"Under the dog's arch?" "Can't bend forward?" "A word horse can't split open?"

Babies should have encountered these situations, and many people simply and rudely attribute the reason to poor ligaments. In fact, these problems are all related to the hamstring muscle at the back of the thigh.

Hamstring muscle is the main muscle group in the posterior thigh, including semitendinosus, semimembranous muscle and biceps femoris, which controls the flexion and supination of knee joint and the extension of hip joint. It plays a key role in walking, running and yoga, affecting many aspects of our body movement, especially the flexibility of our hips.

The hamstring muscle is like the brake of a car, and the inflexible hamstring muscle is like the hand brake: you can't lean forward, the soldiers' legs can't be opened, the monkeys become local monkeys, and the upside-down legs can't be lifted. In short, you can't just open the pot!

So for many yoga lovers, if the hamstring muscles are tight, this kind of yoga is like a "semi-disabled" person. Even if you have all other conditions, the hamstring muscles will pull the brakes to death.

So, why do many people always feel that their hamstring muscles can't be pulled open? You can compare yourself and see if there are any of the following reasons:

1. The hamstring has a limited range of motion.

Long-term limited range of motion can also lead to hamstring stiffness. For example, sitting or standing for a long time is not enough to give the hamstring a relatively full range of motion.

Because the hamstring muscle is responsible for knee flexion, sitting or standing for a long time, the knee is completely fixed. It's not surprising that hamstring muscles become stiff because of the limitation of their range of motion for a long time, because you don't let them move fully.

Overuse

Too frequent and improper stretching activities, or problems in the arrangement of the body during exercise, can easily lead to overuse of hamstring muscles and become stiff due to excessive burden.

Such an important part certainly needs more practice. In addition to the common postures that can effectively stretch the back of thighs, such as sitting forward, standing forward and dog down, today I will introduce you to several great postures.

Kneel on one leg, put your right knee on the mat, and then come to your right knee;

Straighten the left leg forward and hook the instep of the left foot (you can hold it on the yoga brick by hand);

Inhale, extend the spine upward, exhale, bend forward with the hips as the folding point, and lean on the extended left leg;

Let the tension dissipate from the back of thigh and lower back with breathing, and stay for 5 to 10 breaths.

Four corners of the body support, kneeling on the mat, knees open, and hip width;

Take a big step forward with your right foot, put it on the mat between your hands, put your right knee on your chest, and push your left hip forward to stretch your hip slowly and forcefully;

Touch the ground with your fingertips, lift your sternum, push your head upward to help stretch your back, stick your left leg on the mat, and rotate your body to the right and back to keep relaxed;

Take a deep breath in this position for at least five times, then change your legs and continue to do this pose.

Start from a mountain-like stance, with your legs about two shoulders apart and your toes forward. Put your hands behind your back, slightly expand your shoulders and open your chest;

Inhale, raise your head, open your chest, exhale, and slowly stretch your body forward and down to make your back soft and slender and your arms straight behind you;

Keep breathing, put your hands forward to the ground, gently lean your forehead and head on the mat, and breathe for 5-8 times;

Exhale, slowly raise your head, don't let go of your hands behind you, and stretch your spine upward to recover.

Stand in a mountain style, with your feet jumping about one leg long and your hands raised horizontally;

Turn your left foot 90 degrees, your right foot 70-80 degrees, your left heel and right heel are in a straight line, and your body turns right;

Raise your hands over your head through your side, with your groin as the folding point, keep your back depressed, and bend your body forward to the maximum limit;

Put your hands on the ground or yoga bricks, put your head on your right knee, stretch your back, and gradually stretch your neck to your neck;

Hold for 30-60 seconds, inhale, slowly recover, and switch to the other side.

Lie on the mat to keep your legs straight, put your hands on the palm of your body and touch the ground, with your chin pointing to the ground and your hands clasped behind your back.

When inhaling, lift the head, upper body and the front side of thigh off the ground, extend your arms backward, support the hip pad, tighten your abdomen, and naturally tighten your hips, and stay for 5 deep breaths;

With the next inhalation, put the raised part back on the cushion surface, untie your hands, restore your prone position and relax your adjustment.

Finally, I want to remind you that it is very common for modern people to tighten the back of their thighs because of sedentary. Don't suddenly stretch the back of their thighs, otherwise it is easy to strain, and once this large muscle group is injured, its recovery is very slow.

We should remember that protecting the back of thigh is more important than stretching it. Therefore, please do what you can when touching, and don't stretch forcibly. Safety practice is always the first.

Tips for waking up yoga ~

1. Yoga is a training course integrating body and mind, and asana, breathing and meditation are indispensable.

2. Evaluate your situation objectively, don't pursue a certain posture excessively, and practice excessively, so as not to bring irreversible harm to your body.

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