Splits are stretches often seen in gymnastics, ballet, cheerleading, yoga and many forms of dance. They require flexibility, precision, patience and plenty of practice, especially if you're learning them at an older age. Although mastering a split might seem hard at first, it's all about consistency. If you practice two methods for about 10 minutes every day, you should be able to do a full split in a month or two.
Warm up your entire body to avoid hurting yourself. Jog for several minutes, then stretch. Stand and bend one knee, bringing your ankle to your butt. Use your hand to pull the ankle, thus stretching your hamstring. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat. Stand and bend your knee to your chest. Wrap your arms around your knee and pull it toward you. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat. Sit on the ground with your legs spread out to the sides and your knees bent in a "butterfly" position. Have your ankles touch. Place your hands on your knees to pull your thighs toward the ground. Hold for 30 seconds, then release.
Stand with one leg in front of the other. Spread the legs as far apart as they will go. Bring your back forward and place your hands on the ground for support. Slowly spread your legs more and more until your pelvis is nearly touching the ground. You will feel your leg muscles stretch, but if you feel any pain, stop before you injure yourself. Take deep breaths as you go.
Lunge forward so that your back leg is fully stretched and your front leg is in a squat position. Instead of keeping your knee perpendicular to the ground, you can bring it forward so that it passes your foot. Place your hands on the ground for support. Take deep breaths and slowly wiggle your front foot forward, stretching the lunge knee until you reach a full split position. Stop if you feel any pain.
Never stretch when your body is cold or you could risk a pulled muscle. Although you will feel your muscles stretch out while you're working on your splits, you should stop immediately if you feel any pain. You should also stop if you hear something funny like a pop or a tear.
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