The Answer
Stretch your hamstring muscles in the back of your thigh. These are your knee flexion muscles.
The Exercise
Lay on your back facing the sky. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Lift one leg into the air keeping your knee only slightly bent.
Place your two hands at the back of your nearly straight knee and pull towards your tummy.
The Stretch
You should feel the stretch in the centre of the back of your thigh.
The Duration
Hold for 30 seconds.
The Repetitions
Repeat 3 times on each leg, alternating between each leg.
But… Why?
This exercise is particularly important for people who spend long periods of the day in a seated position. This would include people who work at a desk and people who drive for a living.
The Area
Doing this simple exercise everyday will improve the flexibility in your hamstring muscles. This will reduce the tension they bring to bear on your pelvis, your knee and your lower back.
The Relief
This exercise will help to relieve pain in your knee and lower back in particular. Walking and running will also feel more free.
The Injuries
The injuries which would be helped by this stretch include:
The Relaxation
All of the exercises in this program are designed to facilitate stress relief, relaxation and meditation if desired. Take this you-time to allow yourself to unwind while taking long, slow deep breaths throughout the exercise.
The Program
This exercise is part of my daily thirty minute Flexibility & Posture program. Its a balanced, light program which I have designed on the back of successfully prescribing exercises for thousands of patients so far.
You will be able to access the full program here on November 25th 2019.
Sean Flynn Physiotherapy 