How AIS Helped Laura Do a Split...and Improve Her Menstrual Pain

Laura came to me for AIS (Active Isolated Stretching) with the goal of being able to do deeper splits, in particular during her aerial workouts and training. As a very active, athletic woman who does multi-directional, acrobatic strength training almost daily, she felt as though her hip flexors and hamstrings were prohibiting her from being able to do a full split.

Our plan was to work the whole lower body and trunk to see what patterns we might discover. During our fist session we learned that her deep internal rotators and adductors on her right side were quite short and tight. This was probably due to all the repetitive strength work she does.

Each session we worked bilaterally opening the quadriceps and deep flexors, hamstrings and abductors. I spent extra time on her glutes, adductors and internal hip rotators. After only a month of working weekly her splits were measurably different! And each passing week showed more progress.

There was one unexpected bonus of the AIS work we were doing. After a few weeks of working together Laura shared with me her life long battle with painful periods and pelvic pain after getting and IUD. After a couple months Laura began to notice this pain had diminished significantly…hmmm, we wondered if there was a connection. We kept using AIS to work on her deep hip rotators with the idea that we were unwinding deep fascial patterns in her abdomen that was somehow restricting the uterus and its ability to soften and contract properly.

Six months later not only can Laura do a split, she has minimal menstrual and pelvic pain!