FAD Blog: 3 Great Hamstring Stretches to Improve Your Flexibility!

Wed, 7 Aug 2013

FAD blog

3 great hamstring stretches to help improve your flexibility!

Hi All FAD Fans,

I hope you are all having a fabulous week, and are learning lots in your FAD Dance and Cheerleading Classes. I would just like to say Congratulations to all the FAD Competition Students that competed at the WCCD Super Force Clash on the weekend! FAD came away with an amazing 23 x 1^st Places, 20 x 2^nd Places and 17 x 3^rd Places!!! :-) Go FAD!!

This week’s Blog is going to be for all our styles Jazz, Hip Hop and Cheerleading. I am going to be giving your ‘3 Great Stretches to Help Improve your Flexibility for Splits, Jumps, Leaps and Kicks!!’ J It is so important to stretch regularly to make sure that continue to improve in your flexibility. Flexibility can be gained within 2 weeks of regularly stretching but if you don’t stretch for a while you will lose it just as quickly!! Hamstring flexibility is really important as it helps you with your kicks, leaps, jumps and splits.

Try these 3 Hamstring stretches everyday for 2 weeks making sure that you are pushing yourself a little further everyday and I can guarantee you will notice a difference in your hamstring flexibility!! :-) I will also go through 2 hamstring flexibility tests to help you recognise how much your flexibility has improved!

3 Great Hamstring Stretches!!

*Please see video below for demonstrations of the following Hamstring Stretches. *

1. Sit and Reach Stretch: Start by sitting on your bottom with your legs stretched out in front of you. Make sure your feet and knees are together. Lean forward at the hips keeping your back straight and grab the toes or stretch as far past the toes as you can. You can make increase this stretch by grabbing your ankles and pulling your elbows to the ground beside your knees, make sure you keeping your arms locked in by your side and try and get your chest as close to your knees as possible. :-)
2. Kneeling Hamstring Stretch: Begin with one knee on the floor with your other leg to the front straight at the knee with your heel on the floor. Keeping your back straight lean forward and place your hands on the floor either side of your knee. Try and pull your chest down as close to the knee as possible. Make sure that your hips are not twisted or rolled under. :-) Don’t place your hands on your knee as this can cause pressure on the knee joint.
3. 1 Leg Hamstring Stretch: Start by sitting on your bottom with 1 leg stretched out in front and the other tucked in with your foot touching the stretched out thigh. Keeping your back straight reach as far forward down your leg as you can, try and get your chest down as close as you can to your knees. This is a great stretch because if you have 1 hamstring that is slightly more flexible the other it will not cause you to be limited on your more flexible side!! :-)

Hamstring Flexibility Tests!!!

*Please see video below for demonstrations of the following Hamstring Flexibility Tests. *

1. Sit and Reach Flexibility Test: This the most commonly used flexibility test; it is a great way to test the flexibility in your back and hamstrings!

Start by sitting on the floor with your legs out straight, keeping your legs straight bend forward at the hips and reach towards the toes andthen try to stretch past the toes.

Goals for the Sit and Reach Flexibility Test:

Touching your Toes = Average Flexibility

Reaching a hand length past your Toes = Good Flexibility

Reaching up to the middle of your forearm past your Toes = Excellent Flexibility

2. Hamstring Flexibility Test: The following flexibility test measures the flexibility of the hamstring muscles reflected by the maximum possible angle of hip flexion. :-)

Lie on your back with both legs out straight. Keep your lower back flat and raise one leg to the vertical position. Hold your leg behind yourhamstring and slowly pull your leg back towards your chest as far as possible. Make sure you do not twist your hips or lift them off the floor asthis will give you a false test of your flexibility.

Goals for the Hamstring Flexibility Test

Less than 90 degrees at the Hip = Below Average Flexibility

90 degrees at the Hip = Good Flexibility

105 degrees at the Hip = Excellent Flexibility

More than 105 degrees at the Hip = Outstanding Flexibility

Check out the video below for demonstrations!! :-)