Evaluate Hamstring & Lower Back Flexibility

Series Summary

Exercising combined with an appropriate diet is a great way to manage weight and maximize flexibility and agility. Stretching is an important part of warming-up before a good workout, but do not stretch cold muscles. Stretching is a great way to start a workout, warm up muscles first with a short jog and then stretch before exercising. Stretching muscles lengthens and lubricates them, giving muscles protection from tears and other injuries. Stretching is also a great way to wind down after a workout. Stretching after a workout increases static flexibility. Agility comes from building lean, flexible muscles and developing fast-twitch response. In this free video series on stretching, personal trainer Alice J. Monsaert covers many stretching tips and techniques. Monsaert illustrates stretches for the lower body, warming up for a run or jog, cooling down after a run, prepping for cross-country races, and more. Monsaert also teaches stretches to increase overall flexibility.

Video Transcript

"It is optimal to have great flexibility. To have great flexibility you need some flexibility exercises in your day. How do you know if you are flexible or not? This is Alice Monsaert and I am going to talk to you today about assessing your hamstring flexibility. One thing you can do is in a seated position you should be able to extend our legs out and sit at about a 90 degree angle. If you find yourself leaning way back where you can't straighten out then you definitely need some flexibility work on the hamstrings. So the average person should be able to sit at a 90 degree angle. If that is not comfortable for you you can also assess that hamstring flexibility in a supine position extend the leg up and again that leg should be at about 90 degrees from the hip. If you are off at about a 45 degree and you can't get that leg any higher you definitely need some flexibility work in those hamstrings. You should be able to extend the leg at 90 degrees or further. If you can find the assistance of a personal trainer they may have what we call a sit and reach box which is a great flexibility tool. Place your feet inside the box with the knees straight, not locked but straight. Try and keep the knees straight throughout the test. Place one hand over the other. You want to inhale, exhale and you are going to push the guide forward. Your personal trainer will be able to evaluate based on how many inches you place that slide rule on our flexibility and then design a program for you based on your flexibility needs so again you would inhale and exhale. This is not only assessing your hamstring flexibility but as well as your low back flexibility. That is important that you have flexibility there so that you avoid lower back injury. This is Alice Monsaert encouraging you to increase your flexibility and evaluate where your hamstrings are at this point in time."