Split, though one of the simpler acrobatic figures, requires intensive preparation. There are several factors that influence how long you can do it. The most important is the degree of stretching – people who do not do sports regularly need a larger dose of training. Nevertheless, genetic predisposition is important – some have little stretch tendons and in their case longer preparation is necessary. The last issue is age, because the older we are, the less flexible and supple the body is. How to do the splits?
Remember about stretching before doing the split
In trainings preparing for split, not only systematic, but also stretching technique is important. Although it seems that such exercises should not be a problem, many people make mistakes when doing them, which can contribute to injury.
Always warm up before exercising. You need to prepare muscles and tendons for elongation. It’s important not to do anything by force – if you stretch to pain, you will strain your muscles too much. When stretching, relax and exercise so that you feel the pull of the muscle, but not the pain. Start with light stretching, and only then, systematically increase the load.
You can do your split preparations properly throughout the day if you have a sedentary job. The advice is simple – sit apart (if you can). Do not put your foot on your leg, do not cross them. Spread and stretch them, as often as possible, not only at work, but also at home, watching TV, reading a book. Do not give up stretching every day for several minutes.
After some time of systematic stretching, you’ll be ready to try your split.
Start from easy exercises
If you’re just starting out, start with relatively easy exercises. Do not start with splits because it may end with a muscle tear. We suggest starting with pulling the foot to the buttock. Keep the starting position from the previous exercise. Begin slowly pulling the foot of the leg on which you kneel with your hands to the buttock – this way you will stretch the muscles of the front of your thighs very intensively. At the beginning, exercise can be difficult for you, so all you have to do is bend your leg back without pulling it to your buttock. Remember to keep your back straight, do not bend your hips and do not swing sideways. Hold for about 30 seconds and change your leg.
Hurdling up for stretching
Another exercise you can do on your way to full splits is hurdle up. Sit on the floor. Bend your right leg at the right angle so that your foot is behind you. Move your left straight leg to the side (the angle between your thighs should be at least 90 degrees). Keeping your back straight, tilt your torso towards your left leg, put your hand around your foot and hold it in this position for about half a minute. Then unscrew to the bent leg, lean over, grab the knee and hold for another 30 seconds. Repeat the exercise on the other side.
You can take advantage of the challenges available on the Internet – 14 days to split or split in a month etc. You will find many exercises that will positively affect your stretching and ultimately help you make a full split.