The many powers of stretching!

Stretching is simply indispensable. It is necessary for good health, for ballet, and for general well-being. 

In ballet, one must master the five aspects of physical development: turnout (opening of the hips), extensions (leg flexibility), back flexibility, feet (high arches), and jumps. Stretching is necessary to master these five aspects by developing each and every one of them, both by increasing your natural abilities, and creating new abilities. For example, if you weren't born with good feet and high arches, stretching helps develop them rather than making you rely on your natural abilities, which are often insufficient.

• Turnout: butterfly stretch, middle splits, hip opening exercises - working on your side extensions during high kicks works, too.
• Extensions: high kicks with each leg in all directions - front, side, and back. Pulling your legs as far as you can and working on oversplits helps stretch out your hamstrings, which results in higher extensions. Strength workouts for your core also help (especially in adage), as you can hold your leg higher for longer. 
• Feet: working with a foot-stretcher (Capezio) or with a Theraband helps strengthen and stretch feet. For foot stretches, you must be consistent and stretch your feet everyday to see results. If your arch is not natural, feet might feel stiff at first, but will become softer after a while. Pointe work also helps build ankle strength and stretch your foot in a pointed position. 
• Jumps: working on extensions and leg stretches helps make jumps looser and easier. Stretching after jumps is very important to avoid injuries and pain. Strength is most important for jumps - core workouts. I recommend jumping on a jump rope everyday to increase your ability to stay in the air. 

Stretching is necessary for all physical activities, not just ballet - stretching before activity helps avoid injury, while stretching afterwards helps reduce pain and soreness. 

Stretching helps: 
- reduce muscle pain and back pain 
- increase blood circulation 
- increase your flexibility and your muscles' range of motion
- decrease tension in all areas of your body 
- reduce stress and increase calmness; can be a great method for meditation
It also helps you understand your body and what it needs, which can influence all areas of your health in a positive way.  

Two years ago, I made a stretching plan for myself when I was just beginning ballet and my flexibility was at a low level. The file is attached below, at the end of the article.
It's a great way to warm up, or to stretch a bit during the day.
The most important thing about stretching is making it a habit - we tend to follow habits and routines rather than do things spontaneously. If you can make room for just a few minutes of stretching everyday, that will lead to small steps and big progress!


Stretching Tips: 

• Seek progress, not perfection. While it sounds like a cliché, it's true - you won't become a rhythmic gymnast after a few days of stretching, but if you work consistently, you will see improvements coming regularly.
• Consistency is key. Stretching doesn't mean taking a break for a few days and stretching again next week. That's just like pulling your muscle a bit further than it usually goes, but no new muscle fibre is formed. The whole point of consistency is to stretch daily, so that the new range of motion becomes your regular range of motion, and your muscle becomes more flexible.
• Don't push too hard! Pain is a bad sign. If it's not "good pain", that means that you're doing something wrong and pushing yourself too much. It usually results in soreness, which prevents you from stretching from a while afterwards. Small steps are better, and safer. 

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