| A surprising number of problems arise from tight | | | | What Works Better |
| hamstrings and, given the frequency of knee | | | | To change the set-point requires more than |
| injuries among athletes and dancers, it's obvious | | | | stretching or massaging; it requires a learning |
| that the methods used to keep them free could | | | | process that affects the brain, which controls the |
| be better. This article presents a more effective | | | | muscular system. Such a learning process is |
| way to free your hamstrings, improve your | | | | referred to in some circles as "somatic education". |
| performance, and avoid injury. | | | | Somatic education systematically uses special |
| A Look at Your Hamstrings | | | | coordination patterns to improve awareness and |
| The hamstrings are the muscles that run from | | | | control the tension of the muscular system. |
| behind and below your knees up the backs of | | | | Significant results come relatively quickly, and |
| your thighs to your "sitbones". Soft tissue injuries, | | | | when they do, the benefits are second nature |
| knee pain, torn menisci (the cartilage pads in your | | | | and require no special attention in daily life. |
| knees that cushion the bones), chondromalacia | | | | The following coordination pattern, developed by |
| patelli (painful wearing of the cartilage behind the | | | | Thomas Hanna, Ph.D., a pioneer in the field of |
| kneecaps), and poor posture often come from | | | | somatic education, will show you. You may want |
| tight hamstrings. Tight hamstrings can prevent | | | | to save this page so that you can try it on your |
| you from reaching full leg extension or from | | | | own. Have someone read the instructions to you |
| bending over completely. If you can't touch your | | | | and follow along. |
| toes or if you feel more comfortable slouching | | | | To learn the coordination pattern: |
| than sitting up straight, your hamstrings are | | | | Get the illustrated version: click here |
| probably tight. | | | | |
| There are actually three hamstring muscles on | | | | 1. Sit on the floor with one leg bent and dropped |
| the back of each thigh, two on the inside and one | | | | to the side. Its sole rests against the inside of |
| on the outside. They do several things. In addition | | | | your other leg, which is straight. |
| to bending the knees, they help control the | | | | 2. Draw your straight leg up enough to permit |
| alternate forward-and-backward movements of | | | | you to grasp your foot with both hands; your |
| walking and stability against twisting forces at the | | | | finger tips meet at your sole. Get a firm grip, and |
| knee when you turn a corner or roller skate. | | | | you are ready to begin. |
| They also position the menisci in the knees by | | | | 3. Holding your foot firmly, gently push with your |
| means of fibers (of the biceps femoris) that pass | | | | leg, so that your arm and shoulder stretch long. |
| into the knee joint. | | | | Hang your head forward. Work gently to the |
| Tight hamstrings contribute to swayback by | | | | edge of your flexibility. |
| pulling the knees behind the body's vertical | | | | 4. Now, gradually relax your push, let your knee |
| centerline (i.e., locking the knees). The whole body | | | | bend, and take up the slack by drawing your leg |
| sways forward, accentuating the spinal curves. If | | | | up with your hands. It's a kind of "moving |
| the outer hamstrings are tighter than the inner | | | | isometric" exercise. |
| ones, the lower leg rotates toe-outward. This | | | | 5. Now, with your leg, push again, maintaining |
| twist in the knee joint contributes to knee pain, to | | | | some pull with your hands. Go back and forth |
| knee injuries, and to ungainly movement. Finally, | | | | within your comfort zone. |
| when standing, bent knees trigger tension in the | | | | You'll notice that with each repetition, you get a |
| muscles on the front of the thigh, the quadriceps | | | | little further. You're gaining feeling and control of |
| muscles, to prevent your knees from buckling. If | | | | the muscular tension in your hamstrings. The thing |
| you keep your knees bent all the time, the | | | | to remember is to move slowly enough and just |
| patella, or kneecap, which is embedded in the | | | | strongly enough to clearly feel the muscle action. |
| tendon of the quadriceps muscles, continuously | | | | After about ten slow motion repetitions, stand up |
| grinds against the front surface of the knee joint | | | | and feel the difference between your two legs. |
| and may become irritated. | | | | Walk. You will notice that you feel looser, and yet |
| As you can see, hamstring tension has | | | | secure. |
| far-reaching effects on movement, balance, and | | | | Now, do the other leg. |
| the health of joints. | | | | You can do this coordination pattern in numerous |
| Why Stretching Doesn't Protect 100% Against | | | | positions: |
| Hamstring Pulls and Soft-Tissue Injuries | | | | - Sitting |
| Knowing all this, athletes and dancers attempt to | | | | - On your back |
| stretch their hamstrings. "Attempt" is the correct | | | | - On your side |
| word because stretching produces only limited and | | | | - On your other side |
| temporary effects, which is one reason why so | | | | Each position contributes to greater awareness |
| many athletes (and dancers) suffer pulled | | | | and control. |
| hamstrings and knee injuries. | | | | Regardless of how long you may have had tight |
| As anyone who has had someone stretch their | | | | hamstrings or how tight they are, you will feel |
| hamstrings for them knows, forcible stretching is | | | | some improvement each time you do it -- until |
| also usually a painful ordeal. In addition, stretching | | | | you are naturally loose. |
| the hamstrings disrupts their natural coordination | | | | Freeing your hamstrings this way can prevent |
| with the quadriceps muscles, which is why ones | | | | soft-tissue injuries and preserve joint integrity. |
| legs feel shaky after stretching the hamstrings. | | | | Your hamstrings will be stronger because, being |
| Fortunately, there is a more effective way to | | | | relaxed, they will not be partially fatigued all the |
| manage hamstring tension than by stretching. To | | | | time. You will be able to run or walk faster and |
| understand how it works, one must first | | | | your knees will be more stable. Runners may find |
| recognize that hamstrings that need stretching | | | | this benefit of particular interest. |
| are usually holding tension -- that is, they are | | | | How to Get More |
| actively contracting. In that case, the person is | | | | What you are doing is a special kind of |
| holding them tense by habit, unconsciously. Oddly | | | | movement maneuver taught in a training method |
| enough, if one tries to relax them, one is likely to | | | | called Hanna Somatic Education® (Google the |
| find that one cannot; one may then assume that | | | | term). This kind of do-it-yourself functional |
| the muscles are completely relaxed and need | | | | exercise is one part of the method. Other, more |
| stretching. You may not realize that those | | | | powerful techniques reduce the chronic pains and |
| muscles are contracting "on automatic" due to | | | | loss of flexibility caused by aging, injury (including |
| postural habits stored in your central nervous | | | | overuse injuries and surgery), and stress. |
| system. Any attempt to stretch them simply | | | | You will find illustrated instructions for some of |
| re-triggers the impulse to re-contract them to | | | | the somatic exercises Dr. Hanna devised in his |
| restore the sense of what is "familiar". That is | | | | do-it-yourself book, Somatics: Reawakening the |
| why hamstrings (and other muscles) tighten up | | | | Mind's Control of Movement, Flexibility, and Health |
| again so soon after stretching or massage. Better | | | | (published by Perseus Books, sold at |
| results come by changing the person's "set-point" | | | | Amazon.com). |
| -- their sense of what "relaxed" is. | | | | |