Stretching the Hamstrings – BowlFit Fitness Tip of the Week

If you spend a majority of the time sitting at work, chances are you’ve experienced some tight hamstrings. Tight hamstrings (the muscles in the back of your thighs) are responsible for flexing the knee and will be shortened when doing so or posteriorly tilting the hips as many do when they aren’t maintaining proper posture while sitting. This is often a contributing factor for low back pain. The best way to manage it is by strengthening them with hip lifts and leg curls, and by properly stretching them before and after physical activity. This video demonstrates what I think is the best way to stretch your hamstrings. By doing brief repetitions in a dynamic stretch you can warm up the hamstrings prior to league, a tournament, or your workout. Then by statically holding the end range of this same banded leg stretch, you have a great post-activity hamstring stretch.