The benefits of splits come in various forms and affect your physical and mental well-being. Regularly practicing them offers a multitude of advantages in both physical activities and daily life. With proper dedication and training, anybody can achieve the perfect split.
But are splits good for you and are there things you should be mindful of when practicing them? Let’s find out.
The benefits of splits are both physical and mental. Improved physical fitness through high flexibility and mobility and a better mindset through achievement satisfaction and release of excess energy are just some of the benefits of being able to do the splits.

Physical And Mental Benefits Of Splits
Practicing splits can progress your physical and mental health and enhances your overall well-being. Here are just some of the benefits of doing the splits:
Physical Benefits
1. Improved Flexibility
Probably the most obvious physical benefit of practicing your splits is reaching new levels of flexibility, particularly in your lower body. Splits stretch out major connective muscles such as the hip flexors, hamstrings, hip adductors, glutes, quadriceps, and others. Being able to stretch out with ease without feeling discomfort and pain can help with everything from daily activities like bending down to tie our shoes to engaging in physical activities like dancing or martial arts with greater fluidity and grace.
2. Increased Range Of Motion
Closely tied to the first point about flexibility, a body that’s more comfortable with stretching out also has a greater range of motion (ROM). Practicing splits will help you achieve a greater ROM in your hips and legs, which is beneficial for everything from daily movements like walking and running to participating in demanding and dynamic activities like playing sports or gymnastics.
3. Higher Mobility
Flexibility is a static body mechanic that primarily pertains to the capacity to stretch individual muscles without difficulty. On the other hand, mobility encompasses flexibility, range of motion, and body control all at the same time to execute dynamic movements. For example, raising your leg for martial arts kicks, jumping for a basketball layup, quickly turning and switching running direction in soccer, etc.
So, how does practicing splits increase mobility? Simple, even though a split itself is static, entering splits is very much a dynamic one. As you get more comfortable with your splits, you’ll be able to do them smoother, faster, and from various starting positions. Performance artists like dancers and gymnasts know this best. One day you’re able to enter a split from a standing position, the next you can combine a cartwheel or backflip into a full split and get back up within a few seconds.
4. Better Posture
Despite living in an era with an abundance of leisure time, it is widely recognized that we are experiencing a decline in physical activity compared to previous generations. Causes vary, but a leading culprit is what’s known as a Sedentary Lifestyle. In the most basic terms, we’re simply sitting down more and more in our daily life, both for work and entertainment.
Thanks to the constant pressure on our mid and lower body, namely our hips, glutes, and core, we’re experiencing higher levels of musculoskeletal misalignment and close to entering something of a posture epidemic. One of the benefits of doing splits is engaging and stretching out the very same muscle groups that suffer as a result of prolonged sitting.
5. Reduced Risk Of Injury
The combined above-mentioned points can culminate into an overall reduced risk of injury both from daily tasks and physical activities.

Mental Benefits
1. Happiness And Self-Fulfillment
2. Emotional Regulation
3. Achievement Satisfaction
4. Relaxation
5. Excess Energy Release

Possible Side Effects And Risk Of Splits
1. Overstretching
2. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
3. Joint Inflammation
4. Decrease In Strength

Tips for Doing Splits Right and Safe
1. Always Start With A Warmup
2. Focus On Your Posture
3. Control Your Descent

4. Use Supportive Aids
5. Remember To Breathe
6. Stick To Your Program
7. This Is How It Looks Like

Can Children Do Splits?
Can You Do Splits If You Are New To Gymnastics?
How to Learn Split in 21 Days?
The "Split Challenge" program is designed to help you achieve a full split regardless of your current level. The course consists of 21 daily training sessions, allowing you to see results in just THREE WEEKS. Each session can be completed in 15 minutes, although we highly recommend dedicating 40 minutes each day for optimal training. If circumstances prevent you from training daily, you can always take a break and resume later.
The program is beginner-friendly, no specialized equipment needed. All you need is a yoga mat (or a thick towel as an alternative) and a resistance band.
- Virtual coaching to guide your results
- Fitness evaluation throughout the program
- 21 training sessions supported by over 100 exercise videos
- Weekly checklist to track progress
- Winner's Certificate upon completion
- Community for inspiration and support
- Single payment, lifetime access
- 30 day guarantee
FAQ
Is It OK To Do The Splits Every Day?
Yes, it is generally safe to do splits every day, as long as you’re listening to your body and observant of pain and discomfort.
Are Splits Good For Hips?
Practicing splits can be highly beneficial for hip flexibility and mobility. That said, injuries in the hip area can occur if you’re not careful with how you enter and exit the split. It’s important to be mindful of your ability level before attempting a harder version of splits.
How Long Should I Hold My Splits?
Splits are a static stretching position that causes strain on the muscles, no matter how comfortable you are with doing them. As such, doing them for too long is not recommended. For beginners, holding splits for 15-30 seconds is enough practice, while advanced athletes are free to hold them even up to 3 minutes.
Conclusion
In summary, the benefits of splits affect both the body and mind. Consistent practice can lead to notable improvements in your flexibility, mobility, range of motion, and posture, among other things. Moreover, mastering the split brings a sense of achievement and pride, making it an enjoyable learning experience and resulting in an impressive and useful skill that stays with you for life. The benefits of being able to do the splits are plentiful, and they’re especially good for children.
Do you plan on practicing splits in the near future? Also, if you have any previous experience in related disciplines like gymnastics or dance, we'd love to hear about it.
Leave a comment letting us know and remember to follow our social media pages for more valuable fitness content.
Also read:
References:
- Range of Motion // Physiopedia: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Range_of_Motion
- The sedentary (r)evolution // NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5710317/
- Sedentary Lifestyle // NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7700832/
- Ergonomics for Prolonged Sitting // UCLA: https://www.uclahealth.org/medical-services/spine/patient-resources/ergonomics-prolonged-sitting
- Exercise Benefits Brain Function // NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061837/
- Dopamine// Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22581-dopamine
- Serotonin // Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22572-serotonin
- Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline) // Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22610-norepinephrine-noradrenaline\
- How Does Exercise Improve Implicit Emotion Regulation Ability // NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6718717/
- Achievement goals and life satisfaction // NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6974350/
- Muscle stretching as an alternative relaxation training procedure // NCBI: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2197297/
- What Are the Dangers of Overstretching? // HealthLine: https://www.healthline.com/health/overstretching
- Delayed onset muscle soreness // NCBI: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12617692/
- The effectiveness of neuromuscular warm-up strategies, that require no additional equipment, for preventing lower limb injuries during sports participation // BMC: https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-10-75
- Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) // Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23262-sympathetic-nervous-system-sns-fight-or-flight
- Effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Deep Breathing, and Guided Imagery in Promoting Psychological and Physiological States of Relaxation // NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8272667/
- How Many Bones Are Babies Born With and Why Do They Have More Than Adults? // HealthLine: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-many-bones-does-a-baby-have
- Why Kids’ Bones Are Different From Adults’ Bones // Choa: https://www.choa.org/parent-resources/orthopedics/why-kids-bones-are-differen
- The effect of educational gymnastics on postural control of young children // Frontiers: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.936680/full
- Survey: Kids quit most sports by age 11 // ProjectPlay: https://projectplay.org/news/kids-quit-most-sports-by-age-11
- How long should you hold a stretch? // HealthLine: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-to-hold-a-stretch#how-long
More than 25 years ago Oleksiy started his sports career. He major in gymnastics which is
definitely not an easy sport to go in for!
To become an athletic champion (in Ukraine, for instance, we mean here the title of
"Master of Sports") in gymnastics, one needs to spend at least 10 years and start
training no later than being six years old. As for Oleksiy, he has fulfilled all the criteria.
During this period of time, definitely not short, he managed to become:
● Master of Sports, Champion of the State and International Tournaments;
● Member of the national team of Ukraine, having a perfect opportunity to train the best team ever!
● Part of Cirque Du Soleil team (as an artist)