Supine Hamstring PNF (Hip Flexors)
Supine Hamstring PNF (Hip Flexors Contracting)
Muscle Group Stretched: Hamstrings
Muscle Group Strengthened: Hip Flexors
Type of Stretch: Static Active
Difficulty: All Levels
Suggested Prerequisites: none
Contract-relax style stretching like PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) is a great way to strengthen your muscles to support and end range stretch, as well as communicate to our nervous system that we’re safe in these positions to allow us to stretch a little deeper. I like this version with students lying on their back because it’s easy to keep good form. This variation in particular - unlike the more common version that involves contracting the hamstrings while they’re in a stretch - is a fun challenge for your hip flexors, the “helper” muscles that can pull us into a deeper hamstring stretch.
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. The non-working leg can either stay bent with the foot flat on the floor, or if you have more flexible hips, you can straighten it and lay it flat on the floor. We want the working leg to be as straight as “is comfortable,” meaning straight “enough” that you’re feeling a deep hamstring stretch without any kind of low back discomfort. For students with tight hamstrings, that likely means keeping the knee quite bent. For more flexible students, having just a microbend in the knee, or kicking it all the way straight, will make the stretch feel more challenging.
Pull the leg into your deepest (but still without pain) hamstring stretch.
Hold for 10-20 seconds.
Step 2
Now comes the challenge! Contract your quads and your hip flexors by trying to kick your leg towards your chest. Once you’ve started the contraction, let go of the strap and try to keep the leg at the same level/height as when you were just using your hands to pull it into the stretch (so now the muscles on the front of the hip are trying to hold the stretch in the back of the leg). Your leg might “bounce” back a bit as soon as you let go of the strap, your job is to just try and constantly squeeze your thigh towards your belly without using your hands. Make sure your hips are staying anchored to the floor and not starting to lift.
Hold this contraction for 10 seconds.
Step 3
Grab the strap with your hands and then relax the working leg, letting your arms take over holding the leg in place. If it’s feeling good, you can try to pull the leg into a deeper 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.
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?
Straighten the working leg.
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.
