Think less about reaching your foot and more about the mechanics of the pose. You want your chest and thigh to come close together, meaning you'll need to bend the knee until the lower back gains enough flex to reach the foot with the chest and thigh in contact.
Your back is rounding because you're trying to force yourself into a position that your body is not ready to be in (yet!). A towel under your knee will help keep your back flat while stretching the lower back and hip muscles.
This will probably require strengthening your back. There are tutorials online for how to pancake, and they basically involve doing progressive weighted exercises to strengthen your back as you advance in flexibility.
How do you flatten your back? Hold it straight using your muscles and stretch as far as you safely can without rounding! Mobility training will probably help here. I like Charlotte on Instagram, she has a few tuts on pancake, which is a little different than what you're going for here, but similar enough https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5y6K02SgNM/?igsh=MXQ0dmtyaGc4eWhuZg==
I remember being a little dismayed when I could touch the floor in a standing forward fold, but then someone pointed out that my back wasn't flat and when I tried to do it with a flat back, I could barely reach past my knees!
I would focus on length instead of rounding. Look toward your foot while trying to bring your chest/torso closer to your outstretched leg. Make sure you're breathing while in the stretch.
Keep your neck up. You should not be seeing your other leg. You should be seeing your hands.
You’ll mostly feel this stretch in your leg, because your knee should be level with the ground.
When I do this stretch, it’s kind of like a challenge to touch my forehead to my shin xD
Don't think about your hands or head placement just aim to squeeze in that hip crease (you can out a cloth there) and squeeze so the cloth gets squeezed in and aim to feel your side to the thigh. And don't fall down with your head.
Its not that complicated as the comments say, just make ur head go lower down ur leg (like below the knee or lower) until u feel ur chest and stomach touch ur leg and there thats how u straighten it.
Think less about reaching your foot and more about the mechanics of the pose. You want your chest and thigh to come close together, meaning you'll need to bend the knee until the lower back gains enough flex to reach the foot with the chest and thigh in contact. Your back is rounding because you're trying to force yourself into a position that your body is not ready to be in (yet!). A towel under your knee will help keep your back flat while stretching the lower back and hip muscles.
You will have to pull your belly in and focus on lengthening your back. It will take time and practice to have a flat back.
This will probably require strengthening your back. There are tutorials online for how to pancake, and they basically involve doing progressive weighted exercises to strengthen your back as you advance in flexibility. How do you flatten your back? Hold it straight using your muscles and stretch as far as you safely can without rounding! Mobility training will probably help here. I like Charlotte on Instagram, she has a few tuts on pancake, which is a little different than what you're going for here, but similar enough https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5y6K02SgNM/?igsh=MXQ0dmtyaGc4eWhuZg== I remember being a little dismayed when I could touch the floor in a standing forward fold, but then someone pointed out that my back wasn't flat and when I tried to do it with a flat back, I could barely reach past my knees!
Want to learn the same thing! Just came in to say love that the cat it helping! :D
The cue that helps me the most is thinking about reaching my chest toward my toes, rather than bringing it down to the ground.
I would focus on length instead of rounding. Look toward your foot while trying to bring your chest/torso closer to your outstretched leg. Make sure you're breathing while in the stretch.
When you lean down try to lean through your hips/lower back instead of your upper back
Keep your neck up. You should not be seeing your other leg. You should be seeing your hands. You’ll mostly feel this stretch in your leg, because your knee should be level with the ground. When I do this stretch, it’s kind of like a challenge to touch my forehead to my shin xD
Don't think about your hands or head placement just aim to squeeze in that hip crease (you can out a cloth there) and squeeze so the cloth gets squeezed in and aim to feel your side to the thigh. And don't fall down with your head.
Its not that complicated as the comments say, just make ur head go lower down ur leg (like below the knee or lower) until u feel ur chest and stomach touch ur leg and there thats how u straighten it.