Quick stretching at home. Stretching exercises: Lifting the leg from a lying position

In order for your body to remain young and beautiful for a long time, you need to constantly work on yourself by doing physical exercises.

We bring to your attention exercises for stretching all muscle groups. Each muscle stretching exercise targets a specific area of your body.

A set of stretching exercises will help you learn how to do stretches correctly. If you do stretching exercises systematically, you will feel the results within a month.

What are the benefits of stretching exercises?

Firstly, muscle stretching exercises will help keep your muscles toned, which means you won’t have to worry about the occurrence of many diseases, such as hernia, slipped discs, etc.

Secondly, your posture will always be beautiful. This is especially important for women.

Thirdly, simple exercises for stretching muscles can replace long workouts in the gym, because they do not require special conditions and a lot of time.

Stretching muscles helps maintain flexibility and mobility of joints, which means you are not afraid of stress.

The set of exercises in pictures is the creation of the famous yoga expert Vicky Timon, who decided to teach everyone how to properly stretch different muscle groups.

Right now you can see how to properly stretch the rectus abdominis muscles, external oblique muscles, internal thigh muscles, stretching the buttocks, lower legs, feet, you will see how to train the muscles of the thighs and back, forearms, lateral, anterior and suboccipital muscles of the neck, etc. d.

In a word, carefully review the stretching exercises for all muscle groups and be sure to try stretching at home.

How to do stretches correctly: exercises to stretch all muscles

1. Stretching the rectus abdominis and external oblique muscles. 2. Stretching the inner thigh muscles.

25. Do a lateral stretch of the external oblique muscles. 26. Exercises for stretching the gluteal and external oblique muscles in a lying position.

Good day to all beginners and those actively continuing! Today we will get acquainted with the phenomenon of stretching and stretching exercises. After reading the article, you will learn how muscle stretching is useful, what mistakes are made when performing them, and most importantly, how to properly relax your muscles.

So, everyone is glued to the blue screens, we begin.

Stretching exercises: what, why and why

According to statistics, most people who visit gyms/fitness rooms do it unconsciously. Those. they come in, download their daily training program into their brains and complete it on autopilot. Due to the fact that the main scourge of modern society is a total lack of time, usually no time is given at all for various preludes in the form of cool-downs and muscle stretching. And really, why waste your precious time on some kind of ancillary exercises - stretching exercises, because this will definitely not make your muscles grow, and everyone knows this. This philosophy is typical for most exercisers and fitness ladies. Moreover, I constantly encounter it in my rocking chair. Whether this is correct, and what place the “utility room” should occupy, we will discuss further.

If you have ever watched professional bodybuilders training (at least through youtube), then you probably noticed that they pay a lot of attention to the correct “rolling in” to the training process. That is, they perform various pulling exercises that, it would seem, have nothing in common with bodybuilding. So why does this happen? Maybe they are pros Do they know some secret, a secret? More likely yes than no.

So, stretching is a set of specialized exercises aimed at developing muscle flexibility and joint mobility.

The main types of stretching are:

static – stretching a muscle at a certain point and holding it in that position;
PNF stretching - you stretch and contract the muscles;
passive - the partner helps (participates) in stretching;
active – stretching without assistance;
ballistic - you use bouncing to force the muscles into deeper tension;
dynamic - you stretch the muscles in a controlled movement at increasing speed.

Note:
At first, use only static stretching.

Stretching Exercises: Key Benefits

The main benefits of muscle stretching include:

increased flexibility, muscle strength and endurance, joint mobility, range of motion, sense of body control;
increasing circulation by sending oxygen and blood to the muscles;
building muscle mass and strength by stretching the fascia (connective tissue covering muscle, tendon, nerve and bone).
reduction of injuries (accelerating their healing) And ,
relieving muscle and joint tension (clamps), relaxing muscles;
blood flow helps flush out waste products and set the muscle up for a new approach;
makes performing strenuous activities easier by conditioning your muscles.

Note:
Mild stretching causes a slight increase in the temperature of the muscle tissue, which in turn increases the threshold for fiber rupture. The function of energy-generating enzymes also improves, which are very important during training, because they give the human body more energy to perform exercises.

As you can see, stretching provides many benefits, both short and long term. Intermediate conclusion: stretching exercises (done properly) are the most effective way to fully connect your mind and body (establish neuromuscular connection), and therefore must be included in the .

Stretching exercises: theory

Now let's look at the main calculations regarding stretching.

No. 1. Stretching muscles does not release growth hormone

No, it does not relate to the activity that triggers synthesis, but it prepares the entire body well for such release exercises.

No. 2. Stretching helps combat hardening of the arteries

Scientific research has shown that long-term stretching (in the form of yoga) with moderate aerobic exercise and diet control can lower cholesterol and significantly reverse hardening of the arteries in adults. (before 20% regression) if they have a similar disease.

No. 3. New research and new rules

Many trainers say that there is no such thing as too much stretching. However, the results of recent studies show that athletes of active sports (football, basketball, etc.) Immediately before the game, you should not perform long stretching procedures, because this temporarily slows muscle activation. Prolonged stretching (near 20 minutes) reduces strength for up to one hour after a sprain and slightly reduces muscle activation.

Now let's delve a little deeper into the science and figure out how does stretching affect muscle growth?

Undoubtedly, professional bodybuilders know many secrets in building impressive volumes, and one of them is stretching. It plays an important role in the formation of muscle mass and here's why.

Every muscle in your body is encased in a special sack of tough connective tissue known as fascia. It is important for keeping the muscle in place.

Not many people know, but fascia can inhibit muscle growth. Just imagine the situation - you are actively working in the gym, you eat abundantly, your muscles want to grow, but they do not have such an opportunity, something is holding them back. And this something is tough fascia that does not allow the muscle to expand. This phenomenon can be compared to squeezing a large chest pillow into a small pillowcase.

Conclusion: Muscle size will not change no matter how well you train or eat, because... The connective tissue around your muscles is tightly compressed.

The best example of this phenomenon is the calf muscles. The lower leg is simply riddled with fascia, thanks to the enormous amount of walking work and heavy lifting duties. It is because of the “clogging” of the fascia that many athletes are unable to develop impressive calves. The solution to this situation is stretching exercises.

In the process of stretching (under certain conditions) You can stretch the fascia and give the muscles more room to grow. Now I will reveal one of the main secrets of bodybuilders - the key to effective stretching of the fascia is. The best time to stretch is when your muscles are as engorged as possible. During extreme pumping, the muscles put pressure on the fascia (from the inside, as if pushing it apart). At this time, you seriously increase the pressure on the fascia, which can lead to its expansion.

Note (secret secret):
One of the main reasons that Arnold Schwarzenegger had incredibly developed chest was that he finished his workout with dumbbell flyes - an exercise that emphasizes the stretched position of the pectoral muscles. He bombed his chest in pump mode (beat her to capacity with blood), and then lay down on a horizontal bench and did fly-ups, keeping the stretch in the lower phase. This allowed him to acquire XXXL size breasts :).

Fascial stretching is slightly different from the usual one, but it is this one (the first one) that gives the most impressive results. When you stretch the fascia, you should feel a powerful pulling pain and pressure - this is the muscle working against the fascia. Make sure you don't stretch in a way that causes the muscle to tear or cause injury.

You will quickly learn to feel the difference between a good and a bad stretch. The main rule here is stable stretching, and not a feeling of acute pain. Hold each stretch for at least 20 before 30 seconds This will give you time to “touch” the fascia in the area.

Note:
Remember, if the muscles are not “pumped,” then stretching will proceed easily and calmly, otherwise stretching will be quite difficult.

Let's sum up this whole crap part: one set of stretching after each set that you do for a muscle group, in addition to the obvious benefits in developing flexibility, can have an incredible effect on the size of your muscles and their further ability to grow.

Well, it's time to move on to the practical part, namely...

How to properly stretch muscles: the best stretching exercises

I would like to start this subchapter with a visual component that clearly demonstrates the phenomenon of muscle stretching. Compare two images that show the same muscle group, the biceps brachii.

As you can see, the first one is much shorter and slightly overhanging, the second one has a stretched, long biceps. It turns out that the longer it is, the more space there is for growth, so it can grow more powerful (higher, more voluminous).

Not many people know how to properly stretch muscles, and all this is due to ignorance of basic postulates and recommendations, which include:

warming up (increase in body temperature) before anaerobic training and stretching is a basic rule;
It is necessary to stretch all major muscle groups (especially those that will be worked on during training) systematically moving from one to another;
Stretching should be done after warm-up and after training, and if you work in the pumping style, then after each set;
studies have shown that the best time to hold a stretch is a period of 30 seconds;
You must approach the extended position slowly and carefully, without sudden movements;
breathing when stretching should be slow and deep;
only after 4-6 weeks from the moment you start stretching, your body will agree to increase flexibility;
3-5 minutes of stretching after a workout will allow you to “wash” the floors of the remaining lactic acid from the muscles and return them to normal mode for everyday activities.

As examples of stretching exercises, we will consider two types of stretching: active with weights and static. Let's start in order.

No. 1. Active stretching with weights

It consists in the fact that you carry out your usual training program, but with a small “BUT” - the muscles work only in a fully stretched position. The following visual will serve as a good example:

Dumbbell flyes on an inclined (upward angle) bench to stretch the chest muscles.

Pullover with dumbbell for lats.

Seated barbell curls (Scott bench) for biceps.

French press for triceps.

Shrugs for shoulders and trapezius.

For the hamstrings and lower back.

Lunges for quadriceps.

Calf raises for calf muscles.

Each of these exercises will allow you to lower the weight all the way down and really feel a deep stretch in the target muscles with each repetition. The effect of stretching can be increased by delaying (for a few seconds) in the bottom position.

Note:
Human muscles can stretch up to 150% its length.

Next in line is...

No. 2. Static stretch

A classic of the genre, familiar to most people who visit gyms/fitness rooms. You do static stretching to the point of discomfort, and then maintain the stretching state for 30 seconds Once your body gets used to this procedure, it will increase its pain threshold, allowing you to stretch deeper and longer.

Here are some exercises you can do during your workout: (before/after/during):

Pectoralis major and minor muscles (rotation of the body, failure of m / u supports, stretching with a wall bars).

Back muscles (hanging on the crossbar, tilting the body to the side while holding the support, praying on the knees).

Muscles of the neck and shoulders (side bends, horizontal adduction, lock behind the back).

Arm muscles: biceps and triceps (vertical stretch, hanging on the bar with a supinated grip, hyperextension of the arm behind the head).

Arm muscles: forearms and hands (frontal extension of the fingers, bending the fingers from the lock position, bending the fingers of the other hand).

Leg muscle group: quadriceps (knee flexion, hip flexion with knee support) and hamstrings (hip extension with knee extended).

Muscle group of the leg: calf muscles (stretching hands to legs while sitting, stretching with emphasis on the heel).

(lying hip rotation, standing hip adduction, hip flexion and internal rotation).

(hip abduction sitting/on knees, with emphasis on knees).

Abdominal muscles: rectus/oblique (lying position on the stomach with emphasis on the elbows, side slope with support for support, bridge, bending to the side while holding the body bar).

Actually, these are all stretching exercises , which I would like to talk about, and which are enough for you to do stretches properly :).

Afterword

Many people underestimate stretching and rarely use it in their training program. However, you, my dear readers, now know what its strength is, and why this tool should be in the arsenal of people who want to build good muscle volume.

That's all, I'm glad that you spent this time usefully and moved one more step towards your goal - the sculpted body of your dreams!

PS. Don't forget about feedback through comments, I'm always glad to hear from you.

P.P.S. Did the project help? Then leave a link to it in your social network status - plus 100 points towards karma, guaranteed.

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

Ecology of consumption. Fitness and sports: How many times have many of us told ourselves about our lack of flexibility, our inability to attend hour-long stretching classes, our inability to do yoga...

How many times have many of us told ourselves about our lack of flexibility, our inability to attend hour-long stretching classes, our inability to do yoga. It's OK. Doing yoga is, of course, not like drinking a cup of tea.

But it's possible to achieve great stretching success without having to chant "ommmmm" or sit and sweat in a yoga class (though it really wouldn't hurt to try a few times to see if many of the misconceptions are debunked).

The conditions of modern life lead to emotional and physical stress. Sitting at a desk all day brings no favors and does no good to the lower back or hips.

1. Runner's Lunge

If you have to sit all day or, conversely, run errands, this can have a detrimental effect on the hips (this is the part of the leg located between the pelvis and the knee). This is especially true for men, because stretch marks are definitely not in their favor.

Exercises with lunges will help correct the position.

Stand up straight and lean forward so that you can rest your fingers or palms on the floor. Take a wide step back with one leg as far as possible, while simultaneously bending the other leg at the knee. You need to achieve such a position that the bent knee makes an angle of 90 degrees, and the knee itself should be above the toes - no further.

Breathe evenly, distribute your weight between both legs and try to “sink” your hips a little lower. Stay in this position for 30 seconds.

Repeat 2-3 times for each leg.

2. Lateral bend

Stretches for each side of the body from head to toe. There is no stretch more effective and easier than this. It relaxes the entire body, providing a much-needed break from the monotony of the workday. You just need to get up and try.

Standing with your feet together, extend your arms up above your head, palms together. Inhale and bend your body to the right, pressing your thighs tightly against each other. Lengthen your body on one side without bending forward or backward. Wait a minute, return to the starting position, then stretch another part of the body.

Continue side stretches 5–10 times on each side.

3. Seated hamstring stretch

These biceps muscles are located along the posterior lateral edge of the thighs. Together with other muscles, they participate in extension of the torso and rotation of the lower leg. The thigh muscles are quite stubborn. No matter how designed and stretched they are, they will always resist stretch marks. And the more you pull them, the harder they will try to get back. Therefore, all movements are performed carefully and slowly. The easiest way to do this is sitting on the floor with your legs extended.

Press your left foot toward your right thigh. Exhale and stretch your arms up as straight as possible. Exhaling, bend towards the extended right leg, helping with your hands to bend as close as possible. Depending on the level of stretch, you can grab your shin, ankle, foot, or big toe. Slowly straighten up, taking a short pause, and bend over again, trying to get a little closer to the thigh.

Repeat 5 times, then switch to the second leg.

4. Goddess Squats

This pose is unique to the hips, including the inner thighs. The exercise is performed in a standing position, and you can do it anywhere without worrying about the cleanliness of the floor.

Spread your legs as wide as possible with your toes outward and heels inward. Slowly lower your hips closer to the floor. Then raise your arms to the sides, forming a “T” with your shoulders. Straighten your legs while raising your arms above your head. Exhale and “sink” your hips back, while simultaneously lowering your arms to shoulder height.

Repeat at least 10 times.

5. Upper Back Stretch

This exercise is especially beneficial for people whose neck, shoulders, and upper back are constantly tense due to stress. The exercise relaxes the upper body by stretching the shoulders, neck, upper arms and back.

Get on your knees and bend over, resting your hands on the floor. Continuing to lean with your left hand, the right hand is directed with a sliding movement along the floor between the left knee and left hand, while simultaneously turning the torso in the same direction. Turn around until your right shoulder and head are comfortably on the floor. Inhale and lift your right arm up, extending it straight away from your shoulder. Take a couple of breaths in this position and come out of this pose as slowly as you entered it. Then switch to the other side.

6. Spinal stretch

If the spine is flexible and mobile, then blood flows through the body easily. The exercise allows you to open the chest, strengthen the lungs and stretch the front surface of the body, and solve some problems with poor balance.

Sitting on your knees, place the ball behind you and, holding it, lean back until your upper back rests on it. Extend your arms behind your head towards the floor. Synchronize the exercise with breathing: inhaling to roll onto the ball, exhaling to roll back.

The number of repetitions depends on how you feel.

7. Standing Hip Stretch

And again the hips. It is so important that their muscles are elastic. This exercise is another way to achieve the desired result.

Stand up straight. Slowly raise your right knee. Grab your foot with your left hand and bring it in front of your left knee. With your right hand, grab the leg you are lifting from below by the ankle and lift it as high as possible. At the top point, inhale and try to straighten your upper body. Take a few breaths, then slowly lower your leg and move on to stretching the other leg.

8. Quadriceps Stretch

While doing this exercise, keep the muscles surrounding your knee relaxed to avoid pain.

Lie on your stomach, placing your hands under your forehead and creating a pillow for yourself. Bend your right leg so that your foot approaches your right buttock. Pull your right hand back and grab your leg, trying to pull your foot to your buttock as close as possible. If you cannot reach it with your hand, help yourself with a towel or belt.

Hold this position for 15 seconds, then repeat with the other leg and arm.

9. Cobra Pose

Strengthens the shoulders, abdominals, lungs, spine and buttocks. During exercise, body temperature rises and warmed muscles stretch more easily.

Lie face down with your thighs, shins, feet and toes firmly pressed to the floor. Bend your arms at the elbows and place them along your body so that your palms are under your shoulders. As you inhale, begin to slowly lift your chest, pressing your palms firmly to the floor and straightening your elbows. Make sure your upper back and shoulder blades are raised as high as possible.

Freeze in this position for 10–30 seconds, slightly tensing your buttocks. Exhale and slowly lower yourself to the floor.

Repeat 3 times.

10. Happy child

This is an ideal pose for relieving stress and fatigue, calming the mind, and is great for stretching the upper thigh and inner groin areas.

Lie on your back and bend your knees, pulling them to your chest and spreading your knees approximately shoulder-width apart. Hold your heels with your hands so that your elbows pass between your legs near the inner surface of your knees. Exhale and pull your legs by your heels with your hands so that your knees are as close to the floor as possible.

If you feel comfortable, sway slightly from side to side, massaging the lumbar spine. Stay in this position for about a minute, making sure your breathing is even.

11. Up the Wall

This exercise is the best for completing a complex of stretches. It helps you relax because you spent the whole day in an upright position with your head much higher than your feet. The exercise changes positioning, helping blood flow away from them.

Lie with your back on the floor, pressing the back of your thighs as close to the wall as possible and placing your legs raised up on it. If there is no free wall, you can use any vertical element.

Try to keep the angle between your legs and torso as close to 90 degrees as possible. Place your hands back behind your head. Take a deep breath and exhale the same way, relax, stay in this position for about a minute.

Any of the following simple exercises is effective for stretching. Some are easier to perform, some are more complex, but by doing any of them you can be convinced that yoga is not that difficult. But the joints remain mobile and the muscles elastic. published

Each type of physical exercise has its own benefits for the body. Stretching exercises, which have recently gained popularity, are no exception. A whole trend in fitness is dedicated to them - stretching.

The benefits of stretching exercises

By regularly performing stretching exercises, you will increase the elasticity of your ligaments and tendons, as well as the mobility of your joints. During stretching, the muscles are effectively supplied with blood and nutrients, which allows them to maintain firmness and elasticity for a long time. They improve posture, make the body slimmer, more graceful and flexible.

Muscle stretching exercises are a good way to combat salt deposits and prevent hypokinesia and osteoporosis. They relieve mental stress, relax, relieve fatigue and slow down the aging process.

Rules for performing stretching exercises

Stretching classes should be preceded by a warm-up. Intense aerobic exercise, such as dancing, jumping, is ideal.
You should not experience pain while performing the exercises. There is no need to be diligent and stretch too hard.
When stretching, do not spring; it is better to perform “holds”.
You should stay in each pose for 10-30 seconds. During this time, any tension should disappear.
All exercises must be performed for each side.
When stretching any part of the body, try to concentrate all your attention on it.
During training, watch your breathing. Never hold it in, but don’t rush to exhale either. Ideally, breathing should be deep and measured.

A set of stretching exercises

There are many types of muscle stretching exercises, some of them are simple and suitable even for children. Others are incredibly complex and therefore can only be done by professionals. We will consider a complex that is suitable for beginners.

Neck muscle stretch

1. Stand up straight and spread your legs. Place your palm on your head and, pressing lightly with your hand, try to reach your shoulder with your ear. Repeat the movement in the other direction.

2. Place your palm on your head again. Lightly pressing your head with your hand, tilt it to the side and forward, as if you were trying to reach your collarbone with your chin.

3. Place both palms on the back of your head. Lightly pressing them on your head, pull your chin towards your chest.

Chest stretch

1. Stand up straight with your feet slightly apart. Raise your arms to shoulder level and spread them out to the sides. Smoothly move your palms back to the maximum possible distance.

2. Stand sideways, one step away from the wall and place your palm against it, with your palm at the same level as your shoulder. Turn your body as if you were turning away from the wall.

3. Get on your knees. Straighten your arms, bend over and place your palms on the floor. In this case, the shins and thighs should be at right angles.

Back muscle stretching

1. Stand up straight with your legs slightly apart and bent. Lean forward, place your palms under your knees, and then round your back.

2. Standing on all fours, walk your arms slightly forward and to the side, and tilt your body in the same direction. Try to touch the floor with your elbows.

3. Standing on all fours, round your back upward. Hold the position briefly and then bend down.

Leg muscle stretching

All exercises must be performed for one leg, then for the other.

1. Sit on the floor and straighten your leg. Bend your left leg and place your foot on the outside of the knee of your other leg. Place the elbow of your right hand on the knee of your left leg, and rest your left palm on the floor behind you. While pressing on the knee with your elbow, pull the thigh muscles.

2. From a sitting position, stretch your right leg back and place your left leg in front of you, bending the knee. Bend your torso forward, trying to touch the floor with your elbows.

Reading time: 14 minutes

Doing the splits is a dream of many people from early childhood. But even if you have good flexibility, without preparatory exercises, doing the longitudinal splits will not only be difficult, but also risky: you can pull muscles and get injured.

We offer you the best exercises for longitudinal splits, which will allow you to gently and painlessly stretch your muscles and joints. Regular deep stretching will help you get into the splits quickly, even if you've never done it before.

10 rules for stretching for longitudinal splits

Stretching can be done only after a good warm-up. Any cardio for 20-30 minutes is suitable as a warm-up. Before stretching into the splits, you should feel that your body is warmed up.
If you want to quickly do the longitudinal splits, then try to stretch twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. Morning stretching, although difficult, is very effective. In the evening you will be able to stretch easier - by the end of the day your muscles will be more pliable and flexible.
Exercises for longitudinal splits are best performed in static poses. Try to use up-and-down pulsating exercises to a minimum, as this can lead to sprains.
Hold each pose for at least 30 seconds. You can gradually increase both the duration of the exercises and the range of motion.
While stretching, you need to focus on the sensations in your body. You should feel a gentle stretch in the muscles, but not pain. If you feel sharp pain, reduce the amplitude of the exercise or stop exercising.
If you are stretching in a cool room, dress warmly. Even after a good warm-up, muscles tend to quickly cool down at low room temperatures, and this makes stretching difficult.
When performing longitudinal split exercises, always keep your back straight, don't round it. Pull the top of your head up and when bending, try to lower yourself to your feet with your stomach, not your head.
You can record the results with a centimeter tape, measuring the distance from the groin area to the floor surface at the moment of maximum stretching.
If you neglect stretching for a few days, be prepared to fall back in results. The most important thing in stretching for splits is regularity.
Don't put yourself no specific deadlines for splits (week, month, three months). Everyone has different physiology, so someone can do the longitudinal splits quickly, while others will need a year of regular training to achieve results.

If you want to do the splits faster, you can purchase additional tools for effective stretching. For example, split stretching machine. Stretching on the simulator is very convenient and comfortable - you do not need external pressure or holding positions. Using a stretching machine will keep your muscles relaxed and more pliable for stretching.

10 exercises for stretching and warming up before the splits

We offer you a ready-made version of warming up and warming up before the splits, which will help you conduct your splits training much more effectively. Stretch on a warm body is much easier and more enjoyable! Be sure to warm up before each splits workout.

The number of repetitions on one side is indicated for each exercise. For example, the first exercise is walking in place with knees raised. You should perform 20 leg raises with your right leg, 20 leg raises with your left leg, for a total of 40 repetitions. You can increase the number of repetitions at your discretion (decreasing is not recommended!). If you feel that after doing the exercises you haven’t warmed up enough, repeat the complex again.

1. Walking in place with knees raised : 20 reps

2. Swing to your feet : 20 reps

3. Rotations for the hip joints : 20 reps

4. Side lunge : 15 reps

5. Tilt towards the leg : 15 reps

6. Back Squat: 20 reps

7. Back lunges : 10 reps

8. Jumping rope: 40 reps

: 40 reps each (just count to 80 in sync with the movement)

10. Jumps with arms and legs raised: 35 reps

We remind you once again that before performing longitudinal splits exercises, be sure to warm up well. Performing these exercises without warming up is fraught with dangerous injuries and sprains, and this will delay your dream of doing the splits for a long time.

How to do the longitudinal splits: technique

If you have already completed the preparatory exercises, then You can try doing the longitudinal splits. You will need two blocks or a stack of books. If you're flexible enough, you won't need blocks.

1. Kneel with your front leg pointed forward at a 90-degree angle and the toe of your back foot touching the floor. Straighten your back, tighten your stomach, straighten your shoulders. The pelvic bones should be in one line and point straight forward. Inhale and as you exhale, begin to gradually move your legs apart in different directions, lowering your pelvis down.

2. Reach the extreme tolerable position and freeze. As soon as your pelvis has dropped low enough, hold the floor with your hands and stretch your legs at the knees.

3. Gradually, step by step, you will be able to do the longitudinal splits.

4. Carefully come out of the split position. Stretch your legs forward in front of you, shake them a little to get rid of tension. Perform a similar exercise on the other leg.

Screenshots in the article are used from the official YouTube channel of Olga Sagay.

With high-quality performance of longitudinal splits exercises, you will definitely reach your goal. Longitudinal splits are available to absolutely everyone at any age, regardless of innate flexibility. But some will need more time to stretch, others less. It depends on both genetic characteristics and sports background.