Legs
Standing Pancake
Improve your lower body mobility and hamstring flexibility through this effective wide-legged active stretch.
How to perform.
Follow the sequence — setup is half the lift.
Stand with your feet in a wide stance, significantly broader than shoulder-width apart, with toes pointing slightly outward.
Place your hands on your hips and engage your core to maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.
Hinge at the hips to lower your torso forward, keeping your legs straight and chest open as you descend.
Reach your hands toward the floor or a yoga block once your hamstrings feel a deep stretch.
Shift your weight slightly toward the balls of your feet while keeping your heels firmly planted.
Breathe deeply into the stretch for thirty to sixty seconds before slowly returning to a standing position.
Common mistakes.
Fix these first — they cost reps, kilos, and joints.
- Rounding the upper back to reach the floor
- Locking the knees into a hyperextended position
- Allowing the weight to sit too far back in the heels
- Rushing the movement instead of holding the static stretch
Muscles worked.
The primary movers do the work; the stabilizers keep the path honest.