Stretching Fitness - Hamstring Health

With our continued focus on stretching exercises necessary for good flexibility, fitness and injury prevention, and having already addressed the calf muscle, we'll now work our way up the back of the leg to the Hamstring Muscles.

What we call the Hamstring (or more affectionately, the Hammies) is actually a set of three muscles called: Biceps Femoris, Semimembranosus, and Semitendinosus. These three muscles are mainly responsible for bending or flexing the Knee joint, but as they also cross the back of the hip joint the also help with hip extension.

If you've ever done a lot of activity where you are bending forward with your knees straightened, like working on the engine of your car or pulling weeds out of your yard, you may have noticed these muscles the next day when they are protesting the sudden work you've put them through after not noticing them for so long!

The Hamstrings are relatively weak muscles in comparison to the more powerful Quadriceps muscles, located on the front of our thighs, and therefore are more prone to being overstrained or "pulled" as a result. Also because we spend so much time sitting these days, with our knees flexed in a bent position, the hamstring muscles tend to become a little shortened and tight. Thus the need for regular stretching of these muscles.

Again, no matter what level of flexibility or fitness you are, the main thing about stretching is to go slowly and hold the stretch at a comfortable level for at least 25-30 seconds.

Low Level Stretch

Intermediate level Stretch

Advanced Level Hamstring StretchThese stretches can be done for several repetitions as well as any other stretch. Remember, treat your Hammies right, and they will treat you right!

Happy Fitness!

Daily Fitness For Life - Stretching

One of the basic components of any fitness program, both in order to prevent injury and allow for proper warm-up and cool down, is a basic stretching program.

Over the next while I will adress several basic stretches that anyone of any fitness level should incorporate into their pre and post exercise routine. In fact, these stretches can and should be done for your health and daily function, even if you aren't going to be working out.

Like with any excercise program, there are several different fitness levels or intensities in which a stretch can be performed, but one common thread exists among all of them: Stretches need to be performed SLOWLY! Stretching which is performed too rapidly can result in injury or instead of loosening the muscle as intended, it will generate a reflex response which will actually cause the muscle to tighten (similar to when the doctor hits your knee with that little reflex hammer during your yearly check-ups).

To be effective a stretch should be done at a slow pace, until you can feel the muscle stretching, but not painful, and hold that position for at least 30 seconds. The same stretch can also be done more than once, especially if the muscle you are stretching feels particularly tight.

I will address several stretches over the coming week or so, with a different stretch being discussed each time, but today we will start with one of the basics = The Calf Stretch.

The "Calf" is made up of two main muscles, the gastrocnemious and the soleus, and is located on the back of your lower legs.

Basic/Low level Calf stretch: (see illustration at right)

To advance the intensity of this stretch you can step the leg you are stretching further back from the wall or object you are leaning against.

Also, in order to stretch both muscle groups, you can stretch as shown in the illustration, with the knee extended to stretch the gastrocnemius, and also bend the knee forward slightly to stretch the deeper soleus muscle.

This stretch is important because the foot, ankle and lower leg are the first part of the body to contact the ground with any type of walking or standing exercises.

Happy Stretching!