By Brian Tuck
Our hamstrings. Known as one of the tightest set of muscles on the body and the most challenging to gain flexibility with.
Depending on the type of stretch, when we target the hamstring we may include other muscles at the same time. We will examine different ways this can occur, but also how to isolate the hamstring to maximize your improvement in this specific area. Indirectly, we sometimes compensate the stretch on the hamstring with the flexibility of our back, hips and shoulders. Let's clarify
to take a look at this further.Stretch Test
First, let's do a little stretch test. Stand up and touching your toes, go ahead, give it a try!
1) Stand up, bring your feet parallel, hip width apart. Try and touch your toes and hold for 10-20 deep breaths. Observe the stretch behind the legs, the knees, perhaps even the buttocks. Now bring your attention towards the lower back, rounding and the stretch you get in your shoulders. Repeat a few times.
You can even let your arms dangle, or grab your elbows. Bend your knees to roll yourself back up safely if you have a bad back. This is a great stretch for the lower back and brings fresh blood to the brain. Remember to breathe deeply. (If you have low blood pressure, a few breaths maybe long enough, or do the same stretch while sitting on the floor instead)
2) Next, try doing the same stretch again, by sticking the bum out, back flat, chest open. Try to keep the shoulders back and bring the hands to the shins or a block. Can you slide down and still touch your toes? Maybe, maybe not.... You have now isolated your hips and hamstrings without the assistance of your shoulder and back stretching.
(You can even do this with your hands on a table or chair. Walk the legs back until back is flat and buttocks are out. It makes for a great shoulderblade stretch as well!)
3) Next, grab a towel and lie on your back. Bring one leg up and wrap the towel around the flexed foot. Keeping your shoulders back, you've isolated the hamstring and calf. Hold on each side 30 -60 seconds on each leg. Try to take deep breaths and every 10 breaths try to pull the towel a little tighter and the push the heel away from you. You will have more control here than sitting on your buttocks stretching one leg at a time which can be limited by the tightness in the back .
More patience, less pulling
Start with these three stretches 4-6 times per week if you are ready to dedicate a few minutes each time. Who says you can't do a standing forward bend at the office?
When we stretch, we most often forget to hold it long enough to get the most out of it. Find the spot where it feels like you can endure the stretch for about 20 seconds to a minute without feeling like something will tear. Find the limit that still allows you to breathe comfortably and doesn't push too much, too fast, too soon. Allow the stretch to happen, the longer we stay, the more the muscles will relax. There is no need to pull or push hard.
All three variations are excellent ways to stretch the back of our legs to some degree. The 3rd stretch however, has more potential to isolate the hamstrings and is more efficient in preventing compensation from other parts of the body. All three combined can introduce you to new ranges of motion and the story of your new hamstring freedom can begin to unfold.
Photo sources: www.beebleblog.com, www.athleta.net, www.sciaticnervepain.ca
