How to do a Side Extension with the Flexistretcher
Make sure to hold onto something stable such as a barre and set up your Flexistretcher for a side extension.
Step 1: To begin for the side extension, holding on to something stable, place both loops around your right foot, keeping the foot flexed to begin.
Step 2: Bend your right knee and draw it behind your back.
Step 3: Thread your left arm through the straps, placing the foam pad around your left shoulder.
Step 4: Turn out the right leg, bringing it to retiré.
Step 5: Extend the right leg into side extension.
When ready to progress, practice the same exercise standing on something unstable such as a disk or yoga block. This will add focus to maintain turnout on standing leg while increasing height of gesture leg.
Important placement tips:
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Always put the foam pad around the center of your foot, not the heel or toes. This is to avoid the risk of the Flexistretcher sliding off the foot in the middle of the exercise.
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For more advanced stretches, such as this one, both loops will be around the center of the foot and the foam pad will be around the OPPOSITE shoulder. Make sure to securely have the straps around the center of the foot and not the ankle.
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NEVER place both loops around the ankle, make sure the loops are around the center of the foot.
Cues:
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Actively engage the muscles throughout the movement.
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Remember when you are performing this stretch, the band is only assisting, not holding you up!
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Avoid bouncing or using momentum to swing your leg into a new range of motion.