(MY WORKOUT)
My name is Elodie Clouvel.
I was the Olympic vice-champion at Rio.
I'm going to show you a stretching exercise.
It's an exercise for stretching and posture
to improve your flexibility and size.
(PSOAS STRETCHING)
It's a psoas stretch, an iliopsoas stretch.
The iliopsoas is what connects all the leg's muscles,
and it's also a muscle which allows the body's relaxation.
When the psoas is stretched out,
and, as I'd put it... not tensed or strained,
the body relaxes.
Everything comes from the iliopsoas,
and it's very important to do this exercise
after running or swimming.
We always use the iliopsoas, so the more you relax it
the more you'll be relaxed during physical exercise.
So I'll show you the first exercise,
which enables the stretch.
It is done in movement, it all starts from the foot.
You push on your back foot
to enable the stretch and enlarge your body,
to really stretch the iliopsoas.
And the next exercise, which prolongs the first,
is an exercise where the rear leg is straight.
We stay in the same position,
but we straighten the leg, to extend and stretch.
It will be an exercise of extension and stretching
of the psoas to really regain the body's full scale
because sometimes, with stress, cold weather, etc...
one tends to get shorter.
So this exercise is good to stretch out
and improve your posture.
For this exercise it's important
to anchor your feet correctly,
because it all starts from your contact with the ground.
Then lift up with your buttocks fully tensed,
then bend your leg,
and then put your hands on the ground...
..to see if your position is correct.
You straighten up,
and push on the leg on the floor to stretch your psoas.
Repeat this a few times to fully stretch your psoas.
You can do it three times...
..then change legs.
You have to really feel tall,
as if your ears were lifting you up.
You have to feel the full size of your body.
And you push on your toes on the floor...
..to really stretch your psoas.
You then put your hands on the ground
and straighten your leg,
but do so leaving your buttocks down,
so it really is the psoas that is being worked,
and stretched to its maximum.
It all comes from the psoas.
Breathe well, breathing is very important.
Three with this leg,
and then you repeat with the other leg.
Always think about breathing and growing.
So we've worked on the psoas
in order to stretch and lengthen this part of your body
which is very important and allows the whole body
to relax and open up.
Be careful, when you do this exercise,
to do it correctly.
Don't go over the top, or through extreme pain,
just simply stretch without sudden movements...
..so it doesn't do this...
but really stretches the muscle progressively.
It's very simple,
a very simple exercise that will help you really relax.
It's very important to stretch your psoas.
I recommend you do the exercise you have seen here.
You can do it at home, or at the gym,
or simply on a floor mat.
And so there we are. If you want to be a champion,
I truly recommend this very, very important exercise.
(MY WORKOUT)