- Bob, back pain is often associated with tight hamstrings.
We do not agree with, I mean, we agree with that,
to a certain degree, but stretching your hamstrings,
is always a good thing to do,
if you have some low back pain.
However, there's a right way to do it,
and there's a wrong - And a wrong way
way to do it.
- And if you do it wrong, it's gonna make your back worse.
If you do it right,
it's gonnna help. - And the Bob and Brad
way is the right way.
- Well of course, Bob, say no more.
We're gonna show you both ways to do it.
How not and how to in 9.3 seconds.
♪ Bob and Brad, ♪
♪ The two most famous physical therapists ♪
♪ On the internet ♪
- So, here we go.
The three bad ways, maybe we'll do first.
- Right - Okay
So, down here on the floor gentlemen.
You know, I think hamstring stretching was done a lot in
the hurdler stretch position. - Right
- Maybe not so much anymore. - I agree.
- But it does do a nice job of stretching these hamstrings.
But in this position, it twists your back, rotates it.
If you got back pain,
you're already kind of tweaking your back a little bit,
and then you do this,
and you round your back - then rounds it too, right.
- Yep, and if you do this option of the hurdler stretch,
it's really hard not to flex your back
and stress the low back.
So this is number one, not to do.
- Do not do.
- Another one, is don't do this.
It's not good for your back.
It stretches the hamstrings a little bit.
Or, which has the same thing as doing this,
- That - Don't do those two.
- Right.
- And number three.
- Show that right now.
- Yeah.
Like this one, if you do this,
and round your back, it's, it's no good.
I mean, if you're really careful lock your leg,
and lock your back and do this, it's okay.
But we got three better ones in this.
- Some yoga people can do it.
- Yeah, yeah, well they're a, they're a step ahead.
- A different breed.
- All right, we don't wanna get the yoga people mad.
- That's right. - So we go,
let's take a second off and take the three good ones.
- All right, number one, Brad, you actually,
as an active or dynamic stretch,
you actually got movement along with it.
So you bring up leg to 90 degrees of the hip angle,
and then you can grab under the knee like this,
and you actively stretch the muscle.
- Right.
Now, I wanna point out this is not a real aggressive
way to stretch the hamstrings,
but it really isolates the hamstrings,
and look it, he's lying down.
There's no stress on the low back.
We're really working that. - Yeah, you can do this
anywhere. I mean, on a bed or on the floor.
- Exactly right.
So with all these stretches,
you're gonna hold 15 to 30 seconds.
You're gonna relax.
You're gonna have a nice, quiet atmosphere,
so you can lift the muscle, stretch, and not force it.
It's a really dig difference. - Light a candle.
- Like a what?
- Light a candle.
- Lightin' a candle?
- Yeah.
- Well we do that later - For mood
- Oh, yeah.
All right, number two, and Bob,
you do this one on a
regular basis, right? - Right.
- Lying down on the floor.
You can use a, a stair rail, a handrail on the steps.
You could go into a doorway. - Yeah.
And the closer you get to the doorway to the rail,
the more stretch you get.
- Right.
And so you just relax a little - Right.
- Very relaxing - Easy on the back.
- Yep. You're stretching this hamstring,
and you're just gonna, you can easily go there
for 30 seconds or longer.
- Right. I think my leg is as tall as you are.
- Yeah. Look at that. See that.
(Brad laughing)
So anyways, this is a nice option.
Again, the doorway, the door would be here, and this leg
actually goes through the door - Right
- And that's on the wall or the, the side of the door.
So, that's a good option. - Yeah.
- Okay, and the third one,
now this one's a little more aggressive.
This is the one I personally use on a regular basis.
You do need either a belt like this, and a loop,
and it's gonna go around your foot like that.
Okay.
One works better, and I use this,
is if you have a stretch strap,
you put that around your foot.
You can do it with shoes on or without.
And the big advantage of these is
every six inches, there's a handhold.
So you don't have to grab, you just
put your wrist in there, you'll see.
Again, lying on your bed or on the floor.
And this leg, that's not being stretched,
can be down here or here, whatever's most comfortable.
And then you'll find which loop is best.
Now I go to this loop, I could go here.
And you might feel a stretch.
This knee must be straight.
Otherwise it doesn't isolate. - Right.
- And you pull up and you'll feel a stretch,
and you're gonna hold that 15 to 30 seconds.
Okay, and you'll find, you'll get better,
probably in the first week or couple weeks.
You're gonna notice if you start here,
you'll get up higher for sure in the first couple weeks.
- And if your pants have a stripe on it,
you know if we're cheating or not.
- Yeah, exactly.
Now. Yeah.
So we don't want this. - Right.
- It's really important not to do that.
Relax, breathe. - Right.
- Now, this is a big advantage to this one,
that I personally like, it gets the
- Semitendinosus.
- No.
- Oh, semimembranosus, yes.
- It gets that that that (indistinct muttering)
medial the most inside
hamstring muscle - Right
- Plus you get some groin muscle stretch
and I go like that. - That's great stretch.
- Oh my goodness. Is that a big game changer for me?
And I work it over here like that.
So this (indistinct) - You not might not go that
far to start.
- Right, Yeah., You just do
what your body allows - Right
- and get that stretch and make sure you do both legs.
So those are the three that isolate, are gonna
help the hamstrings, not irritate the back. Work with those.
You might only like one of 'em and that's just fine.
- Just, just like us.
- What?
- They might like only one of us.
- Yeah. Well, that's a given Bob.
(Brad laughing)
- Thanks.