my legs higher - I have to stretch for a split.
Leg swing is a dynamic stretching that requires active work from almost the whole body. If you develop flexibility in yourself with the help of dynamic movement, you will be good at swinging, the twine has nothing to do with it. Muscle work, hips and core positions differ markedly in these exercises.
Keeping your leg high in the air is an active stretch, it works because some muscles relax and stretch in conjunction with the way the muscles on the opposite side contract. This is a separate type of biomechanical interaction and is associated with deep processes at the level of neural connections.
When we are sitting on the split, this is passive stretching - not the most rewarding way to stretch muscles and one of the more traumatic ones. As the name suggests, muscles are stretched passively by being pressed to the floor under the weight of the body (unless someone else is pressing on you from above).
3. Pull the split on the right leg and on the left.
There is a snag in your attitude because of such a wording of the phrase. The twine is done two legs, both stretch - both the right and the left, this is its essence. Beginners, on the other hand, often stretch only the front leg, thinking that to split on the right, you need to pull the right. For a split with the right leg in front, it is important to open exactly the left thigh, the action of the leg lying behind is very, very important... Most injuries are due to this error.
If you can sit with your back straight with two straight legs extended forward, then you have enough flexibility to keep your front leg flat on the floor on the split. Stretching requires the leg that you pull back. When stretching on a split, do not do it in a forward bend - pull your back leg, sit up straight. If you are still too high and you can't sit upright at all, continue to do preparatory stretches or use the available means of support - chairs, sofas, yoga blocks, friends, etc.
4. Pull all three splits - right, left and transverse.
Of course, it is important to develop your flexibility in all directions, but the transverse twine is a separate position, although it is called a twine, but this is a different stretch that involves other muscle groups and a different position of the joints, treat it as a separate element and do not interfere with all the twine in one pile. Give each species separate attention and ample time.
5. The amount of time devoted to stretching.
Often, when a hitch after a lesson, the following order is observed: they pulled the right twine, pulled the left one, pulled the transverse one and then pull something else or finish the lesson.
Or here's another: we sit down on the "twine" - more precisely, on a distorted semblance of a twine, if you are not sitting on it yet, set a timer and wait for happiness for five minutes.
Firstly, if you are a beginner, then working with twine is a rather deep preparation of the muscles, it is stupid and useless to treat it superficially.
We will not build abs by lifting our legs once. We will lift them at least eight times, otherwise we will do several approaches and we will do other abdominal exercises, add twists, springs, holdings - there are different abdominal muscles involved, and we want to pump everything.
Likewise with flexibility: stretching once will not make you flexible. It is necessary to do several approaches, reach in different directions and different methods... It is important to keep in mind that you are working with a complex of muscles, different muscles on two different legs.
Overexposing a stretch, especially a passive one, is also dangerous. We do not take now certain types of professional stretching, for people who are already flexible and strong and who know their body well and have been working with deep stretching for a long time. We're talking about the beginner's twine. Holding it for a few minutes can be effective for some, but in general it is completely unnecessary and traumatic. It is better to do ten sets of 10-20 seconds than one 5-minute set, which can provoke a defensive contraction (stretch reflex) and cool the muscle.
You need to train the way you will use it. If you do not need to sit in a split for a long time in a dance, why practice a five-minute split? Maybe you need the ability to fall into the split quickly, then you will need to work on dynamic stretching, and not sit in one place for a long time.
6. Position of the back leg during the split.
This is not a mistake, but a contradiction that exists in stretching, because in different cases and types physical activity the twine required is different. It is not fatal to sit in an imperfect gymnastic split with an open (deployed to the side) hind thigh... Maybe I like to sit that way. There are certain situations when exactly such a split is required - for example, for a split jump with the Dancehall Queen style or other street style. Sometimes in martial arts it is necessary to stretch just such an open split. In addition, if you are just stretching for yourself, even such an open split is already pretty cool.
At the same time, it is believed that it would be good to do the twine evenly - with the hips located on the line of the perpendicular line of the legs. For this, it is important to pay attention to how the hind leg... After all, as a rule, it is not possible to put it exactly because of muscle clamps in the back - a hardened one, which suffers from our constant sitting position in most life situations.
We, as a rule, stretch out for a twine “just to sit down,” but it doesn't matter how and at what cost. We twist wherever we have to, without thinking about what kind of twine we need and how to position the back leg. Moreover, it is not visible, why think about it! I generally recommend laying it flat, knee down. However, as I said, splits are not a natural position for our hips. Naturally, they open well in a diagonal and not perfectly even, so the main thing here is to have an understanding of how the hips work, which muscles are underperforming, what is the purpose of the twine and how you feel in it.
7. Twine is a stretch for the legs
The split is not a stretch at all, it is an exercise that requires complex flexibility, stretching different parts of the body in different directions. It is deflection and tilt at the same time. This requires not only stretched muscles on the legs, but also the muscles of the press and back, and of course the pelvic girdle.
Based on this, when preparing for the split with the help of other exercises, it is important to warm up and stretch not only the legs.
8. The twine is good because it stretches the legs more.
Unlike point 7, where we discussed the fact that the split stretches not only the legs, here we are talking about the effectiveness of the split as a method of stretching.
When we stretch, our body resists unnatural positions in order to protect muscles, blood vessels, ligaments and even skin from stress that can damage them. When we only pull one leg, we are dealing with only one muscle group, and the resistance will be much less, which means that the stretch can be done much more efficiently. The twine is not so effective in this case.
In some styles of movement, the twine is necessary as a basic element, for example, for those who are engaged in pole dance, it is important for performing many other elements. But even if you desperately need this twine, do not neglect the other stretching elements.
9. Splits are the purpose of stretching.
In general, in order to sit comfortably on the twine, you need to be stretched into a twine with over-extension, that is, with your legs open more than 180 degrees. This makes you think that you need to strive not for twine, but for joint openness and healthy, coordinated muscle work, which allows you to do more than just twine.
Do not strive to sit on the twine, strive to develop, and do not limit yourself to the twine. If you are already determined to develop your flexibility, then strive for more, when the twine is just around the corner, remind yourself that for good twine you need a “twine with a minus” - there is nothing outrageous in this.
This is not a mistake at all, of course, but an internal limitation, and the presence of psychological blocks hinders the development of flexibility.
10. The twine should be pulled while sitting on the floor.
There are many alternatives, and they are all twine. The option with sitting on the floor is the most passive and traumatic, because if you are overtaken by the stretch reflex, you will not have time to get out of the splits quickly enough and damage the muscle: it will begin to contract, and the leg is still lying on the floor under the weight of the body, unable to bend.
In addition, if you have had such an injury, then repeated attempts to stretch for a split while sitting on the floor will cause even more muscle resistance, because they already “remember” that this particular position contributed to the injury.
The split can be pulled while lying against the wall, then there is no pressure on the muscles, and this is a better option for those who have had injuries.
The twine can be vertical, so it is convenient to pull it while standing against a wall or in a doorway. Such stretching is more effective and less traumatic, since it requires the activation of the antagonist muscles, and their work forces the stretched muscles to relax.
If you seriously set out to sit on the splits, do not forget that our body requires balanced work and you need to pull everything, not just the legs and hips. Stretching only for twine is like eating only porridge. The result will of course be, but for a healthy body, variety and completeness are important both in nutrition and in exercise. And do not forget - even if this twine is not given to you, you are still perfect, ask any enlightened master!
Tagged with:Comment Cancel reply
Today we will talk about longitudinal splits and the main mistakes that 99% of people make. Throughout my practice, I keep statistics and I can say with confidence that everyone sits on the wrong longitudinal split. Nobody simply informs you how it is correct, how safe, etc. As a rule, stretching "trainers" in various studios frankly do not care how you sit on the split (it is possible that they also do not know how the longitudinal split looks correctly), the main objective sink as low as possible to the floor, and the student's health is not at all important, the main thing is to earn more money, but today is not about that.
If you make all the mistakes listed below in the article, then I can guarantee you that you will get: an injured lower back, sore knees, there may be a sharp pain in the arch of the femur and pelvic bones and many other unpleasant things. If you want to sit on the longitudinal twine correctly and safely, then this article is for you.
Pay attention to the photo below it shows " WRONG "(top)
and "correct" (below) longitudinal twine.
I want to point out that most studios and stretching coaches do not pay attention to these points, although they are fundamental. At correct twine:
1. Your hips should be ALWAYS parallel to your shoulders, not turned out to the side;
2. The heel of the back foot should point upwards towards the ceiling;
3. Body weight is distributed approximately 60 (back) / 40 (front).
Major mistakes:
1. Your hips are turned out and facing out to the side BUT they should be strictly pointing straight where your front foot is facing. You can sit with twisted hips on a longitudinal split, but this can cause injuries to the hip joint, overstretching of the ligaments and tendons. After the "wrong" twine, it is extremely difficult to retrain to the correct position and takes much more strength.
2. If the heel of the back leg looks at the ceiling, then you are doing everything right, if it is turned towards the front leg, then you have wrapped your hips and pull the longitudinal split WRONG !!
3.How else can you determine whether or not you are sitting on the twine correctly? According to my observations, in most cases of incorrect twine, well, as in most cases, in 100/100, when the hips are twisted to the side, then the person tries to sit on the front leg and sit the front buttock on the floor, this is WRONG! At correct position body weight is distributed a little more on the back leg, which allows the quadriceps of the thigh to be laid on the floor, only in this position the twine is considered correct. If you first of all, when approaching the floor, felt the buttock on the floor, and not the thigh of your hind leg, then you are sitting incorrectly and urgently need to correct mistakes. Again, if you are already sitting on the twine, then the body weight is distributed 50/50, if only you are stretching, then the weight should be shifted a little more to the back leg in proportions 65/35 or 70/30.
If you came to the studio and the trainer does not correct you, but simply presses you, only quickly and more to push you to the floor, then my advice to you: run from this studio until you are made disabled. Approach carefully and seriously when choosing a studio and a coach, you are no longer a child with soft joints, ligaments and tendons, you have a long-formed body with tight ligaments, tendons, joints, and therefore the issue of stretching must be approached thoroughly. When stretching, the number one priority for you should be
You met fantastically flexible people that can easily sit on a transverse or longitudinal twine? If desired, a person at any age and with any level can learn to perform almost acrobatic stunts. physical fitness... Of course, you will have to work hard to achieve the result. However, the reward for the athlete will be not only the fulfillment of the cherished dream, but also the health benefits. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most obvious advantages that the ability to sit on the twine gives.
The ability to sit on a twine is an indicator of high elasticity of muscles and ligaments. By regularly and correctly stretching your muscles, you reduce the risk of injury from sports or simple falls. Also, good elasticity will allow the body to recover faster after physical exertion, to quickly cope with pain after exercise.
How long does it take to sit on the twine? It turns out that even with intense training human muscles are stretched 3-4 centimeters per month. By simple calculations and by assessing your physical form and natural flexibility, you can imagine how much you will sit on the twine. The work can take as little as a month or a longer period.
Improving posture
Good flexibility is the key to gracefulness, smoothness of movement. Stretching exercises can strengthen the spine. This means that your back will hurt less, and your gait will become beautiful.
Development of perseverance, endurance
In order to sit on the twine, only one desire is not enough. You need to make a lot of effort, not to quit halfway through classes, overcome the pain and literally win over your body. Along with the development of flexibility, you will work on the ability not to give up in difficult situations, a sense of self-control and endurance.
I am often asked why do I need to sit on the twine? Good stretch is needed not only for the beauty and pride of the athlete. The ability to sit on the twine brings practical benefits to health and well-being:
- Improving blood circulation, the functioning of the pelvic organs, as well as the abdominal cavity.
- Increased mobility of the pelvis, sacral region.
- Prevention of diseases of the genitourinary system.
- Normalization menstrual cycle, good preparation to conception and subsequent childbirth.
- Stretching, improving the spine, preventing scoliosis, improving posture.
- Strengthening the muscles of the press, legs, getting rid of excess weight on foot.
- Reduction of psycho-emotional stress, the appearance of self-confidence, improved mood.
With regular stretching exercises, blood circulation can be improved. The vessels become elastic, which means that the risk of developing varicose veins is reduced. The twine exercise is often recommended for use in training by people already familiar with varicose veins.
Strengthening and increasing joint mobility
This is an especially important plus for women planning to become mothers. Taking care of improving flexibility hip joints, in the future you will be able to facilitate the birth process. And the mobility of the joints will allow you to easily master different sports directions- yoga, dance, gymnastics, body ballet, Pilates, etc. You will not feel any stiffness in your movements.
Stretching and flexibility are directly related to two factors: age and gender. It is believed that it is easier for women to learn to sit on the twine due to their natural flexibility. Also, the fair sex is easier to tolerate physical exercise... As for age, then, of course, children will sit on the twine faster than adults.
The twine landing contributes to the optimal functioning of the digestive system. The pelvic muscles will be in good shape, which plays an important role in the prevention of the onset of diseases of the genitourinary system. You will forget about problems with a chair and give yourself a good feeling. Agree, a nice bonus to a new achievement?
Improving self-esteem
For many people, splitting is one of the most striking sports goals. A good stretch will make you feel freer, more relaxed. Victory over yourself will improve your mood and self-confidence for a long time!
In addition to the undeniable benefits, any stretching, especially, is quite capable of causing injury if performed incorrectly. I doubt that those who want to stretch want to injure themselves or train without getting a result adequate to the effort expended. Therefore, here I will put together a list of the most common and common mistakes when stretching. The points:
Stretching without warming up
The most common mistake. "Cold" muscles are much easier to damage, especially with sudden movements. There is one technique called cold stretching, which is done without preheating. However, it is done very smoothly, with a slow and gradual increase in amplitude, and its main purpose is just to warm up, to the body for full stretching.
Swaying while stretching
Many people think that swinging helps to stretch the muscles more, but sudden movements during stretching can lead to overstretching - with a sharp overload, the body reacts with an automatic contraction muscle fibers to prevent injury, which can lead to small tears in muscle tissue. Such breaks, firstly, are painful, and secondly, they leave scars during healing - this makes the muscle denser and tougher, which affects flexibility for the worse.
Stretching for injuries
It is strongly not recommended to stretch the already damaged ones: most likely, the result will be even greater trauma. If there is severe pain and it does not go away within a few days, you should see a doctor. In general, in my opinion, splits stretching, in principle, should not be accompanied by pain, all the more severe. Although, of course, there are different opinions on this matter. But in general, I think that pain (not strange / unusual or unpleasant sensations!) Is an absolutely unnecessary factor in stretching and only hurts, especially in the long term. If you are still injured, after recovery, you need to return to full-fledged activities extremely slowly and carefully - another reason to be attentive to yourself from the very beginning.
Jerks and jerks
Like swinging, applying excessive force in the hope of achieving faster is more likely to cause injury: muscle and ligament tears. I can say that 7 years ago I already tried to do the splits at home. The first classes went well, and then everything stalled for a long time. To improve the result, I tried to push myself further by force. It helped a couple of times, but in the end I tore a ligament in my left leg and for several years (!) I could not pull anything to this place at all - almost immediately it became very painful. : o ((So be careful with yourself. Better neat swings with a gradual increase in amplitude.
Incorrect body position
The safest mistake. Which, nevertheless, can “eat up” a lot of your time. For example, you think that you can easily sit in a longitudinal split, but in fact you are sitting on your side and your hind leg is twisted sideways with your knee: there is no split as such. Or no matter how much you beat, you do not last the right muscles and / or ligaments - perhaps you are stretching incorrectly, in a position that does not allow you to stretch the parts of the body you need.
I hope this short list will help you stay healthy, improve and enjoy your stretching more. I wish you success!