Exercise Highlight 27: Assisted Hamstring Stretch with Active Leg Raise
Here is a direct way to work on flexibility and mobility of your hips and hamstrings. Many people experience tightness in their hamstrings and have lost range of motion over the years. This stretch will help, however, remember that the tightness and loss of ROM can be do to a weakness and imbalance of the area. It is very important to figure this out by talking with your coach and going through a proper movement assessment.
For example, if the muscles of your hamstring become weak and your gluteals don't have adequate strength and engagement, then the muscles surrounding this area will increase tension as a way of creating a false sense of stability around the joints. We don't want this, so be sure to strengthen your core, which includes your gluteals and hip musculature, as well as condition your hamstrings with some isolated movements as well as single leg deadlifts, etc.
Another example of a compensation that will create a sense of tightness in the hamstrings is an excessive anterior pelvic tilt. Think of someone standing with an excessive arch in their lower back and butt sticking out. This places the attachment point of the hamstrings in a higher position, causing a continual pull and strain on the hamstrings. A few things can cause this, such as weak abdominals, hip flexors and or glutes, poor postural habits, sitting a lot and so on. This is why it is important when laying on the ground to keep your pelvic and spine in a neutral position as you work on this stretch. Let us know if you have any questions.
