Backache by Dava Sobel

Author:Dava Sobel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

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HAMSTRING STRETCH

Many people who suffer low-back pain have tight hamstrings—the muscles at the backs of the thighs. This exercise lets you stretch your hamstrings without straining your lower back in the process.

Starting position: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. a

Steps:

1. Raise your right knee toward your chest. b

2. Fully extend and straighten your right leg, so that it makes roughly a forty-five-degree angle with your body. c

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3. Keeping your knee straight, try to raise your right leg to make a ninety-degree angle with your body. d

4. Return to the starting position.

5. Repeat steps 1–4 with your left leg.

Note: In the above exercise, please be sure to extend your leg first at a forty-five-degree angle, even if you think you can go higher. At this angle, there is virtually no risk of overstretching your hamstrings. Before you attempt the ninety-degree angle, assure yourself that you have increased your flexibility, lest you overstretch or “pop” your hamstring muscle.

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