A note before we begin: The Postnatal Reset is open this week. The founding price of 47 pounds runs until Friday, then it goes to 59. Have a look here: she-smiles.com/the-postnatal-reset
Let’s be honest about splits for a moment. They look impressive on the internet, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting them. But if the split itself is your only goal, you’ll miss the best part of the journey, which is everything that happens on the way there.
I say this as someone who has spent years coaching people towards their splits. The pose is the destination, yes. But the real reward is what the process teaches you: patience, consistency, and a much deeper understanding of your own body.
So if you’d like to work towards them, here’s how I’d begin.
Warm before you lengthen. Cold muscles resist and complain. A few minutes of gentle movement first makes everything safer and more effective.
Train strength, not just stretch. This surprises people. Flexibility without strength is unstable and easy to injure. The hamstrings, hips, quads and glutes all need to get stronger as they get longer. That is what makes a split feel supported rather than forced.
Go slowly, and go often. Ten focused minutes several times a week beats one heroic session that leaves you sore for days. Your tissues change gradually. Consistency is the whole secret.
Leave the ego at the door. Some days you’ll feel open; other days your body says not today. Both are fine. Pushing into pain doesn’t get you there faster, it sets you back.
And here’s the reframe I’d love you to hold: a split isn’t proof that your body is finally “good enough.” You were always enough. It’s simply a fun, challenging thing to explore, a way to learn what you’re capable of, and to enjoy your body along the way.
Chase it if it lights you up. Just don’t miss everything it teaches you en route.
There will be a full splits progression in what I am building for January. And if the season you are in calls for something gentler, The Postnatal Reset is open this week: she-smiles.com/the-postnatal-reset
