How to do it
On your back, one leg long on the floor. Loop a towel or strap round the other foot and draw that straight leg up until the back of the thigh stretches; shoulders, pelvis and the other leg stay put.
Default dose
2 × 30s · each side
This is the library's default dose. Each person's programme is set after assessment, around the grade of their finding and their own conditions and limits.
Muscles involved
- stretching Hamstrings (biceps femoris), Hamstrings (semimembranosus and semitendinosus)
Muscle colours in the animation: orange working, blue stretching, amber holding still. These muscles were measured on the 3D model.
Where it sits in a programme: Lengthen
The second phase is lengthening: stretching a muscle or tissue that has shortened, so the joint regains the range it needs for a better posture.
Which postural findings it is prescribed for
It appears in the example programme on these pages:
Take care
- In the acute phase of a fresh injury, this exercise is taken off the programme.
- If the movement causes pain or makes pain worse, stop and contact the clinic or your doctor.
Source
Trial or systematic review:
- Bandy WD, Irion JM, Briggler M. The effect of time and frequency of static stretching on flexibility of the hamstring muscles. Phys Ther. 1997;77(10):1090-6.
Trial: a 30-second static stretch did as well as 60 seconds and better than 15.