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Here’s How to Do the Splits Safely
Flexibility is an important aspect of having a well-rounded fitness regimen, and while you certainly don’t need to be a contortionist or a seasoned ballet dancer to fulfill this, working toward being able to do the splits is a great flexibility milestone. Contrary to popular belief, anyone can achieve the splits if they work for it, and you absolutely do not need to be a naturally flexible person to get there. That being said, most people who attempt to do the splits aren’t utilizing the proper form or warmups, which can lead to injury. As such, here are six tips for safely working toward being able to do the splits!
Get in a Good Warm-up – First things first: you never want to stretch your muscles cold, so spend at least a few minutes doing some cardio exercises, bodyweight squats, or leg swings to get the blood flowing. Alternatively, you can do your stretching routine after your normal workout at the gym. (Bonus points if it’s a leg day!)
Focus on the Right Muscles – If you’re brand new to flexibility then it can feel overwhelming trying to figure out which muscles you should focus on to achieve the splits, but fortunately it’s actually relatively simple: the hip flexors and the hamstrings are the primary areas you should be targeting. Try out a lunge stretch for the hip flexors, followed by a half-split stretch for the hamstrings, and hold both for about 30 seconds. Repeat a few times.
Make Sure You Have Proper Form – Getting down into the splits is pretty intuitive and can’t possibly be that complicated, right? Not so fast. It may not seem important at first, but just like with any other athletic endeavor, having proper form will prevent injury. Here’s how to do it correctly: start out in a half-split pose with a yoga block on each side by your hips. Next, sit upright with your back straight while holding onto the blocks and slowly slide your front leg out until it’s as far as it can go without too much discomfort. Now here’s the tricky part: squaring your hips. To do this, imagine your hip bones are headlights. As such, they should be pointed straight out in front of you, rather than out to the side. Only go down in your split as far as you can while still maintaining square hips. (Oh, and don’t forget to repeat all of this on both sides!)
Pay Attention to Any Pain – Stretching is inevitably going to feel uncomfortable at times, but any sudden sharp pain is a sign that you should stop what you’re doing immediately and seek out the advice of a doctor or physical therapist.
Don’t Force it – Luckily you don’t need to force yourself down into a stretch to the point of tears in order to get more flexible. In fact, we highly advise against that. As a general rule of thumb, aim for about 60% of your discomfort threshold when holding a stretch. You’ll see more sustainable results that way and you’ll decrease your chances of getting injured.
Be Consistent and Be Patient – Just like with anything else in life, if you’re working toward a goal you need to be consistent in order to see results. That means sticking to a schedule where you stretch several times a week. And lastly, unless you were already particularly flexible to begin with, don’t expect to get to your goal in two weeks. Achieving flexibility takes time, and that means patience is key!