topic Re: Very Tight Hamstrings in Wellness

Very Tight Hamstrings

tsavorite — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 17:51:56 GMT

I have been trying to find a way to stretch my hamstrings....most I have watched on Youtube (I need a visiual image) and tried several different ones. For now the only one I could do is where I use a kitchen chair...put my foot/heel on it/toes sorta pointed up not flexed much though. I gently lean forward (from hips if possible)...doing my best NOT to round my upper back (am very tight there also) I can only lean forward a small amount. My question is when I do this I feel it all the way down my leg...my calf even...and even more so behind my knee. When I touch the back of my thigh the muscle is rock hard. Is this normal for someone just beginning to learn about hamstring stretching?? Should I feel anything further up like in the rear area? I know the hamstring muscle attaches up there from what I have read. Right now I don't feel it there just all down my leg.

I have never worked out so I am just learning and I greatly suspect my inflexibility in my muscles is causing much of my chronic back pain. (yes I have seen doctor done MRI and have all that...my neck has arthritis mildly but rest of spine checks out good.) I see a chrio regularly and he really hasn't been much help in this area...they don't spend time with people about their tight muscles there.

Anyway if anyone can let me know if what I am describing/experiencing is par for the course for a beginner I appreciate that. I have decided to do my stretches multiple times per day for 25seconds 3 times each leg and see how I do. I also do raised calf stretches to go with this (along with many other stretches some from PT when my neck pain was so bad).

Thank you!

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

Robertak — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 17:57:04 GMT

Yes! I had a tight hamstring on my right leg for a couple of years, felt rock hard and nothing helped. Stretching and massage definitely helped temporarily. Bought a tens unit 6 months ago for my back and started using on the calf muscle, that is the only thing that finally worked and loosened up that muscle. I still use it almost every night but the muscle isn't hard as a rock any more.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

hckynut — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 21:17:50 GMT

Most of the time I do my hamstring stretches lying down. I have a belt, and have also used a long towel, to put over the sole of my foot of the leg I am stretching. I always do 1 leg at a time as both legs are/were never equal in flexibility, especially after I ruptured my L-5 lumbar disc and had open back surgery. The right leg never fully recovered from the damage to the nerve in that leg.

I grab the belt/towel with both hands while lifting my leg(knee in locked or close to locked position). I start out slowly and do not extend it anywhere close to full extension. Usually hold the position for a minimum of 30 seconds. I then do the same with the other leg. If I have just got done running or other cardio type of training my body is loose and muscle and blood temperature are optimal for stretching and I can go right into close to full extension of each leg.

When I was at the ice rink I would put my heel on something much higher than my hip, depending on how cold my muscles might be. I usually warmed up at home before going to the rink so my core temperature is already elevated. Always started out skating slowly and working up to faster and faster intervals around the ice surface. I then would get off and stretch my hamstrings once again.

Even my back doc and my physical therapist friends were amazed at the flexibility of my hamstrings. I have worked on them for many decades as a protection from injury. There was not a time when I did not do stretches before and during any exercise in training. Many times when being a Ref in a hockey game I would put the heel of my skate on the boards and lean into it to help keep my hamstrings loose.

For ladies that have worn elevated heels for years it is much harder to get any of the rear side leg muscles to extend very far unless they have been working on some type of stretching program specific to the hamstrings/calves/Achilles Tendon and even the Plantar Fascia.

About it from me for now.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

tsavorite — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 21:29:38 GMT

Thank you for the suggestions....I will re-try the belt one...it is difficult for me...I keep hoping in a few weeks they will loosen up some and it will get easier. I wasn't one to wear high heels much so that's not my issue...but being sick alot...never a workout person...and lot's of stress/anxiety in my life developed bad habits and over time/aging I am in a fixed position and very inflexiable. Trying to learn and find ways to loosen up all muscles seems to be the way to go. I have had some success with some egoscue exercises...only started this along with walking tapes for cardio. I notice after the tape my muscles are much more eaiser to do stretching.

Anyone here of something called Cross Posture Syndrome? found this on youtube and I have to say this describes me to a tee....just trying to do wall angels or floor ones is so difficult...can only raise my arms a little bit. It's like I am locked in my mid back...terrible and no amount of adjustments has helped this so I know it must be my muscles. I feel like they are fighting me and I am fighting them.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

sidsmom — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 23:37:13 GMT

Along with stretching the hamstring as described above, also stretch the APPOSING muscles...in this case, the quadriceps. The goal is to get the heel as close to the butt as possible....take right hand, bring right foot up behind you & hold.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

Serenity-Now — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 23:44:07 GMT

That new ointment they sell on QVC works wonderfully for those types of pains. I also used it on my knee recently, when nothing I did stopped the pain--but this ointment did. Magnesium oil spray is helpful, too. I believe this ointment also has magnesium oil in it, which is a natural muscle relaxant...but read the ingredients list first to make sure if it matters to you. Here is the product info:

MuscleCare Professional Pain Control Gel

http://www.qvc.com/S2-MuscleCare-Professional-Therapy-Pain-Relieving-Roll-on-Gel.product.A216185.html?sc=A216185-Zone&cm_scid=zone&cm_sp=MERCHZONE-_-Featured:+Recently+Aired+Items-_-2

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

okiebug — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 00:16:22 GMT

Try stretching in a warm shower after your muscles have warmed up a little. The warmth will loosen them up a bit and allow you to stretch a little more.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

terrier3 — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 15:07:58 GMT

I'd like to suggest a Rumble Roller. It is the best piece of fitness equipment I have at home.

I work out with a trainer twice a week and also do CrossFit classes....I'm 60 and wake up with a lot of aches some days.

My trainer showed me how to use the rollers at the gym. I ended up getting a firm model from amazon.com. They are especially effective for leg and back muscle tension....a few minutes of rolling is the same as an hour long massage.

It hurts a little at first, but when I stand up I feel like a 35 year old!

No medicine is required. They are also very effective for AFTER exercise too.

Another form of therapy to try might be Rolfing. It is kind of a deep tissue massage. It breaks down the facia that is holding your muscles in a position "like glue." It is somewhat controversial, so I would check with your doctor first.

I went through a series of rolfing sessions in my 20s and again 2 years ago. It did wonders for my posture.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

hckynut — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 18:01:58 GMT

On 7/7/2014 terrier3 said:
I'd like to suggest a Rumble Roller. It is the best piece of fitness equipment I have at home.

I work out with a trainer twice a week and also do CrossFit classes....I'm 60 and wake up with a lot of aches some days.

My trainer showed me how to use the rollers at the gym. I ended up getting a firm model from amazon.com. They are especially effective for leg and back muscle tension....a few minutes of rolling is the same as an hour long massage.

It hurts a little at first, but when I stand up I feel like a 35 year old!

No medicine is required. They are also very effective for AFTER exercise too.

Another form of therapy to try might be Rolfing. It is kind of a deep tissue massage. It breaks down the facia that is holding your muscles in a position "like glue." It is somewhat controversial, so I would check with your doctor first.

I went through a series of rolfing sessions in my 20s and again 2 years ago. It did wonders for my posture.

I love the roller that I have had for a few decades now. It comes in really handy at times for about any of the muscle groups you mentioned above. For me it was always the best thing I could do when my quads would tighten up while doing the Ref thing in hockey games. Would use it in between periods and some times a quick roll in a longer play stoppage.

Don't know that it would have ever helped with my flexibility, but it sure does work well when my muscles tighten up from using, or maybe overusing them. Even have used to use it on some of my hockey guys after the games for a treat and it usually put a smile on their faces.

Never did the rolfing but I know others that have had it done. From what they have told me it seems like it might be one of those things that a person either loves or hates.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

goodstuff — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:50:16 GMT

Have you ever tried water exercise? I can't comment specifically on your "tight hamstring" issue -- but I swim and exercise regularly at a heated, indoor community pool. There are many seniors there and many people who are dealing with joint problems, back problems, recovering from orthopedic surgery, etc. All of us find the water therapeutic and beneficial. Several physical therapists come in with clients to work with them in the water and teach them exercise routines they can do on their own. The water cushions and supports the body, takes weight off the joints, and makes it much easier to keep one's balance and avoid falling. Walking laps in the water utilizes resistance and "massages" the body as you walk. I can do stretches and movements in the water that I couldn't easily or safely do "on land".

I'd suggest you check out heated pools in your area. You can call the Arthritis Foundation to find pools that offer special exercise classes for people with arthritis. And you might even talk with your doctor about prescribing some physical therapy, in or out of water, to help with the extreme tightness.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

focksie — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 21:06:28 GMT

It's never a good idea to stretch a cold muscle so make sure you warm up first either by walking or biking a few minutes, or at least using a heating pad to warm up the muscle otherwise you risk tearing it. Once warmed up, you can manually massage the muscle prior to stretching. I like to sit on the floor with legs straight out in front of me. I use a rubber band behind my foot and pull the band towards my body which flexes the foot and stretches the entire length of the back of the leg. I also lie on my back and grab one leg, bringing it towards my body and holding it there a few seconds.

Like John pointed out, wearing high heels too much of the time wreaks havoc on the muscles and tendons in the back of the leg so get out of your heels as soon as you get home. HTH

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

makeup addict — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 04:58:33 GMT

I've started jogging and I use something called the stick. It sells for about 24.00. It sounds like the roller described above. Fills like a deep tissue massage. Can be used before and after working out. Love it.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

HonnyBrown — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 17:30:47 GMT

TSA, I lift weights and my muscles are very, very tight. One of the ham stretches I do is simple: touching my toes (no bounce). And like sid said, stretch the opposing muscle as well.

Also, if you can find a Pilates for Inflexible People class, DVD, OnDemand, that will work wonders.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

hckynut — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 18:02:46 GMT

On 7/8/2014 HonnyBrown said:
TSA, I lift weights and my muscles are very, very tight. One of the ham stretches I do is simple: touching my toes (no bounce). And like sid said, stretch the opposing muscle as well.

Also, if you can find a Pilates for Inflexible People class, DVD, OnDemand, that will work wonders.

One of my co-workers who is also one of my good friends used to mock me at work when I would do my hamstring stretches on pallets used to store full reels of wire. I would put my leg on the higher of the 3 stacked ones and then lean into the stretch. It is called a "static stretch(no bouncing)and I did them several times a day especially if I had run a lot of miles the night before in my training.

He used to show me how flexible he was by "touching his toes and the floor", and he said "I don't do any of that fancy stuff like you and look what I can do". He also played hockey in my league for many years and I can't tell you how many games he missed with muscle spasms. At times he would have to leave the game and be grimacing in pain. Next time I saw him at work I mention his stretching to him and he didn't have much to say.

What I did tell him was "touching your toes tells you nothing about your hamstring flexibility". He is about my height but here is the difference. He has legs several inches shorter than mine and a long upper body with very long arms. To put that into perspective for him I told him "if you look at some apes they can almost touch the ground when they were standing up". Why he would say. I told him long arms and short legs and you aren't getting much of a hamstring stretch by touching the floor. Your arms are a fourth of the way there when you are standing straight up.

Never did get him into stretching as he is one of those "can't teach an old dog new tricks" type of guy. Tried to explain to him the anatomic reason for his being easy to do toe touches, but he wasn't hearing of it.

So he continued playing hockey until a few years ago and I guess he got tired of having hamstring muscle spasms and used age as his reason for quitting. He is 4 years younger than myself and 10 years younger than my oldest players. I think he just got tired of the pain over and over again.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

HonnyBrown — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 19:52:14 GMT

hck, regardless of how far you reach, you are still stretching the hamstrings.

Remember: the goal is to stretch the back of the leg, not touch the floor.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

cleogrl — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 20:19:21 GMT

Many of us have tight hamstrings. I've found that I have to stretch mine before i walk on the treadmill or else I really feel it. I would also recommend getting a roller. I bought a foam roller at TJMaxx and I love it. My calves are actually tighter than my hamstrings and the foam roller helps work out trigger points in those muscles. It really hurts, but it's effective. Youtube has tons of videos showing how to use foam rollers on different muscles.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

hckynut — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 21:59:43 GMT

On 7/8/2014 HonnyBrown said:
hck, regardless of how far you reach, you are still stretching the hamstrings.

Remember: the goal is to stretch the back of the leg, not touch the floor.

HB,

In the case of the friend I mentioned it was obvious to me he was not getting enough stretch. If you have ever had a back issue, like a ruptured spinal disc, I can tell you that one of the first things a Spinal Doctor will do is have you lie on your back/grab the leg that is causing your pain, and then see how high he can raise it(knee locked)before you have pain. He then measures the angle of the leg with 90 degrees to the prone body being the optimum. There is a reason he does this with you lying down in lieu of standing up and trying a toe touch.

I could get into the physiology of toe touching versus prone stretching but as long as what you are doing makes you happy that is all that counts.

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

HonnyBrown — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 23:59:46 GMT

hcky, touching my toes doesn't make me happy.

Maybe it will once I am able to .

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

hckynut — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 01:21:45 GMT

On 7/8/2014 HonnyBrown said:
hcky, touching my toes doesn't make me happy.

Maybe it will once I am able to .

HB,

Well at least you can see them! I know a lot of people that haven't seen them for years when standing upright. :-)

Re: Very Tight Hamstrings

HonnyBrown — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 03:42:54 GMT

OH!!!!!!

LOLOL!!!!