Who Should Do This At Home Hamstring Workout
If you struggle with simple tasks that involve bending or squatting, and if your lower back is stiff and you feel some tension in the area, you should adopt this ‘at home hamstring workout’ to loosen up those muscles. Mostly, the lower back pain is the result of tight hamstrings and tight glutes. Tight hamstrings impact your posture as well as your movement. When your hamstring muscles are tight, they become weak, which prevents you from using your abdominal muscles. This, in turn, weakens your core muscles and due to this misalignment of muscles, your entire musculoskeletal system becomes unbalanced, making you prone to backaches.
After reading about the role of lower back muscles in keeping you mobile and flexible, if you are feeling inspired to start working out, here is the easy way to begin. Follow the instructions and perform these ‘at home hamstring workout’ to improve your balance and prevent the risk of developing lower back injuries.
At Home Hamstring Workout - Hamstring Stretch
In human anatomy, a hamstring is one of the three posterior thigh muscles and it allows you to bend your leg at the knee. To get started with the hamstring stretch, lie flat on your back, keeping your hips on the floor. Then, loop the Ballistic Bands around your foot and stretch the leg straight up toward the ceiling. Bring this leg up as far as you can, until you feel a slight stretch in the back of the leg. Keep knee locked, hips firmly on the floor and your legs straight.
As you push your leg up, the resistance will cause hamstring activation, and you will feel a slight stretch all along the back of your leg. Finish this drill with 3-4 sets on each side of the hamstring. Make sure that you choose the right level for you. If you are young, you might need a little less resistance, however, if you are an adult, choose a firm band that can offset your weight.
At Home Hamstring Workout - Ballistic Band Groin Stretch
Just like the earlier drill, you need to lie down on the floor; the only difference is that here your leg will be stretched outward and not upward. You are going to loop the band around your foot, and pull it out to the side. There are two ways to do this drill- either we can work with our hand to the side, keeping the outside arm high or we can use a little bit more advanced position and use the opposite arm pointing over your head and supporting it, trying to get more range of motion. As you move the leg to the side, ensure to keep the other hip firmly planted on the ground. You are also going to be working with a lot of resistance pushing down into the Ballistic Band, which will give you a little bit more activation in the groin region. Follow through this exercise with 3-4 sets per leg.
At Home Hamstring Workout - IT Band Stretch
What Is It Band
The Iliotibial Band (usually called IT band) is a thick band of fibrous tissue running down the outside of the thigh from the hip to the shin. It attaches to the knee and works with several of your thigh muscles to provide stability to the knee joint. When the IT band isn’t working properly, the movement of the knee becomes painful. Therefore, the purpose of these stretches is to allow maximum movement in the region and reduce your chances of developing an IT Band Syndrome.
IT Band Stretch
To begin this stretch, wrap the Ballistic Band around the foot and remember that it is not a glute or a lower back stretch. Don’t let the knee roll over and the hips come off the ground. First, stretch your leg straight up, in the hamstring stretch stance, and then slowly, move the leg across to the other side of the body. If you are starting with the right leg, straighten it and stretch it up. Then cross over the leg to the left side of the body, keeping the right leg parallel to the floor. Make your best effort to keep both the hips square to the floor. It is going to be a bit painful, so we are going to work out a little low before we go high. Never strain yourself while doing the stretches and go only as far as your body will allow. Hold the leg in that position for nearly 20 seconds and then bring it back down slowly. Do it for a total of 3-4 stretches before we move on to the next stretch.
At Home Hamstring Workout - Hip Flexor
The hip flexors are a group of muscles between the front of the hip and the thigh. To stretch them, you need to lie on your stomach and loop the band around your left foot. Pull on the strap, lifting your left thigh slightly off the floor and you should feel a stretch in the left hip flexor. Use both the hands to support the movement and hold it up for 20 seconds before you bring the foot down slowly. Make sure not to drop the knee or slam it on the ground. Try to pull back up into the resistance, getting 3-4 sets on both the legs working through great range of motion.
The Ballistic Band mobility stretches are pretty simple, yet each of these exercises is going to challenge your range of motion. Remember to keep your legs straight and relaxed as we go through the sequences. This ‘at home hamstring workout’ session will loosen up your joints and improve your overall posture and flexibility, allowing you a broader range of motion.