HOW: Get set-up standing, feet shoulder width apart, with the side you want to stretch – place the foot slightly in front of the other on an elevated surface. While maintaining a relatively flat back, neutral spine, and neutral foot position hinge at your hip and reach for your toes. Slowly come back to starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch behind your thigh and knee. You may also feel a pulling sensation higher up on the back of your thigh of into your calf and foot if it is too intense you can point your foot down.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not bend/round your back too much as this will take away from the hamstring stretch. 

HOW: Start in a quadruped position with your hands and knees on the ground. Slowly rotate to one side by bringing your arm under your body and through to the other side. To increase the stretch, you can “crawl your fingers” and exhale at the end of the stretch.

 

FEEL: You should feel a nice and gentle stretch in the middle region of your back when you perform this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Make sure to keep your hips on top of your knees, or even sink your hips back more towards your ankles. Do not let your hips come forward like in a modified plank position. 

HOW:  Start by lying on the ground or table. Place one leg in front and across you. Your shin should be perpendicular to your body. Slowly sink down with your chest until you feel a pull in the back of the hip. With the leg that is straight, push your toes into the ground straightening your knee. Hold this extension for as long as prescribed. 

 

FEEL:  You will feel a deep stretch in the back hip on the elevated leg, and your quadriceps muscles working in the extended leg. 

 

 COMPENSATION: Avoid rotating and opening your chest away from the leg that is bent. Make sure to try and fully extend the straight leg.

HOW: Begin in a standing position. Shift all of your weight to one leg as you bring the other knee up towards your chest keeping your body in a straight line. Alternate bringing each knee up and down in a controlled motion. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your hip muscles working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your body upright while marching.

HOW: Begin in a standing position with your feet about hip-width apart. Place a dowel behind your back with one end making contact with your head and on your tailbone with the other end, the middle of the dowel should also be in contact with your mid-back. Make sure you keep contact with these three points for the entirety of the movement. Next focus on hinging primarily at the hips. This is achieved by bringing your torso forward and pushing your butt back. Lower yourself as far as you feel comfortable while maintaining all three points of contact, then pull yourself upright by using the muscles in the back of the legs. Squeeze your butt once you are upright to ensure that you stand fully erect.

 

FEEL: You will feel the muscles in the back of the legs work with this exercise. As you hinge over you will feel a pull in the hamstrings, the back upper thigh muscles.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid rounding the back as you lean your torso forward. Movement should primarily be at the hips. Don’t allow the knees to go forward past your toes with this exercise. Maintain the 3 points of contact during this exercise, (tail bone, mid-back, and back of the head).

HOW: Start by lying on your stomach with a band between your ankles. Keeping your core engaged, slowly lift only one leg away from the floor by bending your knee and bringing your heel towards your hips. The closer you get towards your butt, the harder the exercise will be. Do not let the foot holding the band on the floor move!

 

FEEL: You shoulder feel your hamstring muscles behind your thigh working as you bend your knee towards your butt.

 

COMPENSATION:  Do not arch your back. Keep your ribcage down and your core on. 

HOW:  Start on your back with a resistance band placed slightly above your knees. Bring one leg in towards your chest, with the leg on the floor drive in with your heels to lift your hips up towards the ceiling. At the end position your knee, hip, and shoulder should be in one straight line. Hold the end position and squeeze the glutes, then slowly return to starting position.

 

FEEL:  You should feel your glutes work to control this motion. At no point should you feel your low back muscles doing the lifting motion. If you feel it only in your hamstrings, try bending your knees a bit more and repeat. With the leg that is elevated will feel the muscles in the front of the hip working.

 

COMPENSATION:  Avoid arching at the low back as you perform this. Don’t let the knee bend with the leg that is elevated.

HOW: Start this exercise on your back in a 90/90 position of your knees and hips. Keep the small of your back pushed into the floor by activating your core. While maintaining core activation extend your legs out one at a time. The closer your feet are towards the floor the more challenging this exercise will be on your core.

 

FEEL: You should feel the abdominal muscles engaging while you perform this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not arch the back as you perform this exercise.