Supine Hamstring PNF (Hamstrings)
Supine Hamstring PNF (Hamstrings Contracting)
Muscle Group Stretched: Hamstrings
Muscle Group Strengthened: Hamstrings
Type of Stretch: Static Active
Difficulty: All Levels
Suggested Prerequisites: none
PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) style stretching, which involves alternating contracting and relaxing muscles, is a great way to actively stretch your muscles. PNF not only helps you stretch deeper by communicating to our nervous system that we’re safe in these positions, but it also literally strengthens our muscles while they’re at their end range position. I like this version with students lying on their back because it’s easy to keep good form. Consider pairing this stretch with hip flexor engaged PNF to strengthen the muscles on the other side of the joint as well.
How To
Note: there are lots of variations on how you can perform contract-relax style stretching, with variations in intensities, durations, and more. This just happens to be my preferred variation.
Step 1
Start in a supine hamstring stretch: lying on your back, loop a strap around one foot and pull that leg up towards the ceiling (or in towards your chest if you have a larger range of motion) - this will be our working leg, the one being strengthened and stretched. We want to start in something that feels like our deepest hamstring stretch, but one that doesn’t give us any discomfort in our lower back. That might mean adjusting to:
Bend the non-working leg, planting the foot on the floor. This will allow your pelvis to tilt slightly as you pull your working leg up
Bend the working leg a bit
Hold this passive stretch for 10-20 seconds.
Step 2
Now for the contraction! Strongly hold on to the strap with your hands (continue to pull the strap/leg towards your chest) as you actively kick the working leg away - our goal is to keep the leg in the same spot (maintaining the hamstring stretch) while contracting the hamstrings. Make sure your hips are staying anchored to the floor and not starting to lift.
Hold this contraction for 10 seconds.
Step 3
After 10 seconds, relax the working leg (but stay in the stretch). Once relaxed, you can try to pull the leg a bit closer to your chest to deepen the stretch.
Hold this relaxed/passive stretch for 20 seconds.
Step 4
Repeat for 2-3 more rounds of contracting (10s) followed by relaxing (20s) and trying to pull the leg into a deeper stretch each time.
Modifications
Need to make it easier?
Bend your working leg knee a bit more. As long as you’re still feeling a stretch in the back of your thigh (hamstrings), you can keep that knee quite bent!
Want to make it harder?
Flatten the non-working leg on the floor and don’t let it lift during the exercise. Keeping the other leg flat on the floor will prevent your hips from rotating backwards (like they do when that knee is bent/lifted), which makes it a more challenging stretch.
Elevate the hips on a yoga block and straighten the non-working leg (if just keeping the leg flat on the floor is still nto hard enough). You’ll be in a similar set up to these supine leg kicks with hips on a block.
