OK, we're going to tone it down a little from the last challenge, Tripod Balance Pose into Crow.
Here's a pose that works your hamstrings and opens your chest and shoulders at the same time.
Bound Wide-Legged Forward Bend
- Begin with your feet about 3-4 feet apart.
- Bend at your knees and hips, lean forward and bring your right elbow and arm through your legs and behind your right hamstring.
- Reach your left arm behind your lower back.
- Try to bind around your right leg, touching your hands together - if you can, the right hand holds the left wrist.
- From here, try to straighten through your legs, and pull your right shoulder open towards the ceiling.
- Stay here for 5 breaths and then switch sides.
That's it folks. Practice opening up those hamstrings - you'll need it for next week's challenge. Want to see previous challenges? Go to It's a STRETCH: Fit's Yoga Challenge group.
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this is hard! I felt like my shoulder might pop out (right one trying to reach left hand!) eeks.
1Hey Fitsugar...what's the best thing for a pulled hamstring. I treat my muscles really well, warm up properly, stretch after running, etc., yet the other day I took one step onto our flight of stairs and my hamstring went KAPOW on me! Oooh it hurts so much and it is making me irritated that I can't get out and run and/or walk too far!
2When you pull a hamstring, the best thing to do is lay off for a while, as hard as that is.
When you feel up for it, begin to work it ever so gently. The fibers in your muscle have actually ripped, so you want to give them a chance to heal.
And hamstrings can take a really long time, unfortunately. Keep stretching it, but stay away from running and anything else that requires a lot from your legs.
If you don't give it enough time to rest, you can tear it even more - I speak from experience.
I feel for ya Mme Hart...
3Thanks Fit!! I guess my biggest complaint is living on the 3rd floor and having to walk everywhere I go (and between metro stations, streets, home, etc) I must climb and descend about 15 flights of stairs daily and that's when it hurts the most. Argh!!!!! Would epsom (sp??) salts in a bath help? I can't figure out if I should rub it at all, either.
4Yikes - that's a lot of work for your injured hammy. Is there anyway that you can take a day off and rest for the long weekend? Or work from home?
Stairs are a killer, and even though you're not "working out," you're still working your hurt muscles.
It sounds like you just recently hurt it, so in the 1st 3 days, you can ice it to reduce the swelling.
After that, you can certainly do hot baths with Epson salt.
But if you can, take a sick day, rent some movies, and plop yourself on the couch. Give yourself and your hamstring a much needed break.
5Yay!! An excuse to do nothing!!
6I almost always include this into my super slow-flow practice. It helps with scoliosis!!
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