Do you have tight hamstrings and how is the movement in your lower back?

Let’s look in to the relationship between these structures:

A simplified picture is thus, you have three hamstring muscles on each leg, two on the inside and one on the outside which span from just below the knee, up to your sitting bones. When we forward bend our torso, the pelvis wants to rotate which allows the spine to lengthen forward through a straight line; tight hamstrings will pull taut on the sitting bones and prevent the pelvis from rotating causing the mid back to round in forward bending. Wit repetition over time, spinal disc compression and nerve irritation can result. On a muscular level the QL (deep muscles of the lower back) spanning between pelvis and lumbar will be less able to lengthen and shorten compounding the situation.

Let’s take a broad view of forces transferred in relation to our fascia or connective tissue, the material which is continuous all through the body wrapping, providing structure and containment. Muscles are surrounded by fascia forming straps at each end, via the fascia there is then a melding in to the next structure or muscle and the pulling forces are continuous up or down as we perform certain movements. For example, as we stand up from a squat; the force going down from the feet comes up in to the lower leg, two key muscles balance the load between inner/outer arches of the feet as your foundation of stability, from here the load continues up through outer hamstrings, glutes, ligaments in the sacrum and pelvis before transferring to the deep muscles of your spine to the base of your skull. These are the basics of pulling forces in the deep back line (of our outer core system), there are many other muscles working too!

You don’t need to be an anatomy guru to learn healthy functional movement though some basic understanding helps us to connect the dots. Be guided by curiosity, never force, be attentive to sensation and the feedback loop. The body responds well to repeated gentle stretches before sustained longer holding. When exploring movement/mobilisation of joints, know the potential range and operate within a ‘no strain zone,’ progress to the edge of your comfort zone; make this really familiar and gradually you will move further without strain. The breath is a wonderful guide for the moment we shorten or hold our breath in we pushing or straining.

Apply these pointers to your stretching or yoga practice, it comes down to awareness, patience and interest really.
We are given one body in this life, why not learn to use it well.

Seek advise if you are new to this, there are so many youtube videos, yet these do not offer guidance and refinement of movements according to your particulars which is what makes all the difference.

Videos relating to movement and ailments are available on my facebook page: @william7lanevitalitymassage

Go well. Will 😀🙏