During any bending forward movement of the trunk, a relatively stiff hamstring muscle tends to resist the ideal forward bending movement, and you may feel tightness in the calf or the back of the thigh. Repetitive tugging or pulling sensation may put you in jeopardy of injury or decreased performance.
However, a few simple procedures, like consistently (on a daily basis) foam rolling the calves and hamstrings, and frequent fascial stretching of the muscles can lengthen and loosen the hamstrings and thus create more fluid movement and take the stress off the lower back. Correcting length of the hamstring while simultaneously strengthening the core and lumbar region is important to the body’s overall well-being and injury prevention. If your low back is already sore, achy, or feels inflamed, go right to using PHYTO-ZOL on the low back as directed.
A perfect pre-workout warm up starts by applying PHYTO-ZOL to the tight hamstring muscle. Then perform the general dead bug exercise maneuver that’s especially good for the hamstring muscle and fascia.
The Dead Bug Exercise
You begin by lying on your back, knees bent towards the chest, hands on opposite knee, release the right arm and reach it all the way over your head (arm by ear and head), externally rotate the arm and extend the wrist. Don’t rest the arm on the floor. Rather hover above the floor.
Next, straighten and reach the left leg all the way out pushing the heel away from you, keeping the toes pointed upwards the nose. Try to maximally internally rotate the thigh, knee and foot, allow the leg to hover above the ground for a moment, and then reach the left leg upwards towards the ceiling to stretch the hamstring out as much as possible. Once you’ve stretched the hamstrings as far as you can, bring the arm and knee back to the start position.
Maintain looking down with your eyes and keep your chin tucked in the whole time. Keep inhaling and exhaling slowly, stretching your arms up beside your head, lengthening the legs, all without arching your spine.
This will help give you a general warm up and elongate the fascia.
Do the opposite side and repeat alternating sides for 5 times per side.
Complete the exercise on a daily basis for two weeks, notice that you’ll be able to bend over easier i.e. in the shower, or picking up an object on the floor. This will help your hamstrings and lower back maintain good health and improve hamstring durability.
The use of hemp-derived topicals are being used for discomfort relief. I recommend rubbing in PHYTO-ZOL serum to tight areas on the body for injury prevention and maintenance.
PHYTO-ZOL is available to purchase directly from PHYTO-ZOL direct, or through doctor referral.
Jeffrey Tucker, DC, DACRB
Dr. Tucker’s interest in putting together the arts and science of Pilates, yoga, stretching, medicine balls, stability balls, rubber tubing, balance training, chi gong, weight training, cardio training, endurance training, diet, chiropractic, performance enhancement, muscle and massage therapy, has been evolving for more than 20 years. He completed Chiropractic training at Los Angeles College of Chiropractic and has a postgraduate Diplomate degree in Rehabilitation and is certified in chiropractic spinal trauma.
