How to Stretch Tight Hamstrings

Video Transcript

"Incorporating a good flexibility program into your fitness regime is very important. Do you have tight hamstrings? Hamstrings run up the back of the thigh and many people in today's society have tight hamstrings because of the activity we do during the day. We sit at the desk or we drive a car which puts the hamstrings into a contracted position. So it's really important to get that hamstring stretch out, tight hamstrings can definitely lead to low back problems and about two thirds of Americans have low back problems. So I'm going to demonstrate today some exercises for you to stretch the hamstring. First one is in a standing position, you can just simply place your heel on the floor, bend the knee of the leg you're standing on with your hands on your thigh, tilt your head back but keep your chest lifted and keep bending the knee of the supporting leg. You will feel stretched down the hamstring, you'll also feel a stretch into the calve. You want to hold the stretch for at least ten seconds up to thirty as optimal. Make sure you balance out both sides. So that's a standing hamstring stretch. Next we'll move to a seated hamstring stretch which pretty much looks the same. Putting your heel forward, tilting your hips back, leading forward with your chest and keeping your spine in what we call neutral position, really helps stretch those hamstrings. Again holding your stretch about thirty seconds would be optimal. You don't want to feel pain and you certainly want to breath while you're doing your stretching. Another option would be lying in a supine position. One knee bent, pull the knee in towards the chest and straighten out at the knee. Avoid bending the knee as that puts a stretch into the gluteals. Straighten out the knee and you can either just allow the weight of gravity to help stretch the leg which we call active stretching or allow the assistance of your hand for passive stretching. Hold your stretch, breath through the stretch, relax. This is Alice Monsaert encouraging you to have flexible hamstrings."