Do you find it challenging to maintain your leg position during skills like the Star or Windmill? Or maybe you want to level up your straddle game?
Well, I've got a hack that's so good I couldn't keep it to myself! I've been using it in my own training, and my students are loving it too!
Ready for the secret sauce? All you need is a looped resistance band!
Click here to grab the band in the video (size regular).
Before you get started, make sure to warm up your legs and hips so you can ease into your straddle without feeling like a frozen popsicle. Now, loop the band behind you and around your feet, then extend your legs into a straddle and sit up tall. If you find it difficult to sit up straight, sit on a yoga block so you can elongate your spine. Take a few moments to stretch to the side, forward, and wiggle around a bit to get more comfortable. Now for the fun part - it's time to start pulsing! Engage your quads to straighten your knees and point your feet to seal the deal. Pulse your legs backward with the intention of widening your straddle even further using your abductors (that's the outer glutes, aka the side butt). Aim for 10-20 pulses and hold at the end for 10 counts. Boom! Next up, lie on your back with the band behind you and looped around your feet. Turn out your legs from your hips as you open your legs into a straddle. But be careful not to over-pike that straddle, ya hear? Keep the front of your hips lengthened, your abs engaged, and your front ribs dropping down toward your hips to maintain correct spinal alignment. Now, repeat those same outward pulses 10 times. Feel the burn! Finally, squeeze your legs together and then open back up to your straddle position 10 times. This exercise is not only great for stretching, but it'll also strengthen those legs like nobody's business. If you spend just a few minutes doing these exercises before your air-bound straddle moves, I'm confident your range of motion and mid-air stability will improve by leaps and bounds. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Jill