How to do the frog stretching exercise with a 10-fold effect?

Greetings, my dear readers! We all know the “Frog” pose since childhood. And probably each of you practiced it without knowing the name. But this activity is useful and interesting not only for children, but also for adults. The classic frog stretching exercise is a much more complex and serious element. But its effectiveness is many times higher!

As always, with your figures and health in mind, I will give a full description of this activity. I’ll tell you in detail how to do it perfectly correctly, and why it’s even needed. How different types of activities work. I hope that after reading the article you will be happy to include this exercise in your daily routine!

Frog exercise for stretching legs

This pose is called “Frog” because of its similarity with the body position of this amphibian. The legs of the one who performs it are bent and widely spaced to the sides, exactly like the legs of a toad. In this case, the elbows rest on the floor and the forearms lie on the floor. Thus, the support is primarily on the shins and forearms, and not on the knees and elbows. This situation cannot be called simple, but the effect cannot be called insignificant. And the benefits are not only in stretching and strengthening muscles. Everything is much more complicated and interesting.

To strengthen the knee joints

People wonder how to strengthen their knee joints and ligaments. Exercise will help with this and allow you to prevent diseases. The main goal of training is to increase the elasticity of the ligamentous apparatus and improve blood flow.

Effective exercises:

• Knee extension while lying down. The person should be on his back, with both legs bent at the knees. The heel should be pressed to the floor, and one dog should be raised and straightened. Hold in this state for 2 minutes, and then slowly lower. The exercise is repeated 5 times, the legs should be worked out one by one.
• Knee extension. The patient sits on the table and rests his feet on the floor. He slowly straightens his knee and holds it there for a minute. Then it returns to its original position. The action is repeated 15 times.
• Asymmetrical movements. You need to lie on the floor, bend your right leg at the knee, and straighten your left leg. The position of the legs should be changed one by one and held on weight for up to 2 minutes.

Simple exercises will help reduce pain and prevent the development of diseases.

Benefits of frog pose

There are over 10 useful aspects, and they are not limited to the physical side:

• stretching improves significantly;
• activity is good for the abs, their muscles are actively worked out, due to this, digestion improves;
• pelvic organ prolapse is prevented;
• the back frame is strengthened, the spine becomes straight and flexible;
• the pose works as a prevention of scoliosis and osteochondrosis;
• since the support is on the hands, the hands become stronger, which is extremely important especially for men;
• has a positive effect on the buttocks, they become stronger, gain elasticity and attractiveness;
• coordination of movements improves significantly, the body gains dexterity;
• the vestibular apparatus begins to work better;
• sexual energy is balanced;
• the pose also works as a prevention of pelvic rotation (a common problem in people with “sedentary” jobs);
• accelerates metabolism, activates the removal of toxins from the body;
• activates blood circulation in the pelvis;
• is a prevention of prostatitis in men, and also perfectly increases libido;
• prevents hypertonicity of the lumbar region, which is extremely important for women;
• the risk of injury is reduced.

There are also useful psychological aspects. It is believed that “Frog” perfectly protects against headaches, improves mood and saves from depression and stress.

What muscles work

A distinctive feature of the frog exercise is that it creates tension on most muscle groups in the body. During training, muscles work:

• belly;
• arms and shoulders;
• buttocks;
• backs;
• shins, calves;
• outer and inner thighs.

Exercise allows you to strengthen your abs, burn belly and thigh fat, and improve flexibility. Gymnastics, the plan of which includes this training, ensures the prevention of spinal deformation and the development of destructive processes in bones and joints. The exercises are practiced even by children, since the risk of injury when performing the “frog” is minimal.

About nuances and contraindications

The main thing I want to say in this section is: do not start exercising if you have even the slightest doubt about your health. If it is, then go to the doctor and discuss your planned activities with him. Start training only after his permission, in order to eliminate all contraindications.

The frog stretching exercise is contraindicated in the following cases:

• if you have frequent migraines;
• in the past there were injuries to the knees, legs, arms, and musculoskeletal system;
• there are chronic illnesses in a state of exacerbation;
• there is an inguinal or abdominal hernia;
• significant pressure surges occur;
• there is severe back pain and spinal ailments;
• body temperature is higher than normal;
• during pregnancy;
• recently had surgery or internal bleeding.

People who have gastrointestinal ailments should also be careful with “Frog”. Or significant problems with blood vessels and heart.

I repeat, if in doubt, consult your doctor.

TOP 10: Amazing facts about frogs that prove they are fantastic creatures

Behind the bulging eyes and nightly croaking of frogs are fascinating creatures. Frogs and toads jump along the strange line of life. They can ride a buffalo like a taxi and appear on dating sites. Throughout human history, frog legs have also left unforgettable imprints, inspiring famous novels or the earliest pregnancy tests. Centuries of research have failed to explore the depth of capabilities of these amphibians. They continue to amaze scientists with their ability to survive amazing injuries and mutations.

10. You can see their heart

Photo: Live Science

Frogs of the genus Hyalinobatrachium have transparent bellies. The unusual appearance earned the tiny amphibians the title of “glass frogs.” Two species native to Central and South America have their hearts visible through the transparent skin on their chests. In 2022, a third species of transparent frog was found that openly displays its heart. It was called H. yaku, and these frogs were strange. The fact that the heart is visible is already surprising, but in addition, the H. yaku frog looked different from other glass frogs.

Distinguishing between other species of glass frogs may require a magnifying glass and some mental judgment, but the H. Yaku frogs that made their home in Ecuadorian trees had unique green spots and distinctive songs. Skin color varied from bright green to yellow-green. Interestingly, according to DNA tests, these frogs are not closely related to the other two species of glass frogs in which the heart can be seen.

9 Thousands of frogs have been poached

Photo: Smithsonian Magazine

In France, frog legs are considered a delicacy. In some other European countries, the limbs of these amphibians are also eaten. To meet demand, animals are imported from other places such as Türkiye. The latter supplies Europe with huge quantities of frogs, but also strictly regulates trade.

To control the situation, only certain people can collect frogs. Frog hunters must be licensed and have the right to collect certain types of amphibians at specific times of the year. This is too much red tape for poachers, so they simply collect a lot of frogs and sell them abroad.

In 2022, Turkish authorities caught five men trying to poach frogs. When their minibus was stopped for a routine search, law enforcement discovered approximately 7,500 common water frogs. The poachers confessed, and the stolen amphibians were released back into the wild.

8. Frog from dating site Match.com

Photo: Live Science

In Bolivia, you can visit the Alcide d'Orbigny Natural History Museum. Romeo lives inside this long-standing museum. The frog wanders around the enclosure all day and rests in the shade. The frog is a species of Sehuencas water frog, and deep down Romeo is very lonely. After 10 years of romantic croaking, in 2022 Romeo gave up. What the caretakers feared most happened - he became the last representative of his kind. While Romeo was silent, scientists continued to look for a mate for him.

Driven by a creative impulse, they opened a profile for Romeo on Match.com. Thanks to this, it was possible to raise enough funds so that the researchers could go to the Bolivian Cloud Forest. In the past it was full of water frogs. However, they have fallen victim to pollution, habitat destruction and a deadly fungal infection. Members of the 2022 expedition managed to discover five Sehuencase frogs. Of these, only two turned out to be females, but one was ideal for Romeo in age. If a couple doesn't have a romantic relationship, their two-legged cupids will try in vitro fertilization.

7. They have kneecaps

Photo: sciencealert.com

For centuries, frogs have been dissected and studied. However, until 2022, one fact eluded scientists. As it turns out, little jumpers have kneecaps. It all started with the opening of the sesamoid bones. These bony structures are embedded in tendons over the joints, essentially turning them into kneecaps. They were found in species not expected to have calyces, inspiring an Argentine team to try their luck with the frogs.

Surprisingly, they managed to discover something. A careful look at 20 species of frogs revealed the presence of primitive “caps” that are not yet sesamoid. Rather, they resembled a cluster of cartilage, small and soft. So tiny that it was difficult to see under a microscope. Instead of protecting the joints from impact, soft "caps" may be intended to relieve the constant stress that frog knees are under. Although these primitive structures are not kneecaps in the modern sense, they suggest that the earliest "caps" did not evolve with the first tetrapods that crawled on the ground. Instead, they appeared along with amphibians.

6. Thanks to frogs, chytrid fungus has spread throughout the planet.

Photo: Smithsonian Magazine

To date, chytrid fungus has caused 200 species of amphibians to become critically endangered or extinct. It was unclear how it spread around the world, but the first candidate mate, the Smooth clawed frog, recently appeared on the scene. During the 1930s, doctors injected these frogs with samples of female urine. If the urine belonged to a pregnant woman, as a result of the influence of the pregnancy hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin), the frog ovulated. In this case, the next day the container was full of caviar. Because this method was successful and frequently used, the frogs were in great demand and were shipped all over the world.

In 1988, modern pregnancy tests became available. The frogs became unnecessary, and many were released into the wild. The species' global distribution made it a good candidate for a destructive fungus, but confirmation came in 2006 when chytrid fungus was discovered in clawed frogs in California. Most of the frogs were healthy, suggesting that the species was the original carrier of the disease.

5. Frog without lungs

Photo: Live Science

About 30 years ago, scientists stumbled upon a frog so rare that only two specimens were known. Given this, it was not possible to dissect it. However, if this were done, an amazing thing would be discovered. The frog Barbourula kalimantanensis did not have lungs. In 2008, researchers went to Borneo to find more of these frogs. Unfortunately, the tiny amphibians preferred remote jungles and, worse, fast-moving, freezing rivers. One diver even developed hypothermia. But, despite the tremors, we managed to find several of these frogs.

No one had any idea about the strange anatomy of frogs until several of them were dissected. The place usually occupied by the lungs was in this case occupied by the stomach, spleen and liver. A mysterious piece of cartilage was also discovered. The most interesting thing is that frogs of this species absorbed oxygen through their skin. Another bonus was how primitive they were. Researchers hope these frogs will help explain why ancient animals lost their lungs in the past, and each time it happened exclusively in amphibians.

4. Buffet "Buffalo"

Photo: Live Science

In northern Turkey, buffalo roam the swamps and collect frogs. Clever swamp frogs have discovered that furry animals attract flies. When a buffalo approaches, the amphibians climb onto its back and hunt for insects. This also rids the buffaloes of irritating flies. Before researchers discovered this peculiar partnership between the two species, no one believed that amphibians could form partnerships with large mammals. In 2012, researchers visited the Kizilirmak delta in the Black Sea. Over the course of a week, they recorded 10 different buffaloes, on which entire groups of frogs settled, with each group numbering up to 27 individuals.

To make sure this wasn't a one-off weirdo show, the researchers returned the following year. They saw the same thing. Since both times this behavior was recorded in the fall, when the number of frogs increased, it may represent a new response to intense competition for food.

3. Eyes in a frog's mouth

Photo: sciencealert.com

One day, two girls from Canada discovered a toad without eyes. However, a local journalist noticed that after the toad's mouth opened, it seemed to be more aware of everything. The reason for this miracle was amazing. The animal had eyes, but they were attached to the roof of its mouth. It was likely a macromutation—a large change at birth—rather than a trait that slowly evolved over several generations. Although only small gene mutations are required to produce this change, such traits have never been seen in toads before.

One of the causes of macromutation is parasitic infection. In particular, the trematode worm is the reason that amphibians grow new limbs, or limbs become deformed, or they may also be absent. But most likely, something else was the reason. The frog's eyeballs were healthy and functional, just in the wrong place. Although strange, this anomaly did not resemble those caused by worms.

2. They Inspired Frankenstein

Photo: geneticliteracyproject.org

In the 18th century, Italian physician Luigi Galvani subjected frog legs to electric currents. When they started moving, everyone was surprised and excited. Electricity had only recently been discovered and its nature was poorly understood. As these experiments seemed capable of restoring life, they gave rise to the practice of galvanism—the desire to revive the dead using electricity.

This fact was one of those that inspired Mary Shelley to create her Gothic novel Frankenstein in 1818. Another famous writer of the time, Lord Byron, was her close friend. Shelley once told him: “Perhaps it will be possible to revive dead bodies, electroplating has made it clear that this is possible. It will be possible to put together body parts and give them life.” This is exactly what the main character of her novel, Dr. Frankenstein, did. Now electroplating is a thing of the past, but thanks to it a novel appeared that has become a classic. And all this thanks to twitching frog legs.

1. Faceless Toad

Photo: National Geographic

In 2022, explorers were wandering through a forest in Connecticut. Their goal was to collect information about newts. Instead, they came across a strange toad. More precisely, this amphibian continued to bump into their legs and everything around them. The creature could not see. His muzzle was missing. At first it seemed that this was mysticism. The discovered adult American toad was completely healthy, and the terrible wound was closed with old scar tissue. How did she survive?

Unfortunately, researchers believe the toad died shortly after it was found. The frog was probably hibernating when it was struck by a predator, depriving it of its nose, eyes, jaw and tongue. For some reason, the predator did not kill the sleeping toad. By remaining hibernating and not needing to feed, the amphibian was able to heal during the remaining period of hibernation. However, she woke up blind and unable to forage for food. Even if she managed to escape the predators, she was doomed to starvation.

How to do the frog stretching exercise correctly?

The technique is not primitive, but each of you can easily master it.

Experts recommend that “dummies” start with the classic Frog, and only then move on to its variations.

For example, one of my friends, who has been training for a whole year, has “grown up” to performing activities in the plank and even on the horizontal bar. I hope you can do this too!

Here is the activity technique step by step:

1. Squat down and place your palms on the floor;
2. Now slowly, leaning on your knees, spread your legs (knees) apart, maintaining a bend in your knees of about 90 degrees.
3. Try to smoothly redirect the support from your knees completely to your shins.
4. Lower yourself from straight arms onto your elbows, supporting yourself on your forearms. Keep your back in a perfectly straight position, direct your gaze to your fingertips.
5. Reach slowly and carefully to your maximum stretch, take several breaths while holding this position, trying to relax (for a better effect, you can make smooth movements back and forth).
6. Your goal moving forward is to bring your thighs into full contact with the floor, with the outside of your thighs aligned with your shins (or the angle between your thighs reaches 180 degrees).
7. As you begin your journey to achieving the perfect Frog, you should only strive to complete step six, slowly and carefully.
8. Carefully rise up, without opening your legs too much, so as not to strain the muscles.

Training video on how to do the classic frog leg stretching exercise correctly:

Variation of frog lying on stomach

To make the leg muscles elastic, increase flexibility and achieve ideal stretching in the future (for splits as well), you need to perform the following variation in the dynamics for the legs:

1. Lying on your stomach, bend your lower back moderately.
2. Bend your knees and grab your toes with your hands.
3. Smoothly and carefully, exhaling, press your hands on your feet to bring them closer to your buttocks.
4. Try to touch your buttocks with your heels, but do not cause yourself extreme discomfort.
5. At the same time, press your hips against the surface as much as possible.
6. As you inhale, carefully return to the starting position, then repeat all over again.

If you feel good, do 20 of these repetitions slowly.

Reverse frog exercise

The activity, performed on the back, is not difficult and is suitable for beginners. Here's her technique:

1. Lie on your back, bend your knees.
2. Bring your heels together so that your legs create a diamond shape.
3. Bring your knees closer to the floor with your hands, combining efforts with smooth breathing, hold for 5 seconds to relax.
4. Spread your legs wider, but not to the point of pain.
5. Carefully and very slowly return to the starting position.

Possible mistakes

Beginners and inexperienced people can make quite dangerous mistakes in this activity. Here is a list of the most common ones; if you do them, it will only cause harm:

• the person does not concentrate fully on what he is doing;
• makes movements too quickly, which can cause muscle pinching;
• Without transferring the weight completely to the hands (forehand), without reliable support, the practitioner creates uncontrolled tensile stress, which can injure;
• breathes intermittently instead of breathing slowly and extremely regularly;
• wears clothes that are too tight, complicating the whole process.

Frog pull-ups

This is the name of an effective abdominal exercise that will very quickly help remove caterpillar folds on the stomach, achieve a slender waist, and tone the abdominal muscles. Frog pull-ups are also a good workout for the legs, but their main value is that when done correctly, each abdominal muscle is perfectly worked. Due to the strong load on the peritoneum, this exercise is contraindicated for women who have recently given birth, people who have undergone abdominal surgery or have problems with the spine.

There are two variations of frog pull-ups:

1. The classic method involves twisting the body. To do it, you need to lie on your back, bring the soles of your feet together, and spread your bent knees as wide as possible. Having immobilized the lower back and pelvis, smoothly twist forward, keeping your hands on your chest or behind your head. The exercise should be accompanied by proper breathing: lifting the body - exhale, lowering - inhale.
2. The maximum load in the first version falls on the rectus abdominis muscles; for enhanced development of the obliques, there is a second variation of frog pull-ups - pelvic twists. The starting position is the same, only with this approach we immobilize the entire upper body, and lift and twist the pelvis, pulling the knees to the shoulders, straining the abdominal muscles with all our might.

Frog exercise for children

Activity is extremely beneficial for children. First of all, because it develops flexibility and strengthens the spine. Protects against serious problems such as scoliosis and even corrects posture. Additionally, “Frog” improves coordination of movements, comprehensively strengthens muscles, provides excellent flexibility and harmonious development.

Separately, I would like to say about the benefits of activity for babies. It not only improves coordination, but also relaxes, helps with muscle hypertonicity, activates blood circulation and digestion, strengthens ligaments and joints, removes excess tension, and promotes good sleep.

“Frog” for infants and newborns should be done like this:

1. Place the baby on his tummy, hold his feet with one hand, and place the other on his butt.
2. Now you need to carefully bend your legs both at the hip joint and at the knees so that the position resembles the legs of a frog.
3. Next, you need to stay in a bent position for 5 seconds and carefully return your legs back. Repeat 4-5 times.

Common mistakes

Maria:

It happens that the client has a physiological limitation in the mobility of the hip joint, which does not allow the leg to move further. And they offer to press the person so that he sits down completely. Naturally, there will be injury. Therefore, here are two main mistakes: the inability to listen to the body and read signals in pursuit of an enviable goal and the use of passive stretching (in other words, stretching with the help of a partner). Hence, sprains of the inner thigh and injuries to the hip joint.

Therefore, this undoubtedly useful pose should be approached with knowledge and caution.

Frog exercise reviews

As you already know, I have many friends who are actively involved in sports, both in the gym and on their own. Here are their reviews:

Nastya, 22 years old: I have long dreamed of doing the splits, and for the last six months I have been actively working on it. The Frog, among other stretching exercises, helped me achieve my dream!

Alexey, 38 years old: I always had problems with my back, plus there was no stretching at all, I was just “wooden”. But then I started doing stretching exercises, including the “Frog”, and gradually everything got better, plus the back pain went away. I feel much better!

That's all, my dears! I hope you find the article useful. I kindly ask you to subscribe to my channel and actively like! Good luck to you and see you again!

Increased appetite

Today “So Simple!” will tell you how to reduce your appetite in just 1 minute and not overeat. To do this, you don’t need to limit yourself in food or try another diet.

A simple exercise from the ancient Chinese gymnastics qigong - “The Jasper Frog Drives the Waves” will help you get rid of the feeling of hunger. It is sometimes called "Frog Rocking on a Wave."

DepositPhotos

Chinese qigong masters say that this technique blocks hunger, even if you don't eat all day. Anyone who eats irregularly or eats more than 5 times a day (three main meals up to 400 g and two snacks up to 100 g) must do the exercise. And also those who are on a diet, have sharply reduced the portion size or practice short-term fasting - a food break.

DepositPhotos

Before performing, drink 100–200 ml of warm water. Choose a support - a low table or chair. Rest your elbows on the back, as shown in the picture, or bend over, placing your palms on the seat of the chair. Choose the height of the support so that you feel as comfortable as possible and your spine is bent. You can perform the exercise leaning on the wall.

Take a deep breath and at the same time pull your stomach in as far as you can. Hold your breath for 3-4 seconds. Exhale and relax your abdominal muscles. Repeat 10 times. The feeling of hunger will disappear immediately or in a couple of minutes. Breathing does not play a special role, the main thing is to draw in the stomach well as you inhale and round it as much as possible as you exhale.

To eat less at lunch or dinner, do the exercise 10-15 minutes before meals. This will make you feel fuller faster than usual. The main thing is to exercise as soon as your hand reaches out to eat something tasty.

The Jasper Frog can be performed standing, walking, sitting or lying down. In the latter case, the efficiency is much less. And to control breathing you need to keep your hands on your stomach.

DepositPhotos

What is the secret of the exercise? First, a little theory: simultaneously with the appearance of a feeling of hunger, gastric juice is produced in the stomach, which includes pepsin and hydrochloric acid. They dissolve food that enters the stomach. But, if a person has not eaten, gastric juice begins to irritate the walls of the stomach.

The result is bad breath, coating on the tongue, gastritis, and ulcers. It turns out to be a vicious circle: if you feel hungry, you need to eat, if you eat, you’re overweight, if you don’t eat, you get sick. That's why overeating isn't just about being overweight. This is a dangerous food addiction that destroys our body. You need to fight overeating!

DepositPhotos

During the exercise, the abdominal muscles “drain” gastric juice into the intestines and appetite disappears. Over time, the desire to snack decreases, the bad habit disappears, and you will only feel hungry when your body really needs food.

One more very important note. Some may mistakenly think that having such a technique will allow you to strictly cut down your diet and lose weight. But that's not true

Starving and abusing exercise to the detriment of your own health is strictly not recommended! If the body does not have enough nutrients, no “frog” will help

But that's not true. Starving and abusing exercise to the detriment of your own health is strictly not recommended! If the body does not have enough nutrients, no “frog” will help.

DepositPhotos

Therefore, focus not only on hunger, but also critically evaluate your diet. If there are enough vegetables, fruits, protein foods and carbohydrates, exercise will reduce the number of snacks and reduce the amount of portions consumed.

Breathing exercises should not be underestimated! Exercises for women after 40 are a source of second youth for those who want to improve their well-being and change their appearance. The main desire!

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Goblet Squats with Biceps Curls

This variation on the traditional goblet squat takes already heavy squats to a whole new level. They work the deep muscles of the gluteal region and legs, and at the same time load the arms and muscles of the torso.

How to perform

Stand in a grand plié pose (feet about a meter wide and turned outward), holding a kettlebell or dumbbell at chest level. Engaging your abdominal muscles, squat as deeply as possible. With your body aligned, perform two-arm bicep curls: touch the weight to the floor and lift it toward your chest. Be careful not to rock back and forth on your heels as you lift the weights. And don’t use momentum for this: if it’s hard, it’s better to reduce the weight. Continue to remain in a deep squat after biceps curls. Slowly move the kettlebell to one side, allowing your torso to follow. Then move the projectile to the other leg, maintaining balance. Returning to the center position, rise up and repeat. Perform 10 to 20 repetitions, or as many as you can with proper form.