The hamstring muscles cross two joints; they start on our hipbone and finish by attaching to our shinbone. Located on the back side of our leg, opposite from our quadriceps, the hamstrings are one of the largest muscle groups in our body. When they are tight and stiff, they pull the hipbone close to the thighbone, squeezing the joint and causing joint compression. This causes us to lose our range of motion when walking and running, and even making sitting painful and difficult. This rebalancing hamstring stretch will loosen the tension, therefore decompressing the joint and relieving hip pain.
1. Lie flat on your back, with your spine and hips flat on the ground.
2. Bend one leg, keeping the foot flat on the ground.
3. Raise the other leg, bending the knee of that leg. Hold the knee with both hands and pull it toward your chest.
4. While doing this, relax your bum and wiggle it under you. (The wiggling of the bum will force the hip muscle to relax, making the next movement easier to do.)
5. Release your hold on the knee, raise your leg higher, and try to straighten the knee. Note: If your hamstrings are tight, you may not be able to straighten your knee completely; in that case, leave it slightly bent.
6. Wrap a stretch band comfortably around your lower leg, near your ankle. Use the band to pull your leg toward your chest while keeping your head flat on the floor.
7. Using the PNF techniques, resist with a push, release, relax more with the wiggle, and then pull again.
8. Push against the band, trying to lower your leg toward the floor. (The band will stop you from being able to lower your leg too far.) Push for 3 to 6 seconds.
9. Stop pushing against the band and relax your hips for 3 seconds.
10. Wiggle your bum for 3 seconds.
11. Using the band, pull the leg toward your chest again. (The band will help you deepen the stretch.) Hold for about 6 seconds.
12. Relax 6 seconds before starting again.
13. Repeat 3 times before changing legs.