Back flexibility

just4fun · #1 12-10-2006, 05:47 PM

Besides bridges and backbends what are some other at-home drills to safely increase back flexibility for a five year old? My dtrs dance teacher said she needs to 'work' on her backbends. (I find the dance studio is much more aggresive at priming kids for company) I need to get clarification from her but she does her bridges, backbends and splits. The splits she works on every other day (for dancing) but the bridges, backbends she does daily - it seems as though some kids just naturally have a great arch to their back and some don't.

**JBS** · #2 12-10-2006, 10:10 PM

Is it her back flexibility or her shoulder flexibility? Have her lay on the floor on her belly. Give her some sort of stick or rope to hold onto (shoulder width hand grip). Keeping her forehead on the ground and hands on the stick or rope, how high can she lift her hands off the ground with straight arms?

Can't lift them up = needs a lot of work
6 inches = OK...but could have problems with backbend
12 inches = good
18 inches = great

Backwards arching skills should be practiced very carefully at home. Bridges are basically the only thing that can be practiced at home safely.

If you are helping her, you could have her slowly walk her hands backwards down the wall into a bridge position. You could also spot her on the way down. Her legs need to remain straight and feet should stay flat. Many times the problem is the legs and feet and not the flexibility.

just4fun · #3 12-12-2006, 11:45 AM

That was quite an interesting thing to do - my whole family had fun measuring our shoulder flexibility using a hockey stick.
Results - my 19 year old son (who is a pitcher) can lift the stick way far up, yet his friend who is a catcher can only lift the stick 4-5 inches, my 7 year old son can do just about 13 inches, and my 5 year old dtr can do 9 inches, although one time she got to almost 11 inches. I can barely lift the stick and have resolved to improve my shoulder flexibility!!
The only thing that we weren't sure about was during the test can you lift your legs? We all did much better when we lifted our legs (not our foreheads)
Thanks for the input and help.

gracefulone · #4 12-12-2006, 02:14 PM

We always do partner strethces like that, where one person lifts the other person's arms up. Mine go just inches from the floor.

**JBS** · #5 12-12-2006, 03:00 PM


Quote:
Originally Posted by just4fun The only thing that we weren't sure about was during the test can you lift your legs? We all did much better when we lifted our legs (not our foreheads) Thanks for the input and help.

You should try and keep your legs relaxed and on the ground.

Also, younger kids could be a little lower just because there arms are shorter (I guess you would have to measure the angle in degrees to really compare people). If your average all adults at this drill, males tend to be about 6 inches lower than females.

rainmonkey03 · #6 12-15-2006, 09:11 PM

I tried this exercise and I can get about 6.5 inches off the ground. I would like to have more shoulder flexibility. What can I do?

**JBS** · #7 12-18-2006, 10:21 PM


Quote:
Originally Posted by rainmonkey03 I tried this exercise and I can get about 6.5 inches off the ground. I would like to have more shoulder flexibility. What can I do?

You could do German hangs (skin the cats) on a bar or rings, bridges (of course), and cat stretches.

Also, lay on your stomach with your arms out to the side. Make sure your arms are a little higher than your shoulders (hand even with ear). Bend one arm and place your palm flat next to your chest. Roll (carefully) onto your straight arm with the help of the bent arm. This will stretch your shoulder and chest...do it on both arms. Do the stretch slowly and try slightly different positions until it works for you.