Difficulty - Moderate
Muscle Groups Addressed - Inner Thighs, Groin, Hips, Lower Back
A great stretch for anyone that has tight thighs or shares my strangely specific New Year's resolution: side splits by the end of 2012. A move I haven't been able to do since I was 7 or 8 years old, the side split is my unicorn. Seemingly unattainable, but I know it's out there somewhere... if I just keep looking... and keep stretching.
This is a slightly more advanced move in the gym but very easy to do at your desk - just sit on the edge of your chair and push your knees out with your elbows. Or assume a butterfly stretch (remember, the one from gym class years ago?) by bringing your feet up to your chair, the soles of your feet together, and pushing your knees down with your hands until you feel a stretch.
At the gym, make sure you have a nice soft surface or a mat so as not to hurt your knees when you do this. Start on your hands and knees and then come to your elbows. Slowly start to inch your knees apart from one another, but as you slide out, keep your back flat and your feet pointed strait backward. It's also very easy to want to lean forward, but push your butt back to maintain the stretch in your groin. When you've come to a point where you're feeling the stretch, stop and hold it. Keep your eyes pointed down at the ground, your arms soft, butt back, back flat. Breathe. Hold here for 30 seconds. If at the end of the 30 seconds you feel like you can stretch more, push your knees slightly wider with your hands (or just slide them out further) until you feel that familiar level of stretch discomfort again. Hold for another 30 seconds. Breathe deeply. Bring your body forward to come out of the stretch. You'll be ready to pop a split on the dance floor in no time :)
