Let's come into a seated hamstring stretch.
You're going to begin by sitting on the edge of the chair and stretching your right leg out in front of you. With your heel on the floor and your toes pointing back towards you.
If you are comfortable here you can stay here or if you'd like to take it a little bit deeper begin to fold yourself forward over your right leg keeping your spine long. Now you can have your hands at your waist or on your left leg for stability. But try and avoid pressing into your right leg.
We'll inhale to come out of this. And now choosing whichever variation feels best for you we'll do it again on both sides.
So let's start with our left leg this time, with your left heal out in front of you. Inhale and sit up tall, find that forward pelvic tilt and if you'd like to go deeper, we'll exhale and fold forward here.
You'll feel this stretch on the back of your hamstring and you may feel it through your calf as well. Keeping your spine straight, we'll inhale to come out of it and switch legs. Resting your right heel on the mat or on the floor. Inhale and as you exhale we'll pull forward with your torso framing that right leg.
Let's take a look at how Carol's doing over here. She's choosing to stay in the seated posture. But she's still maintaining a tall spine here with her shoulders drawn away from her ears. Great job!
Adding hamstring stretches like the seated chair hamstring stretch to an exercise routine may help relieve some kinds of sciatica pain. This video illustrates how to do a seated chair hamstring stretch.
