Side Pancake
The Side Pancake is a middles splits progression that stretches the groin and the inner thighs like a regular pancake stretch. However, it intensifies the stretch on the hamstrings and adds a great stretch for the oblique abs.
- Type Of Exercise: Flexibility
- Muscles: Hips, Hamstrings, Abdominals
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Equipment: Body Only, Yoga Block
Side Pancake
- Sit in a straddle on the floor with your hips at approximately a 90-degree angle.
- Point your knees to the ceiling, lock them, engage your quads, and point your toes. Sit up completely straight with an anterior pelvic tilt (APT).
- If you cannot sit upright in this position, elevate your hips as high as necessary to achieve a straight back and APT in this start position.
- Now lower and twist your torso to the one side so your lower shoulder is inside your thigh and directly underneath your top shoulder.
- As you twist, either reach for your foot with your lower hand (beginner) or over your head with your top hand (intermediate).
- If your top hand can grab your foot, use it to pull your torso long over your leg, twist further to open your chest, and stretch both your leg and the top side of your torso.
- Hold for time and switch sides.
- Exercise: Butterfly
- Type of Exercise: Flexibility
- Muscles: Hips
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Equipment: Body Only, Yoga Block
- Exercise: Pancake Good Morning
- Type of Exercise: Mobility
- Muscles: Hips, Hamstrings
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Equipment: Body Only, Yoga Block
