This stretch is for all you Memorial Day gardening mavens. Weeding is a killer for the low back, elbows and back of legs. Here is a trio to help you out at the end of the day.

Hamstrings

Tricepts

Side Rolls

Not every one is able to get down on the floor to exercise. You might be over weight, have bad knees, be restricted by age or space. Chair stretching can be done any where, airports, rest stops, airplanes, living rooms or kitchen chairs.

WHY STRETCH YOUR HAMSTRINGS
Stretching your hamstrings/back of thighs (and the opposing muscles the quadriceps/front of the thighs) is important when it comes to taking pressure off the low back. When the quadriceps and hamstrings are stretched they help balance the pelvis thus balancing the core. The core being the area from mid/lower back to the hips. When the quadriceps or the hamstrings are too tight they can pull your hips to the front (anterior) or to the back (posterior), either of these conditions contribute to low back and hip pain.

SYMPTOMS
A person with tight Hamstrings will usually have pain when walking and when sitting pain can be felt on the bottom of the buttocks (the sit bone).

THE STRETCH
Sit on a chair with an 8 foot rope looped over the foot of the leg your stretching. Place your hand on the exercising thigh and extend your leg (foot) up in front of you by contracting your quadriceps and your lower abdominal. Use the rope at the end of the stretch for a little assistance and to enhance the stretch. You should stretch to mild irritation, holding the stretch for 2 seconds or less- repeat 10 times.

This stretch is a must for all walkers and runners!

Have you guessed the location of the Hamstrings? I forgot to tell you where they were located! Duh.
The mystery location is the back of your thigh. The hamstring attaches to your sit bone on your buttocks and the lower part attaches to both sides of the knee.

The term hamstring comes from the 18 century where pig carcasses where displayed by hanging them from the tendons at the back of their knees.

If you walk, run, jump or dance you use your hamstrings. Their are 3 of them:
Semitendinosus
Semimembranosus
Biceps femoris (it’s a double header)

They function to extend the thigh at the hip. When you walking the hamstrings help to keep you erect, to slow down your leg at the end of your step and to help you bend forward.

The pain pattern they produce starts in the lower buttock and extends down to the middle of your calf.

This week on Stretch of the Week we’ll learn to stretch it!