Flexibility Training for Pole Dance Exercise

Posted by Tiny in Pole Dance Mag on May 8th, 2010 | no responses

Click on any of the images to enlarge the picture…

NOTE: There are a few more stretches on the next page, please CLICK HERE to see the rest.

GASTROCNEMIUS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description: Stand with your right leg behind your left, keeping it very straight and with your heel on the floor. Bend your front leg, making sure your knee DOES NOT overhang your toes. Lean forward on the bent leg, resting your body weight on it. Push your bum out and hold the position, then swap legs. You should feel a tightness along the lower of your back leg.
Posture: Keep the back leg straight, heels down; front knee must NOT overhang your toes, rest body weight on bent front knee, push bum out, head up, back straight, tummy sucked in, back straight.

SOLEUS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description: Stand with your feet hips width apart, and both your legs straight. Now lift one leg up so you are resting your weight on the ball of your foot (near the toes). Bending both knees, drop your torso down. Imagine you are now sat on an invisible chair. Rest your hands on your hips, keeping your back straight and not arched and hold that position, then swap legs.
Posture: Feet hips width apart, head up, back straight, shoulders back, tummy sucked in, rest weight on the ball of the foot, bend both knees, torso dropped down, imagine the invisible chair.

NECK BENDS – Hold for 10 seconds per exercise, per side.
Description: Stand with your feet hips width apart. With your right hand, straighten your arm downwards, and flex your hand – this will drop your shoulder. Tilt your head to the left and using your left hand, reach it around your head and apply a gentle amount of pressure to stretch the neck. Hold for hold for 10 seconds.
THEN, whilst in the same position, tilt your head down to look at your left foot and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Posture: Feet hips width apart, straighten arm down, flex hand, tilt head to one side, gently add pressure, look down at foot, back straight, hips forward, loose knees, tummy sucked in.

BACK 1 – Hold for 30 seconds, once.
Description: Stand with your feet hips width apart, bend your knees and lower your torso right down so that your chest is against your knees. Wrap your arms around the backs of your knees, hold your elbows, drop your head and then pull up slightly. Don’t look up.
Posture: Feet hips width apart, bend knees, lower torso, back straight, shoulders back, tummy in, head down, wrap arms around legs, hold elbows, pull up.

BACK 2 – Hold for 30 seconds, once.
Description: Sit on the floor, cross legged with the flats of your feet together and your heels close to the pelvis. Outstretch both arms in front of you, interlock your fingers and twist them away from you. Extending the arms as far forward as you can to open up the shoulders, bring your head down so that your chin is touching your chest, until you feel a stretch in your back.
Posture: Sit cross legged, flats of feet touching, bend knees, heels to pelvis, outstretch arms, back straight, tummy in, hips forward, head down, chin to chest.

BACK 3 – Hold for 30 seconds, once.
Decsription: Sit on the floor with your legs tucked under your bum. Lower your torso down, keeping your back straight and hips forward and outstretch your arms in front of you as far as you can. Place your hands on the floor and tilt your head down, you should be able to feel a stretch in your back.
Posture: Sit with legs tucked under bum, lower torso, back straight, hips forward, head down, tummy in, outstretch arms, stretch back, hands flat on floor.

BACK 4 & LEGS – Hold for 30 seconds per exercise, per side, once.
Description: Sit on the floor with your legs bent and the flats of your feet touching. Bring your feet close to the groin, then take your right leg over the top of the bent leg, with your foot flat on the floor next to the bent knee. Pull the knee of your top leg into your chest for 30 seconds (this will stretch the top of your hamstring) Now take your right elbow, twist your upper body away from your legs and place the elbow in the crook of your top knee. Twist outwards until you feel a stretch in your lower back. Hold for 30 seconds, then swap legs.
Posture: Sit with legs bent, flats of feet together, bring feet close to groin, right leg over left leg, foot flat on floor, at side of bottom knee, pull top knee into chest, place right elbow in crook of top knee, twist upper body away from legs.

LEGS 1 & OBLIQUES – Hold for 30 seconds per side, once.
Description: Sit on the floor with your right leg bent, keeping your foot close to the groin and your left leg outstretched to the side, pointing your toes. Take the hand that is opposite to your outstretched leg and extend it above your head, keeping it alongside your ear and not leaning forwards. Now bend your upper body over to the side, keeping your hips forwards and not lifting up. Hold for 30 seconds, then swap sides.
Posture: Bend the right leg, keep your foot close to your groin, back straight, hips forward, tummy in, shoulders back, chest out, point your toes on the outstretched leg, extend your arm up.

LEGS 2 – Hold for 30 seconds per side, once.
Description: From the above position, turn your upper body to face the outstretched leg. Walk your hands down the leg, lowering your chest and not your head, keep your head up. Keep your back straight and not arched over or this will become a back stretch and not a leg stretch. Hold for 30 seconds, then swap sides.
Posture: Bend at the knee, keep the foot close to the groin, turn to face the outstretched leg, hips forward, back straight, tummy in, don’t look down, keep head up, lower the chest, keep the knee of the outstretched leg straight.

LEGS 3 – Hold for 30 seconds, once.
Description: Sit on the floor with your legs bent and the flats of your feet together. Hold underneath your feet with your hands, and bring your heels close to the groin. Gently lower your upper body forwards, keeping your back straight and shoulders back. Lower your knees as far down towards the floor as you can.
Posture: Legs bent, flats of your feet together, hold under the feet, back straight, shoulders back, hips forward, tummy in, lower the knees down to the floor, lower your chest, not your head down, keep head up.

LEGS 4 – Hold for 30 seconds per side, once.
Description: From the above position, outstretch one leg to the side. Keeping the bent leg bent still, roll over on your hips to the opposite side from the outstretched leg. The bridge of your back foot should be flat on the floor and the outstretched leg should be straight. The front leg should be quite bend, but to increase the stretch, bring the foot of your bent leg out forwards slightly, resting some of your weight through your hands. Now roll your hips so you are facing forwards, keeping the hips lowered, drop your chest down. Hold for 30 seconds, then swap legs.
Posture: Outstretch one leg to the side, bridge of foot flat on the floor, back straight, shoulders back, roll hips to side, move bent leg out a bit, roll hips onto side, lower chest down, head up.

LEGS 5 – Hold for 30 seconds per side, once.
Description: Stand with your feet wide apart, feet forward, hips forward, back straight. Turn to face your right leg and gently lower your chest down to your knee. Do not look down, keep head up. Hold for 30 seconds the swap legs.
Posture: Feet wide apart, feet forwards, hips forward, back straight, shoulders back, tummy in, head up, lower chest to knee.

LEGS 6 – Hold for 30 seconds, once.
Description: Standing with feet wide apart, drop your torso down as far as you can and place your hands flat on the floor. Gently walk your hands backwards between your legs, keeping your hips forward and head down. Once you have reached as far as you can comfortably, hold for 30 seconds. To strengthen the stretch, repeat with your legs slightly closer together.
Posture: Feet wide apart, drop torso down, hands on floor, back straight, tummy in, hips forward, chest out, head down, walk hands backwards.

LEGS 7 – Hold for 30 seconds per leg, once.
Description: Stand straight with feet together, back straight, shoulders back, tummy in and chest out. Cross one foot over the other, lower your torso down and hold the back of your legs with both hands, fingers interlocked. Roll the palms of your hands down the back of your legs until you feel a stretch, then hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other leg.
Posture: Feet together, back straight, head up, tummy in, chest out, hips forward, cross one leg over the other, hold back of legs with both hands, interlock fingers, roll palms down back of legs.

QUADRICEPS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description: Lie on your side, propping your head up with your arm. Keel your lower leg straight with your foot flexed. Take hold of the bridge of your foot of your upper leg and bending at the knee, pull your upper leg behind you. Thrust your hips forward and hold for 10 seconds, then swap legs.
Posture: Lie on side, prop head up with arm, head up, back straight, shoulders back, tummy in, hips forward, straighten lower leg, lift upper leg behind, hold only by the bridge of the foot, knees together, thrust hips forward.

NOTE: There are a few more stretches on the next page, please CLICK HERE to see the rest.