The splits. What are they? The splits are a very impressive feat of flexibility that is very beneficial for a wide variety of activities, including ballet, martial arts, gymnastics, yoga and just everyday life. Training to do the splits can take months or even years of practice for some, but come very easily for others. There is no way to shortcut to the splits, so ready to get stretching? Also splits are a good way of movement. It may be very difficult but keep trying. The one thing you got to remember is to be patient and alway practice your stretches.
1 Do a V-Stretch, aka straddle stretch. This stretch targets your hamstrings, inner thigh, lower back, and calves (but only if you can reach your toes). To do the V-stretch:
Sit down on the floor and spread your legs into a wide V-Shape. Place your feet against the wall if this helps you to achieve a deeper stretch.
Keeping your back as straight as possible, lean to the right and try to touch your right toes with your hands. Don't worry if you can't—just try as hard as possible. Hold this stretch for 30 to 60 seconds, then repeat on your left leg.
Next, extend your arms straight out in front of you, as far as they can go. Try to get your chest to touch the floor. Hold this stretch for 30 to 60 seconds.[1]
2 Touch your toes. Touching your toes, from both a seated and standing position, helps to stretch out your hamstrings and lower back.
To do the stretch while sitting down, sit on your bottom with your legs together and your toes pointing up towards the ceiling. Lean forwards and try to touch your toes. If you can't, grab your ankles. If touching your toes is too easy, try wrapping your hands around the soles of your feet. Hold this stretch for 30 to 60 seconds.
To do the stretch while standing up, stand with your feet together, then lean down and try to touch your toes. Avoid bending your knees and try to keep most of your weight on the balls of your feet instead of on your heels. If you're really flexible, try to get the palms of your hands on the floor. Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds.
3 Do a butterfly stretch. The butterfly stretch works the groin and inner thighs, making it extremely important for the splits.
Sit on the floor and bend your knees until they point outwards and the soles of your feet are pressed together. Try to push your knees as close to the floor as possible (using your elbows if necessary), while drawing your heels as close to the groin as possible.
Sit upright and keep your back as straight as possible. Hold this stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. For a more intense stretch, place your palms on the floor in front of your toes, then try to stretch forward as far as possible.
4 Do a lunge stretch. The lunge stretch helps to loosen your hips, which is necessary for performing a good split.
Get into a lunge position by stepping forward with your right foot and bending both knees until your right thigh is parallel with the ground and your left shin is touching the ground.
Place your hands on your hips and keep your back straight. Gradually shift your weight forwards until you feel a stretch around your hip and the top of your thigh. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds, then repeat on the other leg.[2]
5 Stretch your quads and hamstrings. Your quads and hamstrings are two of the most important muscles involved in the splits, so it's important to get them as flexible as possible. Here are two more useful stretches for these muscles:
To stretch your quads, kneel down in a lunging position, using a pillow to support your back knee if necessary. Keeping your back straight, reach back and grab the foot of your back leg and pull it towards your butt until you feel a good stretch in the quadricep. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then repeat on the other leg.
To stretch your hamstrings, lie down with your back on the floor and your legs propped up against a straight wall. Keeping your lower back on the floor, reach towards your toes until you feel a good stretch (but no pain). Hold for 30 seconds.
1 Warm up before you stretch. It's absolutely essential that you warm up properly before stretching or attempting the splits.
Warming up helps to prevent pulled muscles (which can put you out of action for a while) and will also help you to get a deeper stretch.
You can warm up any way you like, as long as it gets the blood flowing around the body—try doing 5 to 10 minutes of jumping jacks, running around the block, or energetically dancing to your favorite song.
2 Practice for 15 minutes, twice a day. If you want to achieve the splits in a week or less, you're going to have to really commit to your stretching routine.
You have to practice twice a day, without fail, for about 15 minutes at time. If you can get a third 15-minute session in (without pushing yourself too hard) then that's even better.
Try to accomplish other tasks while doing your stretching to make the time go more quickly. Listen to music, do it while watching TV, or while learning something for school—like spellings or math tables.
3 Enlist a friend to help you. Doing any task is easier when you have a friend there to help you and push you to do better.
A friend can help you to stretch and split deeper by pushing down on your shoulders or legs when you're in position. Just make sure that they'll stop immediately if you tell them to—you need to be able to trust them completely!
You could also try to make it a competition to see who can achieve the splits first—this is good motivation to work harder at your stretching.
4 Wear the right clothes. Wearing the right clothes will help you to feel more comfortable and flexible while you stretch, and will also help to prevent clothes from ripping while you're doing the splits.
Wear comfortable athletic clothes that are either loose and baggy, or stretchy and elastic (so they move with your body). Martial arts gear is also a good choice.
One good tip is to wear socks while practicing your splits, as these will allow your feet to slide along the floor more easily, helping you to achieve a deeper stretch.
5 Know your limits. Achieving the splits in a week or less is a pretty difficult task, so it's important that you don't push yourself too hard trying to achieve it -- your safety is more important. You will slow yourself down if you are injured. A good rule of thumb is to only stretch mildly if you wake up sore. Wait a whole day or more if you totally bypassed your limits to do any intense stretching. Prevent needing this by taking it slow and always warming up.
While you're practicing the splits, you should feel a good, intense stretch in your muscles, but you should not feel any pain. If you experience pain, this is a sign that you are pushing yourself too hard.
Pushing yourself too hard can lead to strained muscles and other injuries, which will prevent you from achieving the splits anytime soon (if at all).
Remember that it's better to take your time and achieve the splits safely, than it is to rush and hurt yourself.
Original article and pictures take www.wikihow.com site
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