How to do a Butterfly Gymnastics Stretch

Series Summary

The sport of gymnastics involves a sequence of movements and exercises that require strength and flexibility. Typical gymnastic moves include handsprings, handstands, forward rolls, tucks, somersaults, vaults, and other acrobatic maneuvers. Competitive gymnastics, like those in the Olympics, take a lot of dedication and practice. There are many types of gymnastics including artistic, rhythmic, sports aerobics, sports acrobatics, trampoline, and power tumbling. These are all regulated by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique. The two most popular types of gymnastics are artistic and rhythmic gymnastics; these are the types seen in the Summer Olympic Games.

Gymnasts have to be extremely flexible, and they put a lot of strain on their muscles. With that in mind, it is extremely important to fully stretch out before participating in gymnastics. In this free video series, our gymnastics expert will teach you a number of stretches, from the butterfly to the pancake and bridge stretches. You'll be able to stretch out your legs, arms, wrist, neck, back, and much more. Keep from pulling a muscle by learning how to stretch properly, and increase your flexibility at the same time!

Video Transcript

"Hi! I'm Mandy Butler on behalf of Expert Village, and I'm going to take you through a gymnastics class stretch and warm up. I'm going to take you through gymnastics stretch. Just a basic standard gymnastics stretch. I'm going to start that with a butterfly stretch. I'm going to take my knees from a tucked position and open them out to the side. My feet are pressed together. Make sure you're not sitting cross legged, but that your feet are actually pressed up against one another. You're going to cup your hands around your toes and try to place your "butterfly wings" down against the mat. Some things for little ones to do when they're doing this stretch is to flap their wings. I tell my little guys to flap their butterfly wings. For older kids, you don't have to do that, but just try to get them to press their knees down against the mat. Some people will teach you to put your hands on the insides of your knees and press them down that way. What that does is creates stress for your knee joints and it makes you lean forward, and you've already lost your correct body position. You're going to cup your toes and press your knees down to the mat in a butterfly stretch."