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The two most important rules about stretching are to stretch for the right length of time and to stretch when warm!.

When you do a deep stretch (not the early morning before-class stretches that we do to wake our muscles up), you need to hold it for at least 30-90 seconds to give your muscles time to relax, as they will at first tighten up to resist stretching!. After several seconds, they'll release and stretch!. However, don't hold a stretch for more than 2-3 minutes, and NEVER more than 5 minutes!.

You also should stretch when your muscles are warm!. The best time to stretch is after ballet class when you have just been jumping!. Stretching after class also reduces muscle soreness the next day!.

Here are some examples of stretches you should do!.

Back:
- bridge (you know, this one: http://cdn-www!.expertvillage!.com/showIma!.!.!.
- plow - lie on your back and kick your legs up over your head until they rest on the floor behind you (your knees can bend)!. You may want to do this on a mat or something!. You should feel a stretch down your entire back!. Slowly bring your legs back down, keeping them as straight as possible and imagining your vertebrae reconnecting with the floor one at a time!.

Hips:
- periformis stretch - sitting down, cross one ankle over the knee of the opposite leg!. Bend the bottom leg and pull it toward you, sitting up as straight as possible!.
- runner stretch - go into a deep lunge with your front leg at a right angle and your back leg stretched straight behind you, with the ball of the foot on the floor!. Support yourself with your hands or, for a deeper stretch, sit up and put your hands on your knees!.

Adductors (for turnout and middle splits):
- Lie on your back against a wall with your legs up on the wall!. Scoot as close as you can to the wall so your butt touches it!. Open your legs as far as you can and just chill there while gravity pulls your legs down!. You can also grab your feet and pull your legs close to your head, which gives you a different stretch
- frog stretch - lie on your stomach with your legs bent in a diamond shape!. Keep your feet on the floor - your hips may be off the floor!. Try not to sink in your lower back as you hang out and let gravity slowly pull your hips closer to the floor!.

Hamstrings:
- Lie on your back, grab one leg, and pull it toward you, keeping it as straight as possible!.
- downward-facing dog: start on your hands and knees, with your hands about shoulder-width apart and your legs about hip-width apart!. Reach your pelvis to the ceiling as you rise into a pyramid position!. Straighten your knees and send your heels into the floor!. Try to keep your back and your legs both very straight (may require some adjusting)

Quads:
- when you do the runner stretch, bend the back knee and grab your foot with either hand (most people say opposite hand but I get a better stretch by using the same hand)
- kneel with your back to a wall!. Bend your bottom leg and scoot close to the wall so that your knee touches the wall and the lower leg is resting against it!. Put your hands on your front leg for support!. This can be a pretty intense stretch, especially if you have really tight quads like me

Calves:
- stand in a lunge with your back leg straight and your foot slightly turned in (so your ankle doesn't roll in)!. Lean against a barre or wall or other support!. also do this with your back leg bent to stretch both your calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus)!.

Arms:
- we don't pay much attention to arm flexibility in dance, but stretching your pectoralis major is really good for your posture and port de bras!. Stand in a corner with your arms held straight outward from your shoulders!. Bend your elbows at right angles so that your forearms are parallel with the wall!. Put one hand on each wall and lean into the corner!. You should feel a stretch across your chest
(this one's a little confusing to explain)!.

Hope that helps! Remember, only stretch when you're warm!Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Sit in your splits for ten minutes every night!. I used to do thirty, but it's a KILLER! haha anyways, just stretch as often as you can, and when it becomes easy and almost painless for you to sit in your splits without using your hands to bear most of the weight, put your front foot up on some pillows so that you can get a deeper stretch!. I would also advise to stretch your "bad" side more than your good so that you don't lose either side!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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First Do a straddle on the ground and stretch to each side and the middle (try to touch your nose to the ground)

Second Bend back one leg and lean back at the diagonal

Third Pull your feet in to butterfly (both bottom feet touching each other should make a diamond shape) and lay back do this for about thirty minutes while reading a book ( to make process go faster put textbooks on knee (it will hurt))


You should be farther but not completely down in a dayWww@QuestionHome@Com

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You have to just keep practising!!
I started dance again this year, and my friend has been doing it for eight years and JUST got her rights and left splits down!.
Then again I know someone who got them in a week!.
Its all about the person, how flexible they are, and how much you practise!. I've never been able to do the splits when I was younger, and I did many different dance classes and gymnastics!. Now I'm doing it again, ha ha, I'm with you!. Just keep practising!!
Good luck!. =)Www@QuestionHome@Com

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This may sound bad-but just everyday do some streatches and if you are shooting for doing a full splits (which i probably will never do!) just do your normal splits and go a teeny bit farther every morning and before you go to bed you may not notice but you will improve a nice bit!
hope it helps =-) =-)Www@QuestionHome@Com

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i can do every split there is and the key to getting it is to do what you can often!. lay in a straddle when you watch t!.v or do homework or something and just keep doing your splits over and over!. that way it really loosens out your legs muscles repeatedly and gives you a split!Www@QuestionHome@Com

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keep prqcticing, the older u get the harder it is!. If u sit in straddle and stretch it works and if u sit in as far down as a split u can go for like 3mins on each side everyday!. trust me it works i had to do itWww@QuestionHome@Com

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Honestly just hold as far as you can go for 45 seconds everyday and you will be doing the splits in no timeWww@QuestionHome@Com

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Keep Practicing! You can do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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keep on doing it and u will be really good in no time TRUST meWww@QuestionHome@Com

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