Is doing a full split on your yoga bucket list? Then you should be doing split stretches (aka stretches and poses that will help prepare your body for a split). As a certified yoga teacher for over 20 years, there are seven yoga poses I swear by when it comes to learning how to do splits. These yoga poses focus on opening tight hips and hamstrings — two muscle groups you’ll need to be super flexible in order to do a yoga split. How long will it take to do the splits? Well, every body is different. But in my experience, practicing these yoga poses several times a week will help you make a solid start toward mastering the splits.
That said, be sure to listen to your body and ease into these split stretches. You may even want to be extra-cautious and check with your healthcare provider before diving in, especially if you’ve ever dealt with pain or an injury, like a hip, knee, or lower back injury. When you do practice these poses, only go far enough to feel a deep stretch — you should never feel pain or feel like you’re forcing your body into a pose. To prevent pain and avoid injuring yourself, make sure you only stretch warm muscles; either do a quick warm-up before you try these stretches, do them during your cool-down after a workout, or incorporate them into your yoga practice after your body is already limber and warm. And while you’re doing these split stretches, don’t worry if one side feels tighter than the other; that’s totally normal.
Notice the progress you make each time you practice these poses, and you’ll get closer to the ground every week. Keep at it consistently — try doing these stretches for splits three times a week — and you’ll likely be able to do a split in no time.
How to Do a Split
Work through each of these yoga poses in order; they’ll progressively stretch you more and more until you’re ready to do a full split. To do some of these split stretches, you’ll need to be near a wall and have a yoga block or folded blanket for support.
— Additional reporting by Alexis Jones