Your hamstrings are a group of muscles in the backs of your thighs, while the gastrocnemius is the largest muscle in your calf. The two muscles work together to move your knees and ankles, as well as to decelerate your body when, for instance, you are running or walking downhill. Stretching and moving your lower body on the floor can help you improve your hip and ankle mobility with very little stress on your spine. This makes it ideal for people with back pain, according to a 2007 book by Michael Clark of the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Active Leg Stretch
This exercise moves your knee and ankle joints together, stretching and contracting your hamstrings and calves. Moving the muscles in a controlled pattern improves muscle and tissue elasticity, which helps minimize stiffness and improve mobility. Lie on the floor on your back, and bring your right knee to your ribs. After you grab the back of your knee, extend your leg straight up with your right foot flexed toward your face. Hold the stretch for one deep breath, then bend the leg down. Perform two to three sets of six to eights repetitions per leg.
Supine Active Leg and Hip Stretch
This exercise moves your hip joint and leg in various directions while keeping your opposite leg and body still. It helps increase mobility in your hip joint, and stability in your pelvis and torso, as you learn to control the movement pattern. Your hamstrings and calves stretch with your inner thighs and buttocks as you move. Lie on the floor on your back, and put your arms out to your sides. As you raise your right leg straight up until it is perpendicular to the ground, keep your left leg immobile with your left foot pointing up. Exhale slowly and lower your right leg out to the side as close to the floor as possible without moving your body or your left leg. Then bring your right leg across your body toward the floor on your left. You may lift your right buttock up and rotate your lower back slightly. Bring the right leg perpendicular to the ground and lower it to the ground. Perform two to three sets of five to six reps per leg.
Wall Single Leg Lowering
If you could not bring your leg up to 90 degrees in the previous exercise, use a wall to assist you in the movement pattern, which helps you improve hip mobility and torso and hip stability. Physical therapist Gray Cook, author of "Athletic Body in Balance," recommends that you perform this exercise before you progress to the supine active leg and hip stretch. To do this exercise, use a corner of a wall or doorway. Lie on the ground on your back, and put your left buttock and leg against the wall so that the leg is perpendicular to the floor. Keep your right leg still. As your bring your right leg straight up so that it matches the position of the left leg, flex your left foot toward your face and contract your left thigh. This will help you bring your right leg higher. Hold the end position for one deep breath, and lower it slowly to the floor. Perform three sets of five to six reps per leg.
Expert Insight
Cook suggests that you perform an extra two sets of exercises on whichever leg still feels tighter than the other leg. Keep doing this in every training session until both legs feel about the same.
References
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training"; Michael Clark; 2007
- "Pain-Free Program"; Anthony Carey; 2005
- "Athletic Body in Balance"; Gray Cook; 2003
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