You can’t even touch your toes but you want to learn how to do the splits?
It looks amazing, but doing the splits requires a lot of flexibility in your hips, quads, and hamstrings. You want to know how to learn to do the splits?
Increasing elasticity of your body takes time and hard work, but if you follow these simple steps and stretches, soon you’ll be ready to do the splits, too. Have fun!
1. Choose the right clothes for your split training
Wear comfortable clothes that are either loose or stretchy and elastic. Also, try to wear socks while practicing, as this will allow your feet to slide along the floor more easily.
2. Warm up your muscles before stretching
Do not stretch cold muscles! It’s absolutely essential that you warm up properly before you start stretches for splits. It helps to prevent pulled muscles and will also help you to get a deeper stretch. Start with 5 to 10 minutes of high knees, jogging, jumping jacks, biking, or dancing. After each stretching session, you should spend some time actually practicing the splits.
3. Practice a daily stretching routine
If you want to do the splits in a week or two, you have to practice a daily stretching routine: 15 minutes, twice a day. It’s easier than you think to include this routine in your everyday life! Stretch while watching TV, studying, or while surfing on the internet.
If you are unsure which exercises to do, we have collected the best stretches for splits in a week (or more) for you:
Split Excercise: Butterfly stretch
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, 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 60 seconds.
Split Excercise: Lunge stretch
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. 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.
Split Excercise: Leg stretch
Lay on your back, your legs on the floor straight in front of you. Lift one leg as straight as you can, reaching your fingers toward your toes, until you feel your quads tighten. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat with the other leg.
Split Excercise: Standing stretch
Simulate the split by standing and stretching your leg on a chair or table. As you feel your hamstrings and hip muscles tighten, hold for 20-30 seconds and then repeat on the other leg.
Breathe while stretching
Remember to breathe slowly and deeply during all stretching exercises. This helps to relax the muscles, promotes blood flow and increases the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles.
The Split Itself
Once the lower part of your body feels bendy, slide your front foot forward, lean back, and slowly lower yourself to the ground, using your hands for balance as you get lower. Do it gradually to avoid injury and if you feel pain, stop immediately, and try the split another time. Keep your hips squared and your toes straight. Don’t lose hope, even if you are unable to do it within two weeks. It’s better to learn how to do the splits safely than to rush the process and hurt yourself.
Continue stretching
Even after you accomplish the splits, continue to stretch. It keeps you in shape! Pushing yourself too hard can lead to strained muscles and other injuries, which will prevent you from achieving the splits anytime soon. If you experience pain, this is a sign that you are forcing yourself too much. Don’t push yourself too far and enjoy doing splits!
