As the years go by and our body ages, we want to introduce more exercises that will make us more flexible. It’s never too late to develop flexibility, so you’ve probably seen an 80-year-old gymnast at least once do gymnastics like it’s a joke.
Exporting splits can be demanding and painful especially if you haven’t been too active so far. Below we bring you exercises that will prepare your body to perform splits. With these exercises, you will develop enough flexibility for such an endeavor. If you continue to engage in physical activity, you could be fit in a few months.
Flexibility will be most easily achieved in childhood, so it is best from an early age to work with a child to reach their full potential in that part. But no worries, with proper training anyone, can be as flexible as ever. Women will be luckier here because studies show that women are more flexible than men.
But let’s get started with tips and exercises to help you be flexible and finally make splits.
What needs to be done for more flexibility?
First thing, this is not going to happen overnight. Accept that it will take some time for your body to fully get used to the new situation and for you to start believing in yourself. It also depends on what predispositions you have; how open your hips are, did you develop flexibility as a child, do you stretch regularly, how disciplined are you … So, don’t despair if you fail to do splits the next day.
The preparatory exercises for performing splits below are just that, preparatory. So, you can perform these exercises just before performing splits. Your muscles will warm-up and will be ready for action.
Breathing while performing dynamic exercises – inhale through the nose in the first part of the exercise, and exhale through the mouth at the end of the exercise. In all static exercises, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, or breathe continuously.
Preparatory exercises for performing splits
Standing stretching
Stand on the mat, keep your hands close to your body. Start stretching from that standing position. First, spread your legs and lean your chest forward. Make sure your back is straight. Repeat several times, with your arms parallel to the ground. Then return to the starting position (after 5 repetitions). Then, with your legs spread, put your hands on the mat. Pulse your body lightly and try to be in that position for as long as possible. Combine these two exercises.
Sitting stretching
In sitting stretching the biggest focus is on the inner thighs. We want to train the inner side of the thighs to be flexible because it is these muscles that prevent us from performing splits. Gather your feet and place your palms on the feet in front of you. Gently pull your body towards your feet and try to stay in position for as long as possible. After that, sit up straight and flex your muscles by pulling your knees up and down. Combine these two exercises. You can also spread your legs and try to extend your arms as far in front of you as possible.
Lying stretching
In the supine position, the most important thing is to perform a combination of exercises that will stretch your thigh muscles.
Lie on the mat and lift one knee and wrap your arms around it. Hold in that position for a few seconds, then extend your leg in the air, tilting it as much as possible toward your face. Grasp the heel and push the heel towards the floor with your hand. Hold for a few seconds, then return your leg back to the starting position. Repeat this exercise on both legs. Then repeat the same at the same time with both legs, or if you are a beginner and find it a little harder, start by pulling your knees towards you, and then raise and lower your legs, straight out, one at a time.
Stretching and exercising are the only way and path to a twisted and sculpted body. Keep track of your progress, and if you would like a trainer to help you, book an appointment at the gym.
