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flexagonSomeone recently reminded me that someone else is having trouble with hamstring stretches because sitting and leaning forward doesn't work too well for that second person. (I name no names... you know who you are.) I've got one for ya, second person.
Stand a little more than arms-length distance behind a chair, with feet either hips-width apart or together. Get your spine nice and long by standing up straight. Then bend forward, keeping your back straight, supporting yourself lightly with fingers on the back of the chair. It might help to use a mirror to see if your back is straight, and if you don't get down to a 90 degree angle, that's fine! Gravity will still be helping you.
As for what you want to feel, you shouldn't have any more tension in the back of your legs than it takes to keep standing. Do engage your quads, both for balance and to help release the hamstrings, and your lower back to keep yourself straight, but otherwise try to relax. Ideally you have the same amount of weight in the balls of the feet and the heels, rather than swaying way forward or back.
If (and only if!) the stretch isn't too much for you, take your hands off the chair and let your arms dangle. Grab your elbows with opposite hands and let your head hang down as well. Breathe deeply. Keep thinking about tilting your tailbone up, so your back is straight. You can come out of this by releasing your back and then rolling up, or by coming up with a flat back.
* * *
The unsupported version is pretty much just like a seated forward bend, except you're rotated upright to let gravity get a good hold on your torso. It really bothers me that so many popular stretches are aimed at the already pretty flexible people... if someone is inflexible it probably matters even more that they stretch out and work on the problem. That kind of thing becomes a huge factor in injury prevention in later life. However, that message doesn't really seem to be out there. :(
Stand a little more than arms-length distance behind a chair, with feet either hips-width apart or together. Get your spine nice and long by standing up straight. Then bend forward, keeping your back straight, supporting yourself lightly with fingers on the back of the chair. It might help to use a mirror to see if your back is straight, and if you don't get down to a 90 degree angle, that's fine! Gravity will still be helping you.
As for what you want to feel, you shouldn't have any more tension in the back of your legs than it takes to keep standing. Do engage your quads, both for balance and to help release the hamstrings, and your lower back to keep yourself straight, but otherwise try to relax. Ideally you have the same amount of weight in the balls of the feet and the heels, rather than swaying way forward or back.
If (and only if!) the stretch isn't too much for you, take your hands off the chair and let your arms dangle. Grab your elbows with opposite hands and let your head hang down as well. Breathe deeply. Keep thinking about tilting your tailbone up, so your back is straight. You can come out of this by releasing your back and then rolling up, or by coming up with a flat back.
The unsupported version is pretty much just like a seated forward bend, except you're rotated upright to let gravity get a good hold on your torso. It really bothers me that so many popular stretches are aimed at the already pretty flexible people... if someone is inflexible it probably matters even more that they stretch out and work on the problem. That kind of thing becomes a huge factor in injury prevention in later life. However, that message doesn't really seem to be out there. :(
no subject
Date: 2005-04-12 04:59 pm (UTC)Muscles are weird that way. I used to feel everything in my calves.