If you have been stuck with chronically tight hamstrings, and you have been stretching and not seeing results — you may want to give this flexibility hack a try.
The two exercises shown in this video are targeted toward changing the position of the load-bearing joints throughout the body (shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles). By improving the position of the body, we are setting your hamstrings up to be able to function better — instantly! Pretty cool, huh?
Just follow along with the video, and check out the pointers below to make sure you don’t miss any key details. Give these exercises a few minutes each day and you’ll have a whole new relationships with those (formerly) chronically tight hamstrings.
First: Test Your Flexibility
Test your flexibility by bending over toward the floor with your knees straight, like I show you in the video. This will give you a baseline for where you are starting from.
Exercise 1: Static Extension Position
Be sure to let your stomach relax and your shoulder blades collapse together. Picture what a potbellied pig looks like from the side — this is what we want here. This might not be a good look in a social situation, but as far as this exercise goes, we do want the pelvis to tilt forward and we want the spine to dip down toward the floor.
Hold this for 2 minutes.
Exercise 2: Upper Spinal Floor Twist
Be sure to keep the knees together. This will help you to get more of a stretch in the upper body. Breathing is key here, so don’t hold your breath.
Hold this for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until the shoulder meets the floor.
Now: Re-test Your Flexibility
Make note of any small, incremental changes in how far you come toward the floor and in the way your back and legs feel. Even if you don’t see a huge change, small improvements can go a long way if you do these exercises regularly.
For best results, do these exercises once per day. Not only will the flexibility of your chronically tight hamstrings improve, but you may also enjoy the exercises themselves and miss them when you don’t do them.
Maryann, who is currently certified as a Posture Alignment Specialist, created Realign as a way to empower others to take responsibility for their own health the same way she did. Maryann works with people one-on-one both digitally and in-person at her studio in San Diego, California.
To learn more about Maryann's programs, visit Realign Therapy. Maryann is also the founder of The Posture Workout a revolutionary online form of Posture Alignment Therapy that makes this method easily accessible for everyone.
