3 Stretches To Improve Your Hip and Hamstring Flexibility

I’m want to share with you 3 stretches that have dramatically increased my hip and hamstring flexibility.

But before I get into that I want to share two flexibility concepts that have helped develop my flexibility consistently.

The first concept is let your body tell you how long you should hold a stretch for.

Instead of forcing a stretch for a specific amount of time, let your body relax into a position and every time you relax increase the stretch further. Keep doing this until your at the maximum range of movement. I found this has greatly improved my flexibility and it far less damaging to my body.

The second concept is even simpler; stretch whenever and wherever you can. I know the importance of flexibility and training but I find the idea spending an hour just stretching mind-numbingly boring.

So when I tried to stretch like this I would keep putting it off. I no longer try to do this.

Instead, I spend a few minutes stretching and mobilise before and after classes and I stretch whenever and wherever I can. For example, if I’m watching TV I stretch or if I’m writing an email like this I stretch (yes, I’m stretching as I write this).

Try to stretch pretty much any time you can. It may only be for a few minutes at a time but over the course of a day that all adds up and this will allow you to continually improve your flexibility.

Now for my favourite hip and hamstring stretches. I learnt these from Rob at Elite Flexibility.

In fact, the first time he showed me the hamstring stretch I instantly felt the benefit. My back and hamstrings kind of sighed in relief.