Stretch of the Week: Half Splits IT Band Stretch

Week 3 of July is something I call Half Splits IT band stretch. Don’t let the name scare you off! We won’t be doing the splits….exactly; just a variation that will target the outside leg muscles. So give it a try! 

Depending on how tight your legs are you may need two yoga blocks or something similar. And also a folded blanket if you desire.

If you have severe knee problems, proceed with caution.

How to:

1. Start on all fours. Bring the right foot through to between the hands, coming into a low lunge position. You can place the folded blanket under the left knee here if you like.

Tip:  If you can’t reach your hands to the floor here, use yoga blocks under the hands. No yoga blocks?! Use heavy books 🙂 

2. Start to ease the hips back until the front leg is straight. Hands stay on the floor. The left hip and knee should stack right over each other. Pull the right hip crease back as you bring the left hip crease forward, this keeps the hips parallel to each other.

3. Start to wiggle the right foot to the left. You will come to the outside of the right foot the more you bring it to the left. Move it over about 45 degrees. Stop once your foot is past being inline with the left knee as shown in the picture marked “correct alignment”.

4. Re-straighten the right leg once your foot is in position. Keep the same alignment with the hips as talked about in #2 above. You don’t want the front leg to bend and you don’t want the hips to shift back towards the foot. As shown in photo marked “incorrect alignment”

5. Try to keep the back straight and not rounded. Engage the abdominal muscles by pulling the belly button towards the spine. These two things are key to isolating just the outside of the leg. Stay here for a minimum of 30 seconds. Then switch legs!