Stretching Hamstrings
Dancing Smart Newsletter
June 17, 2005
Greetings! Quick reminder to those who are ordering one of the introductoryspecials to click on the special you want. When you add the products into the shopping cartindividually, the shopping cart won't know to give you the special price. I have to credit your card for thedifference. I'm happy to do it,but it's less confusing if you do it through the special offer pages. Thank you! If you have any problems, don't hesitate to email me atDeborahVogel@thebodyseries.com
Onto the question of the week!
In your newsletter in which you discuss tight hamstringspreventing full extension of the knee, you mentioned that you prefer hamstringstretches NOT done on the floor, but in a standing position. Could you explain why you favor themstanding? Thank you. I really appreciate being able toreceive your newsletter.
Claudia (dancer and pilates instructor in Fayetteville,Arkansas)
The reason why I prefer to work with stretching tighthamstrings in the standing position is to better isolate the stretch. The problem with stretching on thefloor is that if the hamstrings are tight enough the dancer is sitting on thebackside of their pelvis, in a slightly rounded position.
Let me describe it in a different way. We sit on the rounded rockers of thepelvis, affectionately called the sits bone by dancers and the ischialtuberosities by anatomists. When you roll onto the backside of the pelvis, your spine rounds forwardinto a C curve. In this positionthe head juts forward and you've got an unhappy spine! The hamstrings, which attach from thetuberosities to below the knees, pull the pelvis backwards in sitting as I justdescribed. I have actually workedwith teenagers and adults who were unable to sit up correctly at their desksbecause the hamstrings were so tight.
When the hamstrings are tight and you're sitting on thefloor with that rounded spine reaching towards your spine you won't feel thestretch underneath the legs but more so in the lower back area. It is a common pattern to feeldiscomfort in your lower back area with tight hamstrings, just as it is commonfor tight low back muscles to sometimes be experienced as hamstring problems.This is when standing and resting one leg on a low surface, such as a chairseat, is a better position to stretch in. If you can easily sit upright on the floor with yourpelvis, then floor stretches are no problem.
Begin by standing with your pelvis in a neutral position(neither arched or tucked under). If your pelvis is tucked under, then you need to put your leg onto alower surface until you are able to stand up perfectly straight without anypelvis tucking. Worry lessabout rounding forward over the leg that is up and focus more on gently tippingthe pelvis by softening in the front of the hip as you feel your sits bonemoving backwards. You can then adda forward tilt with your pelvis and torso if you need to increase the stretch. Make sure your pelvis is facingforward, instead of letting the hip of the leg your stretching shift forwardand change your facing.
You want to feel the hamstrings stretching in the back ofthe leg, preferable in the middle of the thigh. Tendons, which connect muscles to bones, are only slightlyelastic. It is the muscle tissue,the red meat in the middle, which is elastic and where changes in muscle lengthshould take place.
Remember that stretching should be done easily and gently inorder not to provoke the stretch reflex response. When you are stretching with too much intensity, orbouncing, the muscle will contract in order to protect itself. Slow and steady wins the race withstretching. Sometimes it isnecessary to hold a stretch for a few minutes as often it takes 30 seconds to aminute to let go of your leg tension, for example. Check and make sure that your quadriceps muscles are notcontracted while you are stretching your hamstrings. You want to be deepening and releasing into your hamstringstretching, not using your quads to help keep your knees straight as yourstretching. Remember the hamstringmuscles bend the knee and extend the leg behind at the hip. When you do a battement to the frontand the hamstring reaches the end of it's flexibility, the knee will bend, andthe pelvis will tuck under.
While putting your leg up on the barre, or other surfaceafter class is a great way to stretch out the hamstrings, many dancers like lieon their backs on the floor with their pelvises close to the wall and resttheir legs against the wall. Thiswon't feel like a strong stretch to the flexible dancer, but can be a greatstretch for tighter hamstrings.
Stretching your hamstrings either in a standing position orlying on the floor with your feet on the wall is like stretching them on thereformer working feet in straps. In that position you are cueing the dancer to maintain even weight ofthe pelvis on the mat, while they flex the hips to bring a beautiful stretch tothe hamstrings. Whether on thereformer or in dance class, the focus is on flexing the hip and isolating thestretch to the hamstrings.
Warmest regards,
Deborah