Can everyone do a split? Find out if it is possible!

What is a split and what are its types?

A split is a gymnastic move in which the straight legs are positioned along or across the spine. The classic version is the women's split (French split) which consists in placing the pelvis on the floor and placing the lower limbs along the spine in one line. It is worth remembering that performing the split correctly means pressing the hips to the floor, keeping the knee joints straight and keeping the torso straight with the arms resting freely.

In addition, the following types of splits are distinguished:

• male split (Turkish)
• Split in a standing position
• jete jump (split in the air)
• oversplit (angle of opening more than 180°)

Anyone can do a split, but not everyone has the persistence to do it

Although it is generally accepted that splits are the domain of young and athletic women, in reality anyone can do this gymnastic move. The keys to success are, of course, regular stretching and a large dose of persistence. Exercises aimed at improving mobility, systematic stretching and slowly deepening the current range of motion are really strenuous work. It may seem boring to many people, but this is the only way to achieve an optimum level of flexibility in the body and flexibility in the structures.

In addition to this, it is worth mentioning that for some people, a split may be impossible to do. What could be the reason for this? Actually, there are a number of presumed factors that may be a limitation including low collagen content, poor susceptibility of joints and tendons to stretching, the structure of the hip joints and the location of the femoral head in them. Nevertheless, slow and repetitive work in the form of exercise and stretching will help to perform a longitudinal split.

After how long is it possible to do a split?

It is difficult to give a clear answer to this question, as it is an extremely individual matter. Apart from your own body predispositions, you should pay attention to the type of exercises you do, the duration of stretching, the number of training sessions or other forms of sports you practice. Some people will be able to do painless and technically correct splits after just a few weeks, others will take half a year and others maybe a whole year.

The best solution is to perform a short stretching session every day. This kind of systematic approach will allow you to achieve your dreamed goal much faster than, for example, with two two-hour training sessions a week. Just a few minutes every day is enough to make a small step of progress towards the split. However, you should remember to adjust the level of intensity of stretching to your current condition - otherwise the pain after the workout will require a long break, which may result in the loss of previous results.