Squatted seiza check

Hello Guys! Here's how I perform this stretch. In the beginning It was too painful for my feet, now it's getting better.

Here's a video from a side view:

I guess I should focus to keep heels close together, am I right? This is my best (back view).

Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Alessandro

yes, heels together, you can use a towel to hold them together.

How this towel trick works- should I wrap it around my ankles?

Thanks

Hi Janno,

Exactly. Keep it tight enough to hold them together.

Nice work Alessandro. I usually don't see elevated seiza looking this good.  

I wrap a belt around my ankles to hold them together. Works well for me. Nice progress : ) *thumbs up*

17 hours ago, Tanya Hill said:

Nice work Alessandro. I usually don't see elevated seiza looking this good.  

Good to know that! Thank you Tanya!! 

More than ankles....wrap the heels together.

While doing FS i noticed for first time my ankles were no where near each other. I still felt the stretch though. Is there any advantage of pulling them together?

The hardest thing in this exercise is to stay the required amount of time not because of my feet but because my stomach muscles burn! Am I the only one?

22 minutes ago, Michael Vetter said:

The hardest thing in this exercise is to stay the required amount of time not because of my feet but because my stomach muscles burn! Am I the only one?

No, you are not the only one:) I suspect that this is one of those exercises where you need some more hamstring flexibility as prerequisite before you can hold this position longer, especially if you are not lightweight (bodyweight should move littlebit backwards, when flexibility improves). Me, for example, I use pilates roll under my knees to help me keep the position (plus the new trick with towel around the ankles, that was described above).

On 2/28/2017 at 6:23 PM, Affan Osman said:

While doing FS i noticed for first time my ankles were no where near each other. I still felt the stretch though. Is there any advantage of pulling them together?

Hey Affan, it's for ankle health and sport performance. Most people develop a bit of a heels inward gate when walking or doing a sport and it can lead to certain dysfunctions and injuries. The top of your ankle on the inner side is essentially not being stretched at all if you don't keep your heels together. You're only reaching the outer portion and part of the center.

Heels together gives you an even stretch so your ankle is more restructuring properly. 

Hey forum,

I recently sprained the top of my foot  (The Extensor Hallucis Brevis I believe) in kickboxing practice and am wondering, can I still participate in some front split work, namely the calf work at the beginning. Cautiously, I am going to say that both squatted/elevated seiza are out of the question - it doesn't hurt, just feels not quite right.

Regards,

Benjamin

Hi @Benjamin Wright, 

Since you have it sprained, I suggest to rest it first and maybe train your core while it heals.