The beauty of most stretches is that they’re easy to do at home because you don’t need any equipment. However, certain devices can help to give you a deeper stretch by isolating the target muscles and/or providing greater pulling or stretching power. Some of the most readily available stretching devices include the resistance band, step and Swiss ball.
About Your Hamstrings
Three muscles make up your hamstrings: semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris. According to ExRx.net, inflexibility in these muscles is very common. This is because you don’t tend to stretch these muscles during everyday activity, and sitting in a chair all day at your desk serves to shorten the hamstrings. Regular stretching to keep these muscles supple can help prevent injury, such as muscle tears and lower back pain, says Sportsinjuryclinic.net.
Resistance Band
Sit with one leg bent and the foot flat on the floor. Your other leg — the one you will be stretching — should be straight out along the floor, says Bodybuilding.com. Depending on your flexibility, you may need to keep a slight bend in the working leg. Wrap the middle of the resistance band around the ball of the working foot and lean forward with a straight back to take hold of the ends. Straighten back up and pull the ends toward your body. Keep your foot flexed, with the toes pointing up to the ceiling, throughout the stretch.
Step
Bodybuilding.com says to build up an exercise step or bench until it is about three or four foot high then bend one knee up and place the foot on top of the step. Your other foot should be about a stride-width away from the step, with the heel lifted off the ground and the leg as straight as possible. Lean into your raised knee to feel a stretch through your buttocks and down the back of your thigh. Try not to sink into the hip on your straight leg because this will transfer the stretch more to your calf muscles.
Swiss Ball
Sit on a Swiss ball with your legs straight out in front of you, says fitness expert David Calder on the "Scotland on Sunday" newspaper's website. Lean forwards from your hips, keeping your back as straight as possible, and aim to get your hands to touch your toes. This will take practice, and you don’t want to force the movement, so only go as far as you can. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds, then position your torso over your right leg to increase the intensity of the stretch in your right hamstrings. Repeat on the other side.
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