We received 2798690 page views since November 2002
Leg Stretching Pay attention to lines and postures!
Ten photos here to help you try different things. Good luck!
You can do this with your foot on a table hip high or as you see here. Sit on the floor, you can cross one leg under the extended leg. Make sure your hips are squared, NOT one side of your butt further out then the other. Keep your spine straight and neck also extended. To reach your forehead to toe you need full spine and neck extension from lower back bone to the top of your head. FLEX your foot from the ankle, do not curl your toes!
Sit up against a wall, press your collar bone to the wall so that your spine is straight. Start with your knee bent and extend. Position of the hands depends on your comfort. I like one hand behing the heel to pull and the other hand above the ball of the foot to help flex it. Again make sure your hips are squared.
This is a two part photo. First part sit up straight - you will do both legs - start with either one extended. Take one leg and cross it over so that one knee is above the other - your foot should be tucked by the hip.
Part two - Keep your spine straight - extend your arms over your foot and flex the foot. Try bringing your chin to rest over your knee. Keeping the spine straight try applying the weight of your upper body over the crossed leg - this applies a hip stretch to the leg as well
Part 1: Almost looks like a front split, except the knee is bent outward so the rest of the leg can twist inward. Only thing here is to make sure the ankle and knee of the bent leg should be parrallel. Sit up on this posture to add some weight to the center of your body.
Part 2: With the back straight extend your upper body forward and hold for about one minute. When done apply the same stretch to the other leg.
My daughter in her straddle. Make sure that your butt is parrallel to both heels on their extension. To some of you this means one straight line from heel to heel
Front split - left leg out. Facing your left leg make sure your heel is in a straight line with your heel in the back. For a better stretch you can take your back leg and turn the knee inward so to square the hips. I do not like this stretch because it is not comfortable on the knees. Besides in Wu Shu we jump and land on splits and I do not want to shatter my knees on a wooden floor. To advance this you can reach for your foot with both hands - flex the foot and bring your forehead to touch your toes. When that is no longer a challenge bring your nose then chin to touch your toes.
Same as the above split but with right leg out.
My seven year old doing a scale with my help. As she gets older she will develop the control and balance to stand on her own. Children starting young please stretch always because as your body changes you will lose flexibility.
