Bridges in Pandicorn Pyjamas

Well, hasn't it been a while (or just nine days)?

I apologise (but I also don't) because it may only be the third week of school but my teachers are already giving out assessments to study for.

And I also ran out of things to talk about that are rhythmic gymnastics-related.

I have a cousin who's less than a year older than me that doesn't do dance, cheer or gymnastics. Yet she's so naturally flexible in her back and therefore my "backspiration" right now.

When it comes to my flexibility I'm a mixture of being naturally flexible and the fact that I excessively stretch every day (or every two to four days).

I've also started working on my back flexibility by doing bridges and I can even do a half backbend on to the couch *I applaud myself*.

Do you like the amateur bokeh effect I did on this photo with Ribbet?

- Colour Fluff

Arched Feet

I've only known that arching your feet is a thing for less than a week now. I have practiced arching my feet in front of my friends at school and usually they ask if I'm breaking my feet or, the more common question, "Does that hurt?"

Yes, it does hurt.

Practicing arching your feet is the reason why Anna Rizatdinova can do this. And back flexibility. That too.

But it doesn't hurt in a I-think-I'm-about-to-break-my-feet way. It hurts in a this-reminds-me-of-doing-the-splits way.

The exercise I am talking about of course is a standing version of this:

- Colour Fluff

How I Stretch

I usually stretch every day if I can so I don't lose my middle and right splits. I'll be honest, that currently I'm working towards my right splits again because I lost them after not stretching for the two days after getting them.

I've realised that I haven't been warming up before stretching so I'll be adding sit ups and planks to my rhythmic gymnastics stretching and strength daily routine.

Keep in mind I have no idea what the actual names are for most stretches.

What I've been doing currently however starts off with sitting down, bending my right leg into a triangle position and bending forward so my torso is parallel with left leg.

Then I change the position of my torso so I'm on my side. Then I do those two things with my right leg with my left leg bent.

Afterwards I do butterfly and do it as far as I can (which is as far you can in butterfly). Then (I know I really shouldn't because I pull a muscle) I go into middle splits as far as I can and count in a very unique way.

I tend to count a lot faster than a second a number when I'm in "pain" so I now count differently:

2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 ... 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

I count that way so I'm only doing each stretch for approximately 20 seconds.

After doing twenty seconds of the middle splits, I do a forward lunge for my right splits. Then I go as far as I can and count from 2001 to 2020.

After doing my splits stretches, I work on back flexibility. I lie down on the ground on my stomach than I push myself off and back as far as possible while keeping my legs and lower torso to the ground.

Then after twenty seconds, I do a bridge as a long as I can before I get tired and exhausted.

After doing my back flexibility, I return back to splits stretches and go as far as I can into each splits.

With my middle splits however, I work on over-splits by placing my left foot on the edge of the couch and go down as far as I'm comfortable with.

And that's how I stretch every day!

I will definitely start warming up before I stretch now though!

- Colour Fluff

Painful Stretching in Gymnastics

So there's this video on YouTube (where else would it be?) that's a montage of these coaches stretching these girls that aren't that flexible. The thing is that these girls are in so much pain that they start biting and scratching the coach. Well at least with the first one.

The best thing about the video is probably the comments.

"Child abuse. Pure and simple. I have danced for nearly 40 years and NEVER had a teacher lay hands on me like that. It is disgusting. These children will eventually need major surgeries in particular on the hip as over rotating damages the ball joint. Absolutely revolting."

- tani thunderballs

True. But I only watched half of the video. It ironically motivated me so much that I got my right splits within a week of watching it.

But it's still very unfortunate that these girls had to endure that type of torture.

- Colour Fluff