Is doing a full split on your yoga bucket list? Then you should be doing split stretches (aka stretches and poses that will help prepare your body for a split). As a certified yoga teacher for over 20 years, there are 7 yoga poses I swear by when it comes to learning how to do splits. These yoga poses focus on opening tight hips and hamstrings — two muscle groups you'll need to be super flexible in order to do a yoga split. How long will it take to do the splits? Well, every body is different. But if you practice these yoga poses several times a week, you'll be well on your way to mastering the splits.
Be sure to listen to your body and ease into these split stretches. Only go far enough to feel a deep stretch — you should never feel pain. To prevent pain and avoid injuring yourself, make sure you only stretch warm muscles; either do a quick warmup before you try these stretches, do them during your cooldown after a workout, or incorporate them into your yoga practice after your body is already limber and warm. And while you're doing these split stretches, don't worry if one side feels tighter than the other; that's totally normal.
Notice the progress you make each time you practice these poses, and you'll get closer to the ground every week. Keep at it consistently — try doing these stretches for splits three times a week — and you'll likely be able to do a split in no time.
Work through each of these yoga poses in order; they'll progressively stretch you more and more until you're ready to do a full split. To do some of these split stretches, you'll need to be near a wall and have a yoga block or folded blanket for support.
— Additional reporting by Alexis Jones
Here's a split stretch to work one hamstring at a time. You'll feel this in your lower back, too, and it'll also begin to open your hips.
This relaxing yoga pose is a great way to begin stretching both hamstrings at the same time while also increasing flexibility in your lower back. You'll also get a nice stretch in your chest and shoulders, which won't help with learning how to do splits but will definitely feel good.
This hip flexor stretch will stretch you even deeper, helping you to get closer to doing a full split.
Here's a more intense vertical split stretch that allows you to use your upper-body strength to stretch your hamstring even more. Keep your lifted leg straight in order to effectively target the muscles in the back of the leg.
This yoga pose — which is basically a center split — will stretch both your hamstrings and your lower back. Since your legs are separated, it focuses more on the part of the hamstrings closest to your pelvis.
This vertical split stretch is great practice before doing a horizontal split. It will target the standing leg's hamstring while also stretching your hips.
Flexible hamstrings aren't the only thing you need to learn how to do a split. Flexible hips and hip flexors are also a must and this kneeling hip flexor stretch can help. You can do this pose on a wall or reach your hands back to catch and hold your foot.