Stretches for Middle Splits
Jul 05, 2017
Have you always wanted to do the middle splits? Then you are in the right place 🙂
Achieving the splits takes time, dedication, and patience. It will not happen overnight, but if you are consistent with your stretches every day, it could happen in 30-60 days (although everyone varies).
Directions: Do each of the 5 stretches listed below for 1 minute each. Each day progress to holding the stretch longer and longer, all the way up to 5 minutes.
Focus on your breathing while holding the stretch, imagining your breath flowing into tight areas of the body, breaking up the rigidity, and flowing out like water when you exhale.
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Wall Straddle
- Start facing a wall. Then lay down on your back, staying close to the wall, and push your hips all the way up to the wall.
- Then extend your legs straight up over the hips.
- Take a big inhale, and exhale as you open the legs to a wide straddle.
- Engage the thighs and pull in the core.
- To get out of this pose, gently assist your legs with your hands bringing your legs back together, then roll over to one side, and move gently back to an upright position.
Malasana
- Start standing with your feet at about shoulder-width apart.
- Inhale, then exhale and lower down into a squat.
- Keep your core pulled in, and focus on lengthening your spine long.
To Intensify: place your elbows on the insides of your knees, and press your elbows against your knee, deepening the stretch, and lengthening the spine.
To Modify: place your hands on the ground for support, or place a block under your hips.
Janu Sirsasana
- Start seated, with legs straight extended in front of you.
- Bend your right knee, and place your right foot on the inside of your legs thigh so that your foot is flushed against your thigh.
- Inhale and reach the arms up overhead, exhale extend and lengthen forward.
- As you stretch forward, remember to keep the spine long, and core engaged.
- Your goal here is to get your knee to forward, but if that does not happen today, that is ok. :)
- Repeat other side.
To Modify: Use a strap and loop it around your left foot, then pull the strap into towards your body with your biceps, and lengthen the spine forward. You can also fold a blanket underneath your hips to elevate the floor to you.
Prasarita Padottanasana
- Start with legs just outside of your shoulders, with outside edges of your feet parallel to the edges of your mat. This might mean that your toes are slightly inverted inwards.
- Place your hands on your hips, and place your fingertips on your frontal hip bones. You can use your fingertips to help remind yourself to pull up your hips and lower abs into your spine.
- Inhale, pull your core in, and exhale as you fold your spine forward towards your knees. Remember to engage your thighs and pull your knees up, and keep your weight over toes, not your heels.
- Once your folded forward, grab your big toes with your first fingers. Then pull your body even more forward by pulling your toes and engaging your biceps. Keep your shoulders away from your neck and roll your shoulders down your back.
- Come up the same way you folded forward, with your hands on your hips, and your spine flat.
Skandasana
Skandasana is an excellent pose for opening the inner thighs, hips, and hamstrings. Really good pose when you’re working towards your middle splits!
- Begin standing with feet about shoulder width apart. Fold forward and place your hands on the ground (bend your knees here slightly if you need to.)
- Bend your right knee more and begin to lower hips down into the pose, keeping your left leg straight.
- If this is going well, you can bring the hands up into prayer pose, placing your right elbow into your right knee – opening the pose even more.
Beginner’s Tips:
- Keep hands on the ground
- Keep the right heel off the floor. Work your way towards a flat foot.
- Fold up a blanket and place it under your right heel for extra support.
To Advance the pose:
- Wrap your right arm in front of your right shin and bend your elbow to bring your right hand behind your back.
- Reach your left hand back to bind with your right hand.
- Turn your chest to the left and open your heart up towards the ceiling.
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