Questions: stretching hamstrings

dingbat5 · April 2014

hello everyone, i'm new here. i've got some goals and among them are to be able to touch my toes. i've never been able to do it, nor has my dad, i think it runs in the family or something. i went to physical therapy for a few sessions (couldn't afford it) for knee pain and was told i have very tight hamstrings. unsure if that was related to the knee or not. regardless...

i've been stretching and holding the stretches for about 30-40 seconds each, trying to touch my toes while standing, sitting, and raising my legs straight in the air while lying on my back without my knees bent... none of which i can do. also, especially when i'm on my back with my legs in the air, my legs shake/tremble like crazy and have always done this. i never stretch without first having done enough exercise to be fully warmed up.

i have 2 questions:
-is the trembling normal- especially for someone with tight hamstrings, or is this a sign that i could really hurt myself and should back off from the stretch?
-can anyone recommend any other stretches to help me or anything that might help me loosen up enough to touch my toes/loosen my hamstrings?

thanks!

No_Finish_Line · April 2014

i think the best advice is simply to say stick with it and be consistent.

In the past i've heard that streching every day is bad, and i've heard diffrently recently, but doing it 3 times a week is probably sufficient and definetly not too much.

to answer your question, the trembling probably signifies that your at a limit. But i'm assuming that whats really being pushed are the muscles that are being used to hold your leg up in the air from the reclined position. Perhaps the hip flexor or even the quad itself. these muslces are working hard and thats producing the trembling. when you stretch a muscle its actually in a relaxed position.

I don't believe you have to worry much about the trembling, but try looping a towel over your foot and relax your entire leg. pull the towel toward you and use your arms to support/lift/stretch your leg. this should reduce or eliminate the trembling. but its also easier to over strech using that method, just be careful and use common sence if you try it.

most of the other streches i can think of for hamstrings seem more aggressive then the ones you described, although you might want to try sitting on the floor with your legs out to each side like a V. stretch the left leg, then the right. you can also do this standing, but that sounds more aggressive.

MagnumBurrito · April 2014

http://breakingmuscle.com/yoga/help-for-your-shortie-hamstrings

The stretch in the video at the end of the article is legit.

cupboard_stalking · April 2014

I also have tight hamstrings.

I get the trermbles very easily too, my yoga teacher always says that it is "too much" and I should release a little, but I know too little to say anything factual and people here are very quick to assassinate.

Try researching PNF stretches. If anything it will show you the difference between relaxing the stretched muscles and the tendency to hold on even though the muscle itself is elongated.

Just beware your lower back, its very common for your lower back to also be tight and from my experience it is very easy to hurt your back by overstretching.

Like the other poster, its all about regular stretching, maybe start regular yoga classes if you can :-)

mortuseon · April 2014

Downward dog: kind of slowly raising each knee to the chest, keeping the toes on the ground, then pressing my heels back down alternately has helped me (when each knee is raised I feel a stretch in the opposite hamstring). Sorry if that's completely convoluted.

ETA: when you stretch down to touch your toes from standing, try exhaling and 'releasing' downwards.

vms4evr · April 2014

When laying on your back. Legs and Arms go straight up. Then you just hold them. It sounds easy. After a while you tremble and shake. I would venture to say as part of your PT they did that to help get you to do basic core strength and stretch. The trembling is natural if your core is very weak. If you're recovering from back surgery then forget it. You'll shake. That is as much nerves as muscles.

Instead of arms up trying to touch toes. Try the Reclined Hamstring stretch. It's easier and eases you into stretching your hams without stressing the rest of you out. Once you can do those then try the traditional Figure 4 stretch. Just keep in mind that you don't have to touch your toes. You go to where you tighten up, hold it, breathing, and on say the 3rd exhale, you pull the leg a little tighter. You're looking for an inch or so, not down to your toes. Do them a few times then chill. Do them a few times a day until you can get movement.

These are basic and ones I got told to do when going through PT several times.

dingbat5 · April 2014

no_finish_line: i actually forgot that i do the stretch sitting on the floor with my legs spread out like a v and trying to touch the toes on each foot at a time. the towel is a really good idea, i might try that (and will be careful with it)

leadingMuscle: that was ridiculously helpful, especially the video. when she demonstrates bending over while 'tucking', that is what i look like. my yoga friend has always suggested i try to keep my back straight, it's always curved downwards. so i have something to work on.

cupboard_stalking: i'll have to look into the pnf stretches thanks!

mortuseon: i think you're describing a sort of alternating leg downward dog? i'll have to try it. i do slim in 6, and at the end they have a downward dog (or something like it) and i can't do it without knees bent/feet not flat on the floor. i also do the releasing downwards on exhale... think my yoga friend taught me that.

vms4evr: no back surgery but my spine is curved from one leg being shorter than the other. my full body x-rays look bizarre with my knees and hips at different levels and my spine slightly curved. could be part of it, not sure. i am working on becoming stronger overall, so hopefully with a stronger core, the problem will become less apparent.

thanks guys you've all given me new terms, exercises and knowledge to work with

dingbat5 · May 2014

update: been working on stretching like crazy. i've really been concentrating on getting rid of that posterior tilt i had while stretching.

i did about 25 minutes of cardio/light strength training (slim in 6 phase 1) and did 15 minutes of floor stretches afterwards, making sure to hold each position for at least 30 seconds, and then tried to touch my toes. knees locked, feet together, i was able to get within 1-2" from the floor from my fingertips

i'm unsure what exactly helped me since I was trying so many different things at once, but something changed. i'm on my way! very happy. i can hear that downward facing dog position calling my name!

No_Finish_Line · May 2014

they probably all helped. success is probably more due to being consistent maybe? sounds like you are doing well

Questions: stretching hamstrings

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