How to stretch your hamstrings
By How To (/journals/how-to)
Every move starts from the hips so the stretch stays in the hamstrings and spares the back. Clear a six-foot length of floor and wear clothes that let you fold at the waist.
1: STAND tall with feet hip-width apart and toes pointed straight ahead.
Spread weight evenly from heels to balls of both feet. You feel solid floor contact under each arch. If one foot presses harder, shift until both sides match.
2: STEP your right foot forward two feet while the left heel stays planted.
Place the right heel down first then the whole foot flat. You hear a soft pad as it lands. Keep the front knee soft and stacked over the ankle.
3: HINGE forward at the hips over the front leg while the spine stays long.
Slide both hands onto the front thigh for light support. You see the floor draw nearer while your shirt hangs smooth down the back. If the shirt bunches at the waist, lift the chest two inches to flatten the spine.
4: REACH both hands toward the right toes until a mild pull begins in the thigh.
Stop at the first gentle stretch and keep the front knee bent a few degrees. Breathe out and notice the clean room air. If the pull turns sharp, bend the knee more and slide the hands back to mid-shin.
5: HOLD the fold for a slow count of thirty while the hamstring lengthens.
Count quietly under your breath from one to thirty. You feel the back of the thigh warm and ease after fifteen. Rise slowly, step the left foot forward two feet, and repeat the hinge and reach for another thirty.
The most common mistake
Locking the knees straight. Soften the front knee a few degrees so the stretch stays in the muscle.
Pro tip
Exhale fully each time you hinge so the muscle lengthens without force.
Say it every time
Tall even feet, two-foot step, long hip fold, soft reach, thirty calm breaths