Front Split
oec:front-split
An advanced lower-body stretch with one leg extended forward and the other backward, deeply lengthening the front hamstrings and rear hip flexors.
Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.
Also called: Front Splits, Front Split Stretch, Hanumanasana, Monkey Pose
How to do it
Setup
- Begin in a half-kneeling position on a mat with your torso upright and hips square.
- Place your hands or yoga blocks on the floor beside your hips for balance and support.
Movement
- Slide the front heel forward while keeping the front knee extended.
- Simultaneously extend the rear leg backward, lowering your pelvis toward the floor.
- Keep both hip points facing directly forward without letting the rear hip rotate open.
- Hold the stretch at a sustainable depth without forcing the pelvis down.
- Press through your hands to gently lift your hips and exit the stretch slowly.
Breathing
Breathe smoothly and deeply, using slow exhalations to help the hip musculature relax into the stretch.
Cues
- Keep hips square
- Chest tall
- Ease into depth
Common faults
- Opening or rotating the rear hip outward to gain artificial depth.
- Keep the rear knee and top of the rear foot facing straight down to ensure pure sagittal hip extension.
- Excessively arching the lower back to compensate for tight hip flexors.
- Maintain an upright, braced torso and use yoga blocks under your hands for support.
Safety
- Warm up thoroughly prior to attempting deep splits.
- Support your body weight with your hands or blocks rather than dropping passively into extreme ranges.
Muscles
Joints
- Hip: Flexion, Extension
- Knee: Extension
Details
- Movement
- Stretch
- Modality
- Flexibility, Mobility, Yoga
- Mechanics
- not applicable
- Force
- static
- Laterality
- unilateral
- Kinetic chain
- closed
- Level
- advanced
- Equipment
- None
- Record
- Duration
- Load
- none
Sources
- wger: Front Split Stretch, by Croak6728 (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.