Stretching at home for splits is an integral part of training, thanks to which you will quickly achieve the desired result.

Stretching at home for the splits is an integral part of the workout, thanks to which you will quickly achieve the desired result and at the same time maintain your health. In addition, such exercises will improve the condition of the genitourinary system, spine and intestines. Also, splits are good preparation for expectant mothers (including those who are just planning a pregnancy).

Psychological preparation

Every person wants to achieve the desired result as quickly as possible. Therefore, a completely logical question arises: how long will it take me to do the splits?

This depends on several factors:

• age;
• gender (girls are genetically more flexible than boys);
• genetics;
• muscle coordination;
• warm-up intensity;
• initial flexibility;
• correct stretching exercises.

Also an important factor is the mindset with which you train. To achieve a similar result, the structure of muscles, ligaments and joints must change in the human body. The duration of this process depends on your age and level of preparation. For example, children will do the splits much faster than adults, since their bodies are not fully formed.

Advice! The most important thing to achieve your goal is not to try to achieve the desired result in a day or two. Before each workout, set yourself up for the fact that today you will do all the exercises a little better than yesterday. As a result, you are guaranteed to do the splits.

To achieve success, be sure to keep a training diary. According to research results, this psychological moment, which has nothing to do with physiology, really works. In addition, thanks to the recordings, you will be able to see your progress, which, in turn, will help you not to give up at a crucial moment.

Physical training

To avoid harming yourself when doing exercises, you need to warm up your body and muscles. One of the best ways to do this is a joint warm-up mixed with push-ups and squats at a fast pace. The fact is that such training improves muscle coordination. The effect is so subtle at first, but in the end it will bring enormous benefits.

Let's look at an example. During push-ups, the triceps are involved. However, as you perform, you can feel your biceps tightening. This involvement of other muscles is precisely indicative of poor muscle coordination. The same thing happens during stretching - often it is precisely these “helpers” that prevent you from doing the splits.

To perform joint warm-up in all large joints, you need to perform circular movements at the maximum possible amplitude. Movements are performed 15-20 times in each direction.

Advice! To achieve the maximum effect, you need to perform a joint warm-up from top to bottom: first the cervical spine, then the wrist joints, elbow joints, shoulder girdle, lumbar spine, body, ankle, pelvis and knees.

You can also warm up your muscles by running on a treadmill, cycling and jumping (with or without a jump rope). However, these exercises will not improve the muscle coordination needed for the splits. Therefore, it is best to prepare for exercises with a joint warm-up.

How to get the most out of stretching exercises?

To do this you need:

• breathe correctly;
• perform exercises correctly;
• perform each exercise slowly and smoothly;
• perform each stretching exercise for more than 30 seconds;
• choose the right time to do the exercises;
• use different exercises;
• stretch evenly.

What does this look like in practice? At the moment of maximum tension when stretching, take a deep breath and hold your breath a little. As a result, you will feel your muscles giving in and relaxing. When performing the exercises, you must strictly adhere to the written instructions. Follow the golden rule of stretching at home: stretch where it hurts until it stops.

To achieve the desired result, you need to spend at least 30 seconds on each exercise. In this regard, the rule applies: the more, the better. However, every person has a psychological barrier that makes it difficult for him to remain in one position (even in the absence of pain). To achieve the desired result, you need to fight it.

Advice! To get the maximum effect, you need to train in the morning. One hour of stretching in the morning is equivalent to three hours in the evening.

Stretching exercises should be as varied as possible. Often, beginners cannot do the splits due to a couple of unstretched muscles, while their overall flexibility is above average. Even stretching will help you achieve the desired result faster. If you have stretched one muscle group well, it will definitely help when performing other exercises.

Let's do the splits

There are several types of twine:

• longitudinal;
• transverse;
• sagging;
• vertical;
• on hands.

For each of them you need to perform certain exercises.

Advice!The best way to achieve the desired result and improve your health is to move from simple to complex. In other words, you need to first master the longitudinal split, and then begin to study the transverse, sagging, vertical and arm splits. Jumping from step one to step three can cause muscle damage or injury.

Exercises for longitudinal splits

Since the longitudinal split uses the same muscles that work when walking, it is the easiest to sit on. To do this you need to do the following exercises:

Lunge one leg forward and bend your knee so that your foot is perpendicular to the floor. Place your palms on both sides of the floor, keep your head straight, look forward and spring back for one minute. To do this, use your palms and perineal muscles.

While in the pose described above, straighten your body, arch your back, raise your arms and stretch as high as possible. This exercise stretches your legs and strengthens your perineal muscles. Breathing should be smooth and your face should be relaxed.

Place your back leg on your knee while the other leg is perpendicular to the floor. Place your palms (or fists, whichever is more convenient for you) on your lower back and bend back. When performing this exercise, you can throw your head back or keep it straight.

Return to the original position (exercise No. 1). Place your palms on either side of your bent knees, with your fingers facing each other. Stretch your chest toward the floor. When performing this exercise, your upper torso should be parallel to the floor.

Take the same position as in the previous exercise, only stretch your chest and chin towards the floor.

Return to the original position. Gradually bring the knee of your “back” leg closer to the floor.

Advice! When performing each exercise, pay attention to your breathing and technique. Each time you do it better and better, and eventually you will do the splits.

We sit on the cross splits

To master cross splits, do the following exercises:

• Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and place your hands on your lower back. Slowly bend back, trying to see your heels. If you put your hands on your stomach while doing this, your abdominal muscles will be additionally worked.

• Straighten up, place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and restore your breathing. Then lean forward so that your back is parallel to the floor. Your arms should be extended (for convenience, you can close them in a lock). Look ahead.
• Spread your legs so that your head and elbows fit between them. Next, bend down and place your palms on the floor. When performing the exercise, do not strain your back or neck. It is also forbidden to bend your knees. Rock back and forth slowly.
• Perform the previous exercise, but using your forearms.
• Stretch your arms up, turn your toes out and spread your legs wide.
• Perform a deep squat. In this case, the back should be relaxed and straight, and the knees should be widely spaced to the sides. Start with 8 sets and increase over time.
• Take the same pose as in the previous exercise. While squatting, hold for 30 seconds and then rise up. Please note: this exercise may not be easy for beginners.
• Perform side lunges. When the exercise becomes easy, grab your ankles and pull towards the floor. Start with 8 sets and increase every 2 weeks.

• Place your legs as wide as possible and lean forward so that your back is parallel to the floor. In this case, you can lean on your elbows. Watch your breathing: the muscles should tense as you enter, and relax as you exhale.
• Do the same as in the previous exercise. Slowly lower your perineum and stomach to the floor. Once this has been achieved, gradually straighten your pelvis, place your feet on your heels and straighten your back.

Advice! Do not underestimate preparatory exercises - they also have great benefits for the body. You can start mastering the following types of twine only after you have learned how to ideally sit on the longitudinal and transverse ones.

Nutrition

Proper nutrition will also help you achieve your goals faster and strengthen strained muscles. In this regard, one of the best remedies is fish oil. It is also recommended to add Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty amino acids to your diet. Consume flaxseed oil, nuts and eggs regularly.

Also an important factor is maintaining water balance in the body. You need to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. Add juicy fruits to your diet. To achieve the desired result faster, stop consuming salt. It can be replaced with seaweed, lemon juice, herbs and natural seasonings.

• carrot;
• nuts;
• spinach;
• meat;
• seafood;
• legumes;
• citrus fruit ;
• berries (blueberries, blackberries, cherries and raspberries).

Advice! To prevent inflammation in the joints, add vitamin complexes or foods high in calcium to your diet. At the same time, the body’s recovery should be uniform, so you need to eat protein foods throughout the day.

Summary

Proper stretching at home will help you do the splits. To do this you need to follow the basic rules:

• breathe correctly;
• perform exercises technically correctly and smoothly;
• stretching each muscle group should last at least 30 seconds;
• flexibly stretch;
• exercise in the morning.

Proper nutrition is also an important factor. It is necessary to exclude salt from the diet and add calcium-containing foods, berries, citrus fruits, carrots, nuts and spinach to it.

Before you start training, you need to prepare your body well. To do this, use the same joint exercises mixed with push-ups and squats at a fast pace. As a result, you will improve muscle coordination, without which it is impossible to do the splits.

Advice! Even with technically competent execution of the exercises, it is impossible to achieve the desired result if you are not psychologically tuned to the training. The best way to fix this is to keep a diary in which you record your successes and achievements every day. As a result, you will be able to monitor your progress.

And most importantly, don't compare yourself to others. The time it takes for you to do the splits depends on many conditions: initial physical fitness, age, gender, and so on. It will be better if you compare yourself with yesterday's self. Such measures will help you focus on the results achieved, and not on what is not yet working.

Also, do not forget about good sleep, which is the basis for rapid muscle recovery. Another important factor is maintaining water balance - you need to drink at least two liters of water every day.

It doesn’t matter why you needed to do the splits - for showiness for a special occasion, perfect stretching or health benefits (yes, her splits also bring, and quite a lot). Whatever you have in mind, know that doing the splits is actually not that difficult. If you regularly perform several effective exercises, even more so.

1. Bends with hands “clasped” behind your back

Stretching, which is usually painful and therefore not very pleasant, is best started with a simple and slightly relaxing exercise, such as this one. It will stretch the muscles of the back of the thighs well and, as a bonus, improve the flexibility of the back, straighten the shoulders and chest.

How to do it. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bring your hands together behind your back, lock them together and lift them up - your back should arch. In this position, bend over and pull your chest towards your hips. Keep your legs straight, they should not bend at the knees. After standing like this for 5 breaths, slowly return to the starting position.

2. Bends to one leg

Do it very carefully. The “pull” will be under the knee and lower back, but then the splits will become a couple of centimeters closer.

How to do it. Sit on the floor and stretch your legs. Bend your right knee and place it on your side, thereby opening your hips halfway. Strive to touch the outside of your left foot with your right hand, and try to place your torso on a straight leg. Pull your left hand forward, too, towards your foot. Relax your shoulders - they should not rise. Stay in this position until you take 5 breaths. Raise your body, change legs, repeat the exercise.

3. Bend forward with legs open

It will not be possible to lie down with your body on the floor in this position right away. But when it does work out, it will mean that there is nothing left before the twine (and not longitudinal, but transverse).

How to do it. Sit down and spread your legs to the sides, but not to the maximum width. Move your pelvis forward a little, but be careful not to let your legs move with it. Straighten your back. Move your body forward towards the floor until you feel a “burning” under your knees - this is the tendons stretching. Stay in the lowest position for 5 breaths, then return to the starting position.

4. Deep lunges forward

What could be simpler and more convenient than stretching the leg muscles in such a lunge? In addition, this exercise is even too good for stretching.

How to do it. Lunge forward with your right foot. Place your hands on the floor. The leg should be between them. Place your left knee on the floor. If you can, lower yourself onto your elbows. Press your body against your right leg. Stretch your hips towards the floor. Stay as low as possible while you take 5 breaths. Switch legs and repeat the exercise.

5. Deep lunge with calf raise

Having worked on stretching the knees, let's move on to the hips, or more precisely, to the muscles of their back and front surfaces.

How to do it. Go to the wall, stop a step away from it, turn your back to it. Get on your knees. Place your right leg bent at a right angle forward. Raise the foot of your left leg up and “put it” on the wall. Pull your hips down until you feel a stretch in the muscles. Place your hands on your knee to keep your position stable. Keep your back straight. Stay in this position while you take 5 breaths, then relax, switch legs and repeat.

6. Standing Power Stretch

Stretch your muscles with the force of your arms - this can be more effective than putting pressure on them with your own weight.

How to do it. Stand straight, close your feet. Shift your weight to your left leg, and lift your right leg, bent at the knee so that it is easy to grab it with both hands. Stand straight on your left leg. Slowly straighten your right leg to the side, holding your big toe with your hand. If this comes easily to you, pull your hip towards your stomach, lifting your foot towards the ceiling. Hold this position for 5 breaths. Slowly lower your right leg to the floor. Switch legs and repeat the exercise.

7. Side plank stretch

To stretch in such a precarious (in the literal sense of the word) position, you need to be able to maintain balance. Despite the complexity, this exercise is worth trying - it significantly lengthens some muscles, while giving others a static load.

How to do it. Get into a side plank position with your arm extended and your right leg supported. Carefully, while maintaining balance, grab the big toe of your left foot with your left hand and, bending your leg at the knee, pull it up, gradually straightening it. Stand while trying not to lose your balance. If you can, straighten your leg and pull it as high as possible. After 5 breaths, gently release your left leg, place it on the floor, and assume a sitting position. Switch sides and repeat the exercise.

When most people hear the word stretching, they mean split exercises. But, in fact, all the muscles of our body require proper stretching: the back, arms, buttocks. Let's talk about why our body needs stretching and how to do it correctly.

Why do you need stretching?

Many fitness enthusiasts ignore this type of training, not understanding why it is needed. If running and strength exercises, in the understanding of most people, serve to form a beautiful, toned body, then the meaning of stretching remains unclear to them. However, we need it both after a hard workout and in everyday life. Why is stretching so beneficial?

1. Good stretching helps avoid damage to muscles and ligaments.
2. The range of movements increases.
3. Well-developed muscles do more work and get less tired.

In addition, proper stretching, like fitness, helps to form a beautiful, proportional figure.

Thanks to high-quality stretching, posture is leveled and excess fat is removed from problematic female areas: hips, abdomen, waist.

How to stretch correctly

In order to properly stretch, you need to follow a few simple rules:

1. You can begin to stretch your muscles only after a preliminary warm-up.
2. To do stretching at home, it is recommended to choose exercises that you can do correctly without the help of an instructor. Don't choose too difficult poses. There will be no result from this.
3. For effective training, you need to stay in each pose for 30 seconds to two minutes. Beginners begin to stretch their muscles with a minimum delay of half a minute, gradually increasing it.
4. Avoid sudden movements. This leads to injuries and ligament tears.
5. The entire set of exercises is performed in the direction from above: neck, shoulders, back, legs.

The stretching time will depend on the type of workout. If you decide to conduct a full-fledged stretching lesson, be prepared to spend up to an hour and a half of time on it. When we talk about stretching as the final stage of another type of workout, it will take about 20 minutes.

Stretching exercise "Twist"

If you don’t have time for a full workout, then choose two exercises to work each muscle group. Thus, it will take about 20 minutes, and the body will not have time to forget previously acquired skills.

When not to stretch

Types of leg muscle stretches

The secret to good stretching is the right combination of exercises and doing them regularly. It is best if you attend full-fledged stretching classes 1 – 2 times a week. Gentle stretching is quite suitable for home exercises.

How to prepare psychologically

How can you mentally prepare yourself for a good workout? You must understand that the result obtained from classes depends entirely on the efforts made. Before you start, try not to think about what worries you. Leave all your worries and problems behind the doors of the sports class. Dedicate this time only to yourself and your body. It is very important to concentrate on what you are doing.

If you train at home, think carefully about the set of exercises to be performed. First, repeat each movement mentally, and only then proceed to perform it.

Remember that we are all different. Some people are endowed with good natural flexibility, while others are not. Therefore, some people stretch faster, while others stretch much slower. The main thing is not to stop and go towards your goal.

Get ready for regular workouts. Think about the result you want to achieve: develop natural flexibility, improve the functionality of the body, etc. Visualization will stimulate you and will not allow you to miss classes.

How to Prepare Physically

In order to physically prepare for muscle stretching training, you need to consider the following points:

1. Choose the right clothes. It is very important. In an uncomfortable form that restricts movement, it will not be possible to perform all the exercises technically correctly. The discomfort caused by such clothing will distract you from your workout. Therefore, pay attention to tight-fitting trousers and tops made from modern sports materials. They wear well, look beautiful, and do not cause any negative sensations during training. As for shoes, stretching is traditionally done barefoot, or in special socks for yoga or Pilates.

They can be purchased on any thematic website:

1. Don't forget about warming up. This is a prerequisite before stretching. To avoid injury, the muscles must be well warmed up. Running, jumping, burpees, air squats and other active exercises are suitable for warming up.
2. For home or independent training in the gym, it is important to choose the right set of exercises. Choose only those options that you can do correctly. It is enough to select 3–4 exercises for each muscle group.
3. If stretching your muscles is the final stage of strength training, then more attention should be paid to those muscle groups that were most actively involved in the training process. And those groups that were not involved should not be touched. They may not be warm enough to stretch and become easily injured.

The body of a modern person needs proper training. The back, shoulder girdle, core and leg muscles move little in the everyday life of the average city dweller and are in a constrained position most of the time. Regular stretching will help bring ease and joy of movement back into your everyday life.

Origin of the term " stretching"has English roots. We are talking about a special type of aerobics exercise, where all attention is focused on elasticity and flexibility of the body, muscle stretching. This type of exercise is suitable for people of any age and does not depend on the degree of preliminary training of the person. Classes can be completely independent, or they can be an additional load to the main system of aerobics or fitness exercises.

Regardless of age or body flexibility, these exercises are suitable for everyone. Optimal results are achieved only if you perform them daily.

First of all, you need to understand what you want to get from these classes:

• Stimulate blood circulation, lymph circulation;
• relieve pain caused by nervous system tension and stress;
• slow down the aging of the body;
• maintain the elasticity of the body's muscle mass;
• reduce mental stress.

It’s worth understanding what this type of aerobics is, what its benefits are, why they do stretching, and what results a person can expect if they do the exercises regularly.

From everything written above, it becomes clear that stretching is a complex for stretching and flexibility of the body. Training can be spontaneous, as a separate full-fledged complex, and additional, as an addition to developed exercises. Relatively speaking, each of us who has tried to do the splits at least once has done stretching. An important element of this type of exercise is stretching the leg muscles.

In addition to the fact that this type of aerobics helps to train the muscles of the back, arms, neck, and overall upper body. Regular stretching helps the joints and muscles of the body not lose mobility, and, importantly, slows down their aging processes.

Stretching classes are included in the training complex for professional athletes and are used as an independent type of therapeutic and health-improving gymnastics. This type of discipline makes it possible to alternately relax and tense muscle tissue, and this helps the rapid processes of relieving tension in the body and restores lost strength, helps to relax and tone the body.

Another important fact is that this type of aerobics provides all women with the opportunity to be slim and beautiful. With regular exercise in the gym, at some point, you will notice that all the excess body fat is almost gone and the size of your muscle mass has increased. The prominence of the muscles creates the visual impression that the body has become larger. An additional benefit of stretching is that the muscles do not grow in width, despite their regular stretching. The result of constant exercise is a magnificent figure - a beautiful body, charming curves, an ideal waist.

Benefits of exercise

A set of flexibility and stretching training will give a person:

• improved self-esteem, good mood, feeling of comfort and inner satisfaction;
• will help eliminate pain and tension at different points by eliminating muscle and nerve blocks;
• activates the cardiovascular system. The work of peripheral veins and arteries is important, since this is what helps eliminate long-standing ailments and prevent problems such as thrombosis, atherosclerosis, etc.;
• will restore natural flexibility to the body and help rejuvenate the body;
• slimness will always be majestic and straight;
• classes help to work out all muscle groups, including those that are not used during visits to the gym.

Stretching classes will be appropriate at any time of the day, including between strength training sessions. After just one month, a person notices the manifestation of the hidden capabilities of his own body. For example, you can easily and simply sit in the lotus position, or put your head on your lap. There are no limits to improving your capabilities, so with the passage of time and regular exercise, the amazing secrets of yoga can become available to you.

Nuances and specifics

There are several types of stretching, so it’s easy to choose the one that’s right for you, depending on your preferences and complexity.

Strength gymnastics– exercises for stretching and muscle strength. Such classes are perfect for those who have dealt with systematic stretching.

Aerostretching– stretching and elasticity exercises based on canvases in the air. The exercises are not suitable for beginners as there is a high risk of damage and injury. This type of stretching is suitable for those who already have basic training after practicing a classic form of aerobics.

Beginners should be careful and work gradually. It is unacceptable to demand maximum results from the body in a short period of time, since heavy loads can greatly harm the muscles of the body. Beginners, as a rule, begin their work with simple exercises, holding each of them for no more than 15-20 seconds.

Basic rules for beginners:

• Proper breathing. You cannot hold or speed up your inhalations or exhalations. Throughout the entire complex you need to breathe rhythmically and measuredly. You can breathe deeply during the break between stands;
• stretching workouts are practiced after aerobics, gymnastics, and physical activity. This is what ensures the required blood flow to the muscle mass and increases their elasticity;
• after exercise, you need to relax your muscles, do not take on heavy work, avoid strength exercises, since you can overstrain the body;
• Stretching of the body occurs to a certain point - pain impulses are an indicator of a sufficient degree of load. The appearance of pain indicates that a person has reached his maximum limit of muscle stretching.

Minor pain should not be scary. There is a concept of “pleasant” pain impulses in the muscles, and “dangerous” symptoms that indicate the risk of injury or its presence. A person quickly learns to distinguish one from another after he begins training.

Set of exercises

Training sessions are carried out in several stages:

1. A mandatory phase is strength manipulation or warm-up: in this way, a person warms up his muscles to avoid damage.
2. A system of exercises for body flexibility - bending, etc.
3. A set of stretching exercises that are best done with a partner.
4. Exercises to relax muscles.

The effectiveness of the exercises becomes obvious after several workouts. Each time the body acquires a greater degree of plasticity. Over time, the complex can be expanded, ballet stretching exercises can be introduced - this will make it possible to achieve more significant progress. Classes can be conducted with music. Musical accompaniment is an individual choice of a person. Anything goes: light pop, relaxing ambient, jazz, etc. Now there are a number of web sites where all kinds of tunes for fitness, gymnastics, and aerobics are posted.

Simple exercises for flexibility and stretching of the body:

The main thing is to alternately relax and statically tense the stretched muscles of the body. At the very beginning of the course, it is preferable to work with an experienced trainer in the field of stretching aerobics.

Contraindications

It is not recommended to engage in training for people who have injuries, pathological problems with the spine or joints, especially during periods of exacerbation. Also, those who have serious diseases of the cardiovascular system, thrombosis, hernias, arthritis, osteoporosis should not do the exercises. You cannot train with a fever, flu, symptoms of any inflammatory processes or infectious diseases.

Many girls who come to stretching or yoga for the first time make the same mistake - they try to do everything the trainer does. The instructor has clearly been practicing stretching exercises for several months and, most likely, not even a year. It's also difficult for beginners to dodge, and that's normal. It is important to do what the coach says, but strictly to the best of your ability.

Don’t worry if you can’t do the splits after a week, the muscles need to be stretched a little longer.

Why do you need to stretch?

Stretching at home for beginners is recommended to everyone. Those who do strength training especially need to stretch, as well as those who want to become more flexible and do the splits. Exercises help to work the main muscle groups and relax joints. In general, stretching improves body tone and gives a boost of energy for the whole day. You can also do it before bed, because after stretching your muscles are completely ready for rest - parvadoxical, right?

Stretching is important even for those who are not at all preparing to break the world record for flexibility. It is important to do a set of stretching exercises at least several times a week for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle and those who have a sedentary job. Otherwise, you are guaranteed to have problems with your spine.

What do stretching exercises do?

• develops muscle elasticity;
• minimizing muscle pain after training;
• relieving fatigue in muscles and joints;
• healing of joints;
• minimizing the risk of injury during sports;
• improved blood circulation;
• development of flexibility;
• improved posture;
• teaches you to maintain balance and control your body.

Stretching exercises for beginners require following the rules so that you get the maximum benefit from the workout and not injury.

The main rule is that all movements should be performed smoothly, without sudden movements or jerks, so static or passive stretching is more suitable for beginners. There are three more types - active, dynamic and ballistic, which can only be done by those who have been in the sport for more than a year and have regularly performed stretching exercises before.

Another rule that is important to follow is that you cannot work only one muscle group during training, the whole body must be involved. But, if your goal is splits, then most (most - not all) exercises should be stretching the hip and gluteal muscles. But the body must be completely warmed up.

Read also

A set of stretching exercises for beginners

1. Back exercise "cat": Get on all fours. Smoothly arch your back up as you inhale, then smoothly bend it down as you exhale. At each point you need to fix the body for 3 counts.
2. Exercise for legs and buttocks: Sit on the floor, bend one leg at the knee, straighten the other. Try to lean forward towards your straight leg. Lock in this position for 15-20 seconds. Then change the position of your legs.
3. Buttock exercise: Lie on your back. Bend one leg at the knee and place it on the floor. Pull the other leg towards your chest, keeping it as straight as possible. Stretch the muscles smoothly for 20-30 seconds, change the position of your legs.
4. Calf muscle stretching exercise: While standing in front of a wall, lunge with one leg and bend it at the knee. The feet of both legs should be well pressed to the floor. Move your straightened leg as far as possible. Repeat the same for the other leg.
5. Anterior thigh stretching exercise: In a standing position, bend one leg at the knee and pull it with your heel towards your buttock by the toe. Do not twist your leg until it hurts; you should feel the front surface of the thigh being stretched, not the ankle muscles. Do the same for the other leg.
6. Abdominal stretching exercise: This is the same chaturanga from yoga. Lie on the floor with your stomach down, place your palms near your chest. Lift your chest off the floor, arching your back into cobra pose. Hold for a few counts and return to the starting position. Do 5-10 reps.
7. Chest and arm stretching exercise: Place your hands in a lock behind your back, and in this position, lift them up, arching your back a little. Then connect them into a lock in front of you and stretch them upward, as if you want to touch the ceiling.