Tuesday's Tips: 10 Tips That Will Let You Slide into the Splits!!!!!

Have you ever read Beginner Ballerina's 10 TIPS: Make Splits MUCH Easier To Do? Well, I have, and I was inspired to make my own list!!!! Here you go!


1. They key to being able to do a split is being able to touch you nose to your knee, or pretty close to it. Practice this every day, and then you will be able to do full splits!!!

2. Stretch with you muscles warm. Right after you jog, get out of a hot shower, or stretch with legwarmers on. Muscles don't stretch as well if they are cold.

3. Before muscles begin to adapt to the new length, you have to hold the stretch for at least 90 seconds. WARNING: When you start stretching every day, begin with 30 seconds, then 60, and work you way up. My muscles went into "shock" because I held for two minutes of my first try.

4. Before doing splits, do what I like to call, "fouette stretches". I stretch en qua...... or in a cross. First, stretch to the front by putting you legs straight out in front of you, and bend down. Second, bend one leg, and extend the other to the side, and bend down. Last, put your legs behind you and do a seal stretch.

5. Like Beginner Ballerina said, watch TV or read a book. This distracts you from your stretching, which is good. My ballet teacher says to imagine yourself eating an ice cream sundae, but that doesn't work for me.

6. Set up some home-spa stuff on your desk counter, or wherever you are stretching. Give yourself a pedicure or facial afterward, so you have something to look forward to.

7. Visualize yourself doing a perfect split. I you practice everyday, you will have one!!! It's only a matter of time and diligence.

8. Plan a banana split party!!! You could invite several friends over to practice splits once a week together. Once you all have your splits, have a banana split party!!

9. Make a split section! Section off a part of of you room, the basement, or wherever you stretch, and customize it to your stretching. Keep legwarmers, water bottles, spa stuff, timer, and anything else you need there. Call it, Cassy's Cool Corner, or Sammy's Split Slide!

10. DON'T THINK ABOUT IT! Just don't.


I hope you liked today's Tuesday's Tips!