What am i doing wrong with my stretch?

Question

I am currently working towards my splits (I am very far from it) but anyway, when i do the straddle stretch I am not feeling any stretch in the crotch area, only under my knee! in fact, its a sharp pain! It is not helping me get further. Another problem is that I ~cannot~ sit up straight when I do the straddle stretch. I think I have scolioses.

:::::::HELP ME::::::::::

Answer 1

put your legs more froward then gently push your legs back a little bit until you start feeling the pain. this happened to me and thats what i did. it helped a lot. then u can start improving

Answer 2

I used to get that pain too, I think you just might be forcing your split too much so the pressure is hurting your knee.  Try leaning up against the wall and doing it (so you're laying on your back with your legs against the wall doing a split).  That helped me a lot.....good luck!

Answer 3

try bringing ur legs a bit closer together, so then u can try sitting up straighter....

ok. this might sound weird but i hope u get what im saying. lol. try this: sit on a chair and slouch. u will be sitting on TOP of the bones in ur butt. now sit up straight. u can feel urself sitting forward on ur butt now right? well when ur practicing ur straddle, try sitting FORWARD. keep ur back as straight as possible. that's very important, becuz when u are stretching ur arms out forward in ur straddle, u DONT want to be arched over with your head on the ground. u want to get your belly on the ground.

also, if you lay on the floor and have your legs in a straddle against the wall, gravity will help make your straddle wider. if you just sit there for a while -- sometimes i do while i read a book or something -- then it should help stretch you in the right way.

hope that helped -- good luck!!! :]

Answer 4

For splits:

Kneel on the floor so that your body makes a L shape. Take your left leg out front so that your foot is touching the ground. Make sure both legs are bent at a 90 degree angle. Take the leg whose knee is on the ground back as far as you can with the left leg still at a 90 degree angle and pull your hip down--like push your torso down to the ground. Hold for 20 seconds, repeat 4 times at least. Then, take that back leg and bend it at the knee and try and get your calf to touch the back of your thigh. Now, do that for the other leg.

After, sit with your back straight and legs out and stretch by reaching for your toes.

Others--

lay on your back with your legs flat on the ground and get a belt or something and put it around one leg. Pull that leg towards you (don't bend at your knees) and switch to the other leg. Again, 20 seconds at least twice.

Stand on a smooth, slidey surface like hardwood floor & get soft socks that will slide. stand in 5th ballet position & slide your front foot out & try and get to the ground. Be careful with this because you don't want to slide down like a crazy person and pull a muscle. Go slowly & hold onto something like a counter.

FOR ALL STRETCHES: keep your hips forward. Don't twist it to the sides. Have your hip bones looking forward. ANd do NOT bounce or you'll cause microtears on your muscles.

Straddle:

Sit up straight facing a wall. Now, do a V stretch, touching the wall with the inside sides of your feet and knees facing up. Push yourself towards the wall with your hands behind you & hold.

You should feel the stretches under your thighs and hamstrings.

Answer 5

I think if you stretch out your hamstrings more it would be as uncomfortable. And the looser your hamstrings are the easier it is to sit up straight.

You'll get to the fun crotch pain eventually don't worry :-)

Answer 6

well, it could be many things. One is that maybe you have your legs to spread out in you straddle, bring them in a little closer, this maybe why you can't keep you back straight.

Sometimes it's better to start of smaller and work your way up (or out). when your in your straddle don't think of it as your head going to the floor, think of getting your belly button to the floor, and keeping your back straight like a table top, this may be why you don't feel the stretch in your inner thighs. If you do this and you still don't feel a stretch, try sitting in butterfly position, (put the bottoms of your feet together and hold your ankles). then turn your body to the right side and use your Left hand to push down on your left knee. Repeat this on the other side, and then do the same leaning forward you do with the straddle, (keep you back straight and remember, bellybutton to the floor.) also practice you splits every night. I know it may seem like your miles away from the floor but if you practice, your legs will start to get more comfortable and your splits will be lower and lower to the floor ever night. hope this helps=))