How Deep Can You Go? Amazing Spinal Flexibility Challenge

Описание: 4 Exercises to Help Get Your Pancake

If pancake feels stuck, it’s often not about forcing a deeper stretch — it’s about building strength, control, and safety in the range you already have. These four exercises combine active strength with supported mobility to help your hips and hamstrings open gradually, without straining your spine or nervous system.

⚠️ Stop if you feel pain or dizziness. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise program.

👉 Suggested: Practice each exercise for ~60 seconds for 1-3 sets as desired.

1️⃣ Seated Single-Leg Lift: Sit tall with one leg extended straight in front of you and the other knee bent, foot planted on the floor close to your body. Root evenly through both sit bones and keep your spine long without leaning back. Engage the straight leg and lift it a few inches off the floor, then slowly lower with control, keeping the pelvis steady and chest lifted.

Why it works: Builds active hamstring strength in the exact range needed for pancake.

2️⃣ Supine Wide-Leg → Supine Forward Fold: Lie on your back and extend both legs up, then open into a wide straddle as if you’re doing a pancake lying down. Keep the hips heavy on the floor to avoid rolling into a shoulder stand. Slowly draw the legs back together into a supine forward-fold position, then reopen with control. Bend the knees slightly if needed to keep the pelvis grounded and the movement smooth.

Why it works: Uses a supported, mostly passive stretch with gentle control, helping the hips and hamstrings relax into pancake range without guarding.

3️⃣ Rocking Half Frog (Knee on Block): From a half-frog position, extend one leg out to the side and place a block under the knee of the straight leg for support. Keep the bent knee grounded and the pelvis level. With a long spine, gently rock the hips back and forward, letting the movement come from the hips rather than the low back. Move slowly and stay within a comfortable range.

Why it works:Improves hip abduction and inner-thigh length while allowing controlled movement toward pancake range.

4️⃣ Elevated Pancake Slides
Sit on one or two blocks to elevate the hips and sit tall with a long spine. Place both hands on a block in front of you. Keeping the chest open and back straight, slowly slide the block forward as you hinge into a pancake, then draw it back in to return upright. Let the block guide the range so the movement comes from the hips, not rounding the spine.

Why it works: Sitting on a block helps keep the spine upright, allowing you to strengthen the hamstrings and inner thighs in pancake range while practicing the hinge with support. This reinforces proper alignment while gradually increasing hip and hamstring range.

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