I'm 17 and I started doing these simple stretches 2 years ago and within 3 months I had splits. I used to not even be able to touch my feet. This will change you, I promise. Just do the stretches in this video once (or twice) a day and you WILL see results.

Please let me know if this helps you at all.
(remember make sure you warm up before stretching)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNryiSIyQUw

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Oh, I just posted in your other thread then saw this. I watched them the other night and they're already helping. I used to be able to do splits when I was younger and I want to again. My spirals are so BLAH and they need help.

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"Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?"

It's going to take a lot more than 3 months for the over 50 crowd, but I'll give it a try.

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Well, now I know why I don't have my splits yet -- I can barely touch my toes!

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http://www.swizzlesandtwizzles.blogspot.com

Your spirals are NOT blah!! Especially that back spiral!

hey 5by5 where'd your backspin instructional video go?

I have no idea, it just disappeared! I think youtube removed it!

Oh I assumed it would. But this is the result of stretching once a day every day. You WILL see results, even the older ones of you!

If you can't touch your toes you just go as far as you can. The positions I have are the extreme versions. Just do the best you can do.

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That happened with one of my videos. Look under "My Videos" and then click on "Matched Content" (or something like that). It's probably still there, but not live because of some copyright thing. That's where I found my missing video. They give an option to delete the audio, and then the video will go live again.


And thanks for posting the split stretching video! I've been really close for a few months, but can't seem to get the last few inches. Maybe these stretches will help.

Great video! And I'm so impressed with your middle splits! That's the one I still can't do yet.

There's one very important stretch I would add, though: Hip flexor stretch. That is what allows the back leg to stretch back and go all the way down. If you don't pre-stretch the hip flexors, you can pull a muscle even if your hamstrings are very flexible. In fact, I did exactly that about two years ago! Once the pulled muscle healed (which took months, BTW), I got smart and started pre-stretching both the hamstrings and the hip flexors before attempting the splits again. It turned out it was the tight hip flexors that had been keeping me just a few inches short of a full split my entire life. Now, in my 40's, I could finally do forward splits in both directions for the first time.

Here is the hip flexor stretch:
- Sit on a low bench, or even better, the top of a staircase.
- If you're on a bench, put one foot flat on the floor. If you're on a stair landing, put the foot on the second or third stair down from the top of the stair landing (if your hip flexor is really tight, you'll need your front foot on the third stair down, but you'll need to eventually keep your foot on just the second stair down). The thigh of the front leg should be parallel to the bench or stair landing you're on.
- Extend your back leg straight back on the bench or stair landing, knee facing down. Push the front of your hip down and arch your back. Try to get the back leg flat down and locked out straight. Hold for 30 seconds. Do the other side.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

good for you!

that's an awesome stretch thanks!

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Is there a sketch or video of this stretch somewhere? I am having serious trouble visualising it.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I am embarrased to admit it, but I can't figure it out either.

is this it?
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/b/20...-made-easy.htm

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Hmm. . . I couldn't find a picture of it, either, but it's right inbetween these two positions.

Picture #1: Quad and hip flexor
quad and hip flexor stretch

Picture #2: Pyriformis and hip flexor
pyriformis and hip flexor stretch

It's on a bench with the front leg bent and on the floor like picture #1 but the back leg is extended straight back like picture #2. Also, the knee of the front leg (the bent leg with foot on floor) should be a little higher than shown in picture #1, so that if you extended it straight you would be in a full split on the bench. That's why doing it at the top of a staircase with the front foot two steps down is a perfect position. Most benches aren't quite low enough.

By the way, the stretch in picture #1 is a great quad stretch (stretches the quads of the back leg) and the stretch in picture #2 is a great pyriformis stretch for the hip of the front leg. They both stretch the hip flexor as well, but they don't isolate it as well as the one I am describing.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Thanks for the clarification!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Thank you doubletoe. It is much clearer now.

thanks so much for the pics----I need to see it drawn out sometimes!

I don't think I could do the one shown as #2, but the #1 is similar to a yoga one that I do sometimes (when my leg doesn't cramp up.....); I'll have to try the bench one, it looks more stable and less likely to cause cramping.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I would recomend ballet classes.

To help with splits

Jog aroung until your warm
Do a few small plies (knee bends) and releves (Rising to ball of foot)
Put your leg on somthing about hip hight, strech toward and away from it
Sit in the "side splits" and strech left,right and center

Split- Posture is everything

one arm on each side DON'T LEAN!!

Hold 10 seconds or more and 2-5 seconds each time

If you can't go down it's ok keep practicing

Most important DO NOT BOUNCE!! YOU CAN HURT YOURSELF BADLY!!!

This is a great stretch. I noticed a difference in my bad-side spirals immediately!

Yay! And doing extra hip flexor stretches for my left hip flexor is now enabling me to do this position without pulling the inside of my right hamstring!

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

I'll be trying this one, since that's the exact position I've been working on too. Your is much better than mine.

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"Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?"

Ah, that's the position that tore my hamstring I'm still a little tentative about anything involving grabbing my heel. I don't think I'll really attempt a spin in that position again until I have my splits, just to be safe.

YOU do it beautifully

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Thanks, Stormy and Ibreakhearts.
Yeah, you definitely need to be able to do the splits on the floor or ballet barre before attempting this position because it's so hard to pull your leg toward you with your arm when you have any resistance from the leg (I only attempt it after sitting in a split on the floor for 30 seconds). Unless you can do the splits *easily* on the floor, it's really hard to get a full 180 degree standing split (mine is still at 170).

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Oh, I definitely wasn't aiming for 180 degree split when I was doing it on ice. I just wanted my leg straight lol. But even that was too much to ask.

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