One thing a lot of people want to do, and a goal for a lot of people on their flexibility journey is to learn how to do the splits.
There is a common misconception that you can not learn how to do the splits, however, for most people, this is something which you can learn, however, it will take time and dedication.
In this guide we will go over exactly how you can go from not being able to do front splits at all, to being able to do them when you want.
A big disclaimer though, this is not something which most people can learn quickly, and it is something you gradually need to work towards, especially if you want to avoid hurting yourself.
This journey can be started by anyone, even if they have incredibly bad flexibility, or if you have stiff muscles as well.
There is another misconception that if you do exercises like weight training that stiffen you up that you will not be able to be flexible enough to do the splits, but this is another misconception.
If you commonly feel uncomfortable when you have your limbs stretched in a certain position which should be comfortable, like crossing legs, then there is a chance you should work towards improving your flexibility.
Learning to do the splits like this is a great way to work towards improving your overall flexibility as well, so having this end goal to work towards can be very useful.
However, make sure that on this journey you are not rushing and focusing on technique!
Before Stretching
Before you start properly attempting to stretch every day it could work to just start stretching regularly and find a way to fit this into your routine. This could work a lot better at getting you started than trying to start a routine immediately.
We recommend trying to get in a good stretching session about twice a week, and if you work out, try doing it afterwards as this is the best time to do it.
If you do not work out like that, then we recommend doing it after or before activities that involve physical exertion, like a long walk for example.
After you finish stretching this is when we recommend you start trying to do a front splits.
At this point you will likely not be able to get close, however, this is when you can start taking early progress pictures.
If you are struggling to get a good progress picture, we recommend using the timer feature on your camera to ensure that you are not having to balance focus with the camera and the splits.
At this point you will realize just how important warming up will be and how much the prior stretching will aid in getting further down with the front splits.
While not everyone feels comfortable doing progress pictures, they are a great way to see how far you have come and they are great for motivation!
You do not have to start a consistent stretching routine at this point, and we recommend easing yourself in by doing this biweekly stretching and occasional testing of the splits once you are done.
Make sure that you are doing the proper stretches that your body is warmed up.
For example, make sure that your hamstrings are getting warmed up since these are quite at risk when you are stretching this much.
Ensure that you are looking after yourself when you are not practicing your stretching as getting hurt can completely stump your growth and this can be massively discouraging!
In other forms of exercise like weight training, there is an expectation to push yourself and this can help you when it comes to getting results, however, this does not really work when it comes to training your flexibility.
When it comes to pushing your range of motion, this can be incredibly dangerous, so you want to make sure that you are treating your body well! Once you feel like you have built yourself up, there are more specific steps you can take!
The Journey
One of the best ways to improve on your flexibility, and to finally reach the point where you can get into the front splits, is to learn an activity which prioritizes flexibility.
These activities will often have sessions dedicated to improving your flexibility and these can be great at helping you get to your goal.
You will realize that your strength and your mobility are hand in hand, and that if you do too much to make yourself stiff, this will end up limiting your range of motion.
The flexibility prioritizing activities will nearly always have a focus on breathing technique, this is especially prevalent in yoga.
Once you understand how important breathing is, this will help you understand how to better control your flexibility, and not be as tense.
This is also the point we recommend that you start stretching every night so you can keep up the good habit as your body will be more used to the stretching at this point.
You can use other tools to improve your form like yoga blocks which are massively useful. You will also need to be patient when you are working with your body too.
If you keep testing the splits, then after a few months with consistent training you should be able to make contact and reach the floor with your splits!
Summary – What You Will Learn
Once you first manage to get into the splits it will take a while to warm up to get to this point, but after you keep training, you will be able to do this in as little as 5 minutes, but again, do not rush.
You also want to make sure you understand what good pain and bad pain is when you are stretching, otherwise you could end up hurting yourself.
Also, once you have reached your goal, make sure to keep up the habit by finding a way to incorporate stretching into your routine consistently!
I created this website to help newcomers to yoga and enthusiasts alike, and to share our common passions for yoga.
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