Seated Hamstring Stretches

Video Transcript

"On the floor, we want to really facilitate the hamstrings. And this can either be done with both legs parallel, with ankles, knees, hips in line. Or, you can take them slightly out. What's going to be one of the key factors here is whether you're going to need to bend your knees to keep a neutral posture. So, we don't want to roll forward or rock back, but find neutral in between there. And then that's where we're going to work within our active range of motion. So, our goal is to reach towards the same leg with both hands, again, either a slight bend of the knee, nice neutral neck, and facilitate the stretch all along the back of the leg, from the Achilles on up to the hamstring and glutes, where they attach. If I want a deeper stretch, I can reach around the outside of the foot on that same leg, knee slightly bent. And I'm thinking of stretching up, out and over, through elongation. Not pulling down, but reaching up, out and over. Always coming back to neutral on top of those sits bones before you switch to the other side, so you get that neutral posture in place. And then, reach out, and then a little deeper, holding each of those ten to thirty seconds before you switch positions. And then you can take them out a little wider as you build up more flexibility, holding ten to thirty seconds on each side for your hamstring stretch."