Hips, lower back and knees

Half Hammock

A single-leg posterior chain stretch lying on your back, gently releasing hamstring and posterior hip tension without any load on your spine.

How to do it

1. 1

   Lie on your back with both legs long

   A pillow under your head is fine. Let the whole back settle before you lift anything.

2. 2

   Bend one knee in, then reach that leg up

   Hold behind the thigh or the calf and float the leg toward the ceiling. The other leg stays long and heavy on the mat, so only one side is worked at a time.

3. 3

   Choose a height you could keep for minutes

   A soft knee on the raised leg is fine. You want a mild, even stretch down the back of that leg, not the furthest it will go.

4. 4

   Use a strap if holding the leg is work

   Loop it around the foot and hold that instead, so the arms and shoulders can rest and you can lower the leg slightly at any time.

5. 5

   Stay 2 to 3 minutes, then do the other side

   Bend the knee first to bring the leg down, rest a moment, then set up the second side and match the time.

What to watch for

Pulling the straight leg closer to make it feel stronger, which turns a long quiet stretch into something the back of the leg fights and can start sensations travelling further down. Lower the leg, bend the knee a little or use the strap, and stop if anything spreads down the leg.

Ways to adjust it

• Strap around foot
• Reduce hip flexion depth
• Strap
• Pillow under head
• Slight knee bend on the strapped leg

If this one is too much today

Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.

• Reclined Figure-4: Classic

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.