How Do You Do Advanced Gymnastics Stretches?
As you progress in gymnastics, you will learn difficult stunts that require you to be very flexible. A good stretching routine is crucial to maintaining muscle tone and allowing you to perform the stunts without injury. Advanced gymnasts follow a stringent stretching schedule. Stretch for at least 1/2 hour before class starts. Each muscle group, legs, hips, back, shoulders and arms should receive at least 10 minutes of stretching. Begin with the “V” sit on the floor and turn your feet outwards as you stretch to increase the length of the inner thigh muscle. Push your hips forward on the floor as you stretch to each leg and the center, increasing the stretch as your muscles become limber. Practice your splits on each side and in the middle. After you can relax in a full split, have a teammate lift one leg an inch or two to achieve over-splits. Before your can do a full split leap in the air, you must be able to do over-splits in each direction. Push up in a bridge from a lying position
