Remember when you were just a kid and you could bend over and touch your toes? Well, things may have changed and that simple move just isn’t so easy anymore. One of the movements we’re interested in when we work with our clients at Saratoga Health & Wellness is the ability to touch your toes while keeping your legs straight. It’s a functional movement that seems pretty straight-forward, but in reality is somewhat complex. In addition to testing hamstring flexibility (back of your upper thigh), we also are testing lumbar (low back) flexibility.
Try this simple test: With your legs straight, bend over, hinging at the waist and try to reach your toes.
If you can’t do this it’s conceivable that your hamstrings or your low back muscles are too tight. But there’s more to it. Why are they tight? It could just be that you haven’t stretched them much and they are simply tight. But it could be indicative of another condition. There’s something called the lower crossed syndrome that we, as human beings are often pre-disposed to because of the postures that we assume. These poor postures are exacerbated by excessive sitting, and lack of physical activity. Over time hunch forward, your neck falls forward, your hip flexors get shortened, your hamstrings have increased tension and your glutes and abdominals become weakened. Furthermore, your pelvis may tilt forward or more appropriately, may be pulled forward, causing excessive curvature of your low back (known as hyperlordosis) This forward tilting places your back in a compromised position, increasing the potential for low back pain and chronic problems. Additionally this condition may chronically stimulate your hamstrings to be ‘turned on’ or stuck in a state of excessive tension. We’ve got to figure out a way to allow them to relax so that when you stretch them, they’ll actually stretch.
So what can you do to fix this up? Try this series of strengthening and stretching exercises in the order below. The concept is simple: If you strengthen your glutes, you can take some of the tension off of your hamstrings. This glute strengthening exercise actually inhibits (relaxes) your hamstrings by placing a stretch in your quadriceps, while simultaneously strengthening your glutes. Aim for 10 repetitions. If you feel this exercise in your hamstrings, or if they cramp, lower yourself down, place your heels a bit closer to your butt and try again.
Next, with a rolled up towel (or 6-inch squisshy ball) between your legs, squeeze your legs together and straighten your legs. It should be a challenge to straighten your legs with the towel between your legs. Now, hinge at the waist and reach forward to touch your toes. Actively squeezing that towel activates your hip adductors which can help relax your hamstrings and allow them to stretch. Reach towards your toes, until you feel resistance (not pain), hold for 2-3 seconds, and return to standing up straight. Accomplish 10 repetitions. If you feel pain in your low back stop.
Work on these exercises for a few weeks and see if this helps. Stay tuned for round 2 of this topic where I’ll address abdominal strengthening and low back stretching. If you have any questions at all, please contact us.