Hamstring Stretch
Lower Body Stretches Series
The hamstring stretch is the next video in these lower body stretches
series.
The hamstrings are a group of muscles located at the back of the upper
leg.
These muscles are the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and the
semimembranosus muscles.
Together they help with many different things but are primarily used
for flexion (or bending) of the knee.
They also assist in moving the upper leg backwards by extending the
thighs.
Additionally, the hamstrings help with maintaining a standing position
with knees slightly bent, as well as limiting how far we can bend over
without bending the knees.
Lastly, this group of muscles helps with our posture by assisting to
straighten out the lower curvature of the spine.
Stretch #6 - Hamstring Stretch
You will be lying down for this stretch so use an exercise mat to be
comfortable.
-
Lie down on your back with your knees stretched out in front of you.
- Bend your right knee up slowly and grab the back of your
thigh just below the knee and pull it towards your chest.
- Relax your arms a bit until the knee is pointing straight
up towards the ceiling. This is your starting position.
- Now straighten your right leg up to the ceiling and hold
for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Bend your knee to return to the starting position. Hold for
a few seconds.
- Repeat the stretch again for 10 to 15 seconds by
straightening the leg again. Do one more repetition.
- Repeat for the other leg.
If you can't fully straighten your knee, just go as far as you feel
comfortable. With each rep, try to deepen the stretch a bit more.
Watch the video below to ensure you are doing the this move
correctly.
Not all mobile devices will display the video correctly. If you are not
seeing the full video (or it's not displaying at all), click
here
to view the
hamstring stretch on youtube.
Additional Articles
Lower Body Dumbbell Exercises
Strengthen your legs, hips and glutes with these exercises. Using
dumbbell weights allows you to easily pick the right resistance for
your strength training workout.
Exercise Tips
If you are just getting started on your weekly workouts, then be sure
to check out these tips. You want to get the most from your exercises,
so make sure you start out right.
Target Heart Rate Calculator
This free online tool will help you find your target heart rate for
exercising. Working out within your range can give you the most from
your calorie burn.