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I can't touch my toes....
Feb
11
Written by:
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Remember when you were a kid and could place your palms on the floor while bending over? Ah, the good old days for many of us. Try it now at your own risk. Are you anywhere near the floor? What is that tightness you feel in the back of your thighs? Tight hamstrings. The hamstrings run from just below the knees and up into your glutes. If you want to be trendy, call them "hams" or "hammies". Basically hamstrings flex your knees and extend your hips. When these muscles are tight, from activities such as riding a bike or sitting for extended periods of time for example, your hip and pelvic motion can be limited and low back pain can occur.
There are several reasons why your hamstring muscles might be tight, but one explanation may be that you simply don't stretch enough. Too many people have a great workout and spend no time at all stretching afterwards. Stretching is extremely important to do while your muscles are warm so you don't injure yourself. Yoga, tai chi, etc. are excellent ways to stretch your muscles on a regular basis.
Can massage help your tight hamstrings? Yes! Heat can be applied during your massage to soften the muscles prior to doing deeper work on the hamstrings. After the muscle has been thoroughly massaged, there are stretches that can be done on the table to gently stretch the muscle. Your massage therapist can also show you some exercises to do while you are at home or work. Remember no bouncing or jerking while stretching. As always, if there is pain involved, please check with your doctor to make sure there is no serious injury before getting a massage.
4 comment(s) so far...
Re: I can't touch my toes....
I don't care if nothing ails me, massages are always great. I swear, I think they're better than sex. If someone has never tried one, they're definitely missing out.
By Geri on
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
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Re: I can't touch my toes....
That's good information to know. Thanks.
By David Loeff on
Monday, February 23, 2009
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Re: I can't touch my toes....
Outstanding! Very good information and extremely well written.
Would the heated stones be used to apply the heat to the muscle?
By Tianya S. Clark on
Monday, March 02, 2009
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Re: I can't touch my toes....
Massage is definitely very relaxing.
Yes, the stones can be wrapped and placed on the affected area to soften and relax the muscle. Heated stones can also be placed directly on the skin and obviously this depends upon how much heat a person can tolerate. Sometimes just holding the stone in my hand and massaging with my heated hand will do the trick.
By Jane on
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
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