Hamstring stretch

Key points below

General guidelines:

  1. Do all the exercises slowly.
  2. Keep your body in the position shown in the pictures.
  3. Do not bounce. Do the exercises 2 times each day.
  4. You should feel a good stretch with these exercises, but they should not hurt.
1. Sit on the floor. Bend one knee to the side with foot in towards the other leg. Keep opposite leg straight with toes toward the ceiling.  Reach down along the straight leg until you feel a stretch behind the knee.  Keep the lower back straight.  Hold 30 seconds.  Repeat 3 times.  Repeat with other leg. man stretching holding onto leg 
2. While lying through a doorway, place the affected leg on the door frame.  Scoot your buttocks toward the doorway until you feel the stretch.  As your leg relaxes, scoot closer to the wall.  Hold 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.  Repeat with other leg.  leg stretch on wall
 3. Stand and put the affected leg on a stool or block at about 45 degree angle.  Set the stool against a wall so it does not move. Slowly lean forward until you feel the stretch.  Hold 30 seconds.  Repeat 3 times. Repeat with other leg.  man stretching leg on block

4. Lie on your back.  Have a helper put one hand on your ankle and the other on the front of our knee.  Have them lift your leg off ground keeping the knee straight until feel the stretch.  Keep the other leg flat on the ground.  Hold 30 seconds.  Repeat 3 times. Repeat with other leg.

 

Pictures Copyright VHI, 2010

  woman stretching man's leg

 

 

For helpful videos on stretching, visit:

https://kidshealth.org/ChildrensWI/en/teens/stretching-vd.html?ref=search