Pancake stretch helps fitness enthusiasts to improve body flexibility. While practicing this stretch, you will have to spread your legs, but your back needs to be straight. Moreover, you will have to lower your head to the floor. If you are new to fitness, you might find pancake stretch hard. However, you can get pancake stretch benefits and improve your body flexibility.
Pancake stretch muscles will contribute to your hamstrings, inner thigh, and lower back. If you feel that your body is not flexible, pancake stretch is worth considering. It will prepare your body for different types of workouts. However, you can warm up your muscles if you want a better outcome. Warm-up will lengthen and mobilize the connective tissues of surrounding muscles, and you can practice at ease.
What Benefits Do You Get Health Wise Doing the Pancake Stretch?
It will make your muscles healthy, strong, and flexible. When you stand or sit for long hours, your muscles get shortened, and it causes pain in your lower back and hip. You can practice pancake stretch to improve muscle flexibility in your hips, hamstrings, lower back, and groin. You can move your muscles better and perform daily activities at ease.
Best Progressions to Do as a Beginner to Achieve It
If you are a beginner, you can try two following pancake variations. It will open up the muscles in the groin, legs, and hips. However, you will have to start with warm-ups to get more benefits. Warm-ups will improve your blood flow, prevent injury, and you can get a better range of stretches.
Pancake Stretch (Standing)
You might experience difficulties while practicing this stretch when the hamstrings are tight. Initially, you might not get past ninety degrees. Here are the steps for your help.
- Take an upright position while keeping your feet wide. It needs to be two times wider than the shoulders. Toes need to point forward, and feet need to be flat.
- Fold the upper body forward while keeping your back flat. You will have to engage your core with this position.
- Your legs should be straight, lower the upper body, and hold elbows above the head. You will feel like your body is hanging.
- Breathe in, hold it for thirty seconds, and breath out.
Pancake Stretch (Half)
You will have to stretch one side of your legs in this stretch. Use the body weight to make it intense. You should feel it inside your thighs. Here are the steps.
- Take a kneeling position while extending your legs to the side.
- Bend your right foot, turn your leg, and keep your toes towards the ceiling. While doing this, you can feel your muscles lengthening at the back of your legs.
- Keep hands on the floor ahead of you and sit towards the heel.
- Lower your head and slide your hands forward. You will feel the stretch in the inner thigh of the leg.
- Inhale and hold your breath for thirty seconds. Repeat the stretch on the other side.
Related Article: Rectus Femoris Stretch
How Long It May Take to Achieve the Stretch
You will notice significant progress within three to seven months. This means you will get the desired flexibility in months, not weeks. Also, some beginners have revealed that they could touch toes and got front splits within five months. The result might vary based on your practice intensity. If you practice for a couple of years, you can get enhanced flexibility and perform many activities.
How to Achieve Results Faster
Consistency is the key regardless of the stretch type you are practicing. If you want a better outcome, you can practice regularly. Here are a few tips to achieve more from your pancake stretch.
- Focus on the form and then on the depth.
- Stretch for one to two minutely actively. Know the engaged muscles and try a bit more than your comfort level.
- Focus on breathing while stretching. Hold your breath for thirty seconds and sink into the stretch while exhaling.
- Practice five days a week if you want more flexibility. Instead of practicing one day, you can practice five days a week to get better results.
- Track the progress. You can record your stretches to know improvements.
Start slow, improve gradually, and maintain consistency to get desired benefits.
