Stretchy Sunday's: Straddle Stretch!

Aloha Polers and Pole Supporters!  It's Stretchy Sunday's and today's stretch is the oh so familiar Straddle!

The Straddle is a stretch that we all have done in some form either standing or seated.  The Straddle is a great stretch to add to stretch out your legs as well as your lower back and to get closer to your middle split.  The following are a guideline to proper do a Straddle (seated):

1. Have a seat on the floor with your legs out straight in front of you.
2. Open your legs as wide to the sides as you can without trying to force them open.
3. At that point, this is where you will be unless you feel they can open some more.
4. Make sure you are sitting on your sits bone by sitting up straight with your chest up and pelvis untucked.
5. Engage your quads, straighten your legs so that your knees are not bent and point your toes.
6. If you feel like you are not getting a stretch, open your legs a bit more until you do.

From this point of the Straddle, you can add various stretches such as a side stretch for each side as well as a more intense stretch by lowering your torso in between your legs while keeping your pelvis untucked.  Always remember:

1. Listen to your body!  If it hurts, don't do it:)
2. If you are going for flexibility, hold this stretch for at least 30 seconds:)
3. Drink plenty of water even while stretching since this is as well a form of exercise:)
4. Before flexibility stretching, make sure your body is warm enough.  It is a bad idea to do such long and intense stretching when your body is cold, you could pull a muscle:)
5. The more often you stretch, the closer to your flexibility goal you will get:)
6. Always make sure you are doing a stretch properly, improper stretching can cause injury:)

Well, get your Stretchy Sunday on with a Straddle and have a wonderful day!