Standing Hamstring Stretch for Low Back Pain Relief Video

Let's do a standing hamstring stretch.

We'll start with our legs together, standing tall with our lower abdomen engaged by drawing our belly button towards our spine. We'll inhale to lengthen our spine, and as we exhale, folding forward from the pelvis, we'll begin to lower our torsos down.

Now, you can have your hands at your waist or on the tops of your legs, here, but be sure you're keeping your legs engaged to protect your knees, and avoid pressing your hands into the tops of your knees.

We'll inhale to come out of this.

And, to take it a little bit deeper, we can cross our right leg over our left, keeping your hips and your shoulders facing forward. Inhale to lengthen your spine, and as you exhale draw your torso forward over your left leg.

We'll come out of that and switch legs. Step your left leg in front of your right, always inhale to lengthen your spine first, and then exhale. Fold forward from your pelvis, keeping your spine long, bringing your torso over your right leg.

Very good!

If you'd like an opportunity to modify this, you can grab a chair and place the back of it to you. Carol's going to come into this with her hands on the back of the chair. We'll inhale to stand up nice and tall, engage your lower abdomen, and we'll start to fold forward from here.

So, while you're folding forward, be mindful to draw your shoulders away from your ears and keep your spine nice and long. Great job! We'll inhale to come out of it.

And, if you'd like to go just a little bit deeper, we'll step ourselves back further away from the chair, creating more space for you to bend forward. So we'll inhale to lengthen, engage your lower abdomen, and with your hands safely on the back of the chair we can lean forward again. Great job! Nice job drawing your shoulders away from the ears! And we'll inhale to come out of that.

So, choosing the variation that feels best for you, we're going to come into this for 30 seconds. If you'd like to take Stage 2, you can follow Quincy, who's going to be crossing one leg over the other; I'm going to stay in Stage 1; and Carol will modify with the chair.

So we'll inhale to lengthen, and as we exhale we'll fold forward from the waist.

Now, if you're standing in Stage 1, you can grab either the backs of your calves or your thighs to draw your torso closer to your legs here, but make sure you're staying long through the spine with your shoulders drawn away from your ears and keeping your legs engaged to protect your knees.

All right, and we'll come out of that. Great job!