How to Do the Splits

Series Summary

Many people want to lose weight. Yet, despite claims for quick fat burning pills and powders, the best way to lose weight is still through proper diet and exercise. Exercise does more than just maintain physical fitness. Working out improves bone density, muscle strength and joint mobility. Being fit also reduces general health risks, boosts the immune system and helps with depression and insomnia. Whether exercising is to lose weight or improve muscle mass, working out promotes a healthy body and mind. In this free video series, a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor demonstrates a number of general fitness techniques that can performed at home with the aid of a few simple pieces of equipment. Discover how to do the splits, home Pilates, how to exercise while sick and how to get rid of love handles. Increase stamina, strength and flexibility with simple exercise techniques that can be done from the comfort of any home.

Video Transcript

"Remember when you you were seven or eight years old, and you're body would pretty much move in any direction you ask it to? Hi I'm Jani Roberts. I'm a certified personal trainer and a graduate of the American Academy of Nutrition. So have you been thinking about whether or not you could ever get that flexibility back? And if so, how would I do a split I don't even remember? Let's give it a try. First of all, remember we're dealing in the realm of flexibility. So shoes off. And this is going to take a little time. It's not going to come as easy as it used to. You want to sit in a nice wide second position. You're going to start increasing that flexibility. Sit up nice and straight. In all honesty, this position alone is probably going to be a little uncomfortable. Now what I want you to do is rock your hips forward. Don't allow your back to round out. Sit up straight. Pull those shoulders back. Squeeze those shoulder blades together and at the same time drop your little toes back towards the floor. You'll feel a nice long stretch through your inner thigh and that rotation in your hips. This is where the split is going to come from. Just keep rocking back and forth. And practice this three to five times a week. Remember, flexibility is key as we age. We really always want to be working a little bit on that and maintain that. So we're able to do the things that we want to do on a daily basis. Take a little bit farther and hold. Remember no bouncing. Keep working your way forward until you reach that full split. I'm Jani Roberts. Thanks for joining."