How to achieve perfect stretching: personal experience of gymnast Anna Rizatdinova

Olympic bronze medalist Anna Rizatdinova told how she achieved flexibility in her own body and shared her recommendations on how to do it to others.

In rhythmic gymnastics, stretching is a must. But it is wrong to think that everyone who plays this sport has this innate advantage.

2016 Olympic bronze medalist Anna Rizatdinova trained long and hard to achieve the flexibility she needed.

My muscles are naturally not soft at all. But I wanted to do rhythmic gymnastics so much that, as a child, I trained every day. Instead of brushing my teeth or having breakfast, I turned on cartoons, threw one leg on one chair, and the other on another. And so it stretched for ten minutes on each leg

- says Rizatdinova.

Young Rizatdinova made titanic efforts. But you need to understand, says the Olympic rhythmic gymnast, without stretching in big sports.

Stretching is essential for any sport. Even in football. When the body is flexible and pliable, it is easier to control it. And it's easier to reach for the same ball. For a person who is not involved in professional sports, gymnastic stretching is not needed. Although all the girls today tend to sit on a twine or become a "bridge" (smiles). However, if you do exercises with stretching elements every morning, your body will thank you.

- says Anna.

There is no specific recipe for how to achieve the perfect stretch. The main thing in this matter, according to Anna Rizatdinova, is systematicity.

You need to choose what is closest to you - yoga, stretching, Pilates or gymnastics. As soon as you start doing something from this list, you will immediately feel your body differently. There is no particular advice, the main thing is to do it systematically. Stretch every day, morning is recommended. At least 5-10 minutes without a break. As soon as you take even a short break, the muscles begin to forget. Therefore, it is necessary to practice day after day, and after three months you will be able to calmly sit on the twine. Even if they've never been stretched before

- says the bronze medalist of the Olympic Games.

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