Athletic shorts, leggings, track pants, skirt, or sweat pants. Loose t-shirts or tank tops. Skin-tight elastic material - spandex or lycra leotards, dance clothes, etc. Martial arts clothing - karate gi, etc. Socks or tights. You may also go barefoot.
For a front split, lower yourself into a kneeling position with your back straight. Stretch your preferred leg forward in front of you. Your front knee should be straight and your back knee bent so the shin on that leg is resting on the ground. Make sure your back knee and foot are facing the ground and NOT to the side. This is a common mistake and can result in severe injury. For a side split, stand up straight, then take a wide straight-legged stance. Spread your legs slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Relax. Take deep breaths. Think of peaceful, relaxing thoughts. Try not to hold any tension at all in any of your body’s muscles. Believe it or not, there is evidence that relaxation techniques can make a measurable difference in a person’s flexibility, especially if they become a habitual part of a stretching routine. Take a deep breath in and as you let it out go down a little bit farther. [5] X Research source
If you’re attempting a front split, place your hands on the floor and slowly slide your front leg forward until your reach the floor. Point your back toes, as keeping them flexed can prevent you from sliding down properly. You should never excessively twist your lower back. If you’re attempting a side split, allow your legs to spread out to the sides. You will probably need to lean forward and support your weight on your hands at some point. Don’t overdo it. Forcing yourself into a split can cause painful injury that will decrease your ability to flex. Be satisfied with gradual progress. If this means that, for instance, on a given day, you can only go down to a foot off the ground while feeling a decent stretch, don’t go any further.
As your flexibility gets better and better, you may gradually add pillows to increase the angle at which you flex. Be conservative - never add pillows until you’re perfectly comfortable at your current level of flexibility.
Lower back (lumbar region) Buttocks (glutes) Groin (especially valuable for side splits) Calves Quadriceps The stretching recommendations included the following steps in this section will target many of these secondary muscles. However, if desired, you may substitute your own preferred stretches.
Lower back (lumbar region) Buttocks (glutes) Groin (especially valuable for side splits) Calves Quadriceps The stretching recommendations included the following steps in this section will target many of these secondary muscles. However, if desired, you may substitute your own preferred stretches.
Lower back (lumbar region) Buttocks (glutes) Groin (especially valuable for side splits) Calves Quadriceps The stretching recommendations included the following steps in this section will target many of these secondary muscles. However, if desired, you may substitute your own preferred stretches.
You may not initially be able to reach your toes. This is O. K. However, when you can reach your toes, you may grab your foot and gently pull it towards you to stretch your calf.
Alternatively, if you’re worried about putting stress on your knees, you may do a standing quad stretch. [12] X Research source Stand up straight, lift one leg up towards your bottom, then reach back and pull it with the arm that’s on the same side. You may want to brace yourself against a wall with your other hand for balance.
In addition to stretching out your calf muscles, you’ll also get a light ab workout from holding the plank pose.
