HELP!! I've got pain after front splits practice!!

Colleen started this discussion · 5/17/2020

Hello, I'm 57 years old, and I've been trying to get the splits for 8 years. 🙁 Now, I'm only about an inch from the floor. Except, I overdid it, I guess, because I now have a pain on the very lower part of my butt. (I don't know what that muscle is.) I've had the pain for about a week. I only feel the pain if I try to do the front splits with my right leg forward. I hate knowing that I may have to take a long break from splits practice (like a month or so) before I can get back to it. All my progress will be gone, and it's so frustrating. 😡 I'm sure this kind of thing has happened to some of you, so please respond with your stories and advice. Veena, what do you have to say? Thank you in advance for your comments. 🙂 I hope to hear from all of you. 🙂 Colleen

5 replies

Colleen · 5/17/2020
Forgot to mention that the pain is in the lower right butt cheek.
Phoenix fire bird · 5/18/2020
Hi Colleen, I no longer have my splits (I had them when i was young...about 15 - i'm 38 now) and then i got into pole and started working towards them again...I almost had my front splits back and used to be about 6 inches from the ground on middle splits for the first time both about 4 years ago before getting pregnant and so just starting my splits training today. While i haven't experienced what you are going through exactly(with my glutes etc), I have experienced damaging muscles and healing but it was in the right side of my lower back(but I'm not a pro or fitness instructor or anything) but for me when I had problems I did exercises I could easily do without causing pain to keep mobile and those that actually aided my healing so I didn't loose too much ground while I healed. I also used ice to help take down inflammation which my physio told me to do first thing in the morning(there was a reason for that and I can't remember what it was...something to do with being stiffer in the morning and something to do with the chemicals related to healing)as well as a few times a day but a minimum of four and for no longer than 10 minutes. I used a bag of petis pois peas so htey always stay in my freezer now specifically for the purpose of aiding muscle healing if i ever get the same again and I can honestly say it changed my life. (Who'd have thought something so simple and cheap could make such a massive difference!)I then did gentle mobility exercises. There's soooo many muscles in your bum, some of them really small and some really big and they lay in layers connecting to the pelvis from varying angles. I just had a hunt for a diagram so you could perhaps work out which specific muscle/s it is and then can adapt your training to provide relief to that area while still maintaining. Just be careful though as doing too much while trying to heal can cause more damage and keep you off for longer. My physio did tell me though to not just lounge around and do nothing but to keep progressively moving through gentle exercises. I hope that helps you a tiny bit though I'm afraid I can't give you a full answer to your problem xxx
Colleen · 5/18/2020
Thank you so much! I appreciate your information. Yes, I'll continue to exercise, foam roll and light stretch. I haven't been icing it. But I'll start that today! ❤️
Veena · 5/18/2020
This happens to a lot of people and I personally have had it too! As long an you didn't have sudden, sharp pain or it didn't come on after a sudden movement, like dropping fast into a split, it' probably just irritated. Rest from split for a few days. Ice and ibuprofen if you feel irritation after stretching once you go back. For now, anytime you like, use your foam roller or massage ball/tennis ball/peanut...anything that you can "get after it" with. It will feel intense once you find the spot but breath and let it relax. Also use heat before you stretch and warming up super well, will be helpful. If it's at the top of the hamstring where the tendon is, this area doesn't get a ton of blood flow so heat can help it recover faster. Ice is great for reducing swelling like after a acute injury but heat is very helpful when dealing with nagging pains in areas with low blood flow. ALSO....strengthening the opposing muscles can be helpful too. Try adding these to your workout routine https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view/5e98d503-e394-471e-9f70-0b56ac110005 If you try them and they seem pretty easy then that's probably not your issue, but if you struggle to do one...keep at it! They'll help.
Colleen · 5/18/2020
Veena, thank you so much for your information! I'll be sure to try that lesson, too! ❤️