Not having your hips square: Try to keep your hips facing forwards and parallel to each other. This helps to keep your pelvis correctly aligned and avoids uneven strain on the hips. Exhale, bend at the waist and extend your arms forwards over the straight leg as far as you comfortably can.

Designed for people of all sizes, the Motive Fitness TotalStretch TS200 can hold users weighing up to 325 pounds. It weighs 88 pounds and measures 59” x 29” x 40”, it has wheels to make it easy to move around, and it features a padded seat for extra comfort and support. Plus, it comes with a convenient placard displaying easy-to-follow instructions. Depending on which muscle group you want to target you can choose from stretching mats, poles, inversion tables, and other types of machines. The latter is very important because some devices are more complicated than others and can cause injury if you are not prepared.

Coratella G, Tornatore G, Longo S, Esposito F, Cè E. An electromyographic analysis of Romanian, step-Romanian, and stiff-leg deadlift: implication for resistance training. IJERPH. 2022;19(3):1903. doi:10.3390/ijerph19031903 Further below we’ll review the main types of stretching machines and name some of the best representatives, but you can learn more about each in our review of the TOP 13 Best Stretching Machine. Stretching machines for the whole body Overall, most leg stretchers will get results, but if you’re looking for a simple design, effective stretching for dancing, gymnastics, martial arts, or any other sport the FIGROL Leg Stretcher is a strong choice. Even if your only goal is to finally achieve the splits you’ve always wanted, you can’t go wrong with this stretcher. AmazeFan Leg Stretcher 3-Bar Leg Split Stretching Machine Albeshri ZS, Youssef EF. The immediate effect of kinesio tape on hamstring muscle length and strength in female university students: A pre–post experimental study. Saudi J Med Med Sci. 2023;11(1):73-80. doi:10.4103%2Fsjmms.sjmms_585_22 Wan X, Li S, Best TM, Liu H, Li H, Yu B. Effects of flexibility and strength training on peak hamstring musculotendinous strains during sprinting. J Sport Health Sci. 2021;10(2):222-229. doi:10.1016%2Fj.jshs.2020.08.001

Glass-fiber-reinforced nylon pulleys for durability, with precision motor-grade ball bearing pulleys. Hunching over the shoulders: Try to hinge at the hips, rather than simply hunching over from the shoulders. Think about reaching ‘up and over’ the legs and try to keep your spine in a neutral position. It is better to have a neutral spine and not reach as far forwards, than to hunch over just to touch your toes.

If you’re struggling to stretch your hamstrings effectively at home without a stretching partner, you might consider trying out a hamstring stretching device. Designed to help you target the right areas and get an effective stretch all by yourself, hamstring stretching devices aim to help relieve stiffness and tightness and improve flexibility. These devices can come in a wide range of designs, with everything from steel poles to elastic bands. Finding the best one for you will mean considering factors like price, portability, ease of use, shape, and design. To help you start narrowing it down, we’ve pulled together four great options to suit a variety of preferences.

Firstly, let’s clarify the difference between flexibility and mobility! In simple terms, flexibility refers to the passive range of motion of a muscle, whereas mobility is about the active range of motion around a joint. If you’ve ever had that feeling of not being able to walk a day or two after a heavy leg day, it is likely that you’ve experienced delayed-onset muscle soreness, often referred to as ‘DOMS’. DOMS occur 24-48 hours after exercise, and they are the result of microscopic muscle tears. As we get older the muscles tend to become tighter, so it’s best to put this act into practice as soon as possible.

If you’re worried that you don’t have enough room for a stretching machine, the Precor 240i Commercial Series StretchTrainer is worth considering. Its small footprint and lightweight construction (it measures 52” x 28” x 36” and it weighs 60 pounds) make it easy to store away when not in use. Choosing the right stretching equipment is important and should be chosen according to your age, height, weight and fitness level. If you’re wondering how to lengthen your hamstrings, stretching is the answer! If you suffer from bad posture, practicing daily hamstring stretches is hugely beneficial. Take a big breath in. Exhale and hinge at the hips, keeping your spine in a neutral position as you slowly bend forwards over your front leg.Overall, the experience of getting upside down in this machine is super easy. It supports users up to 300 pounds, and it even accommodates individuals ranging in height from 4’10” to 6’6”, so everyone in your family can use it. Achieving a full-body stretch efficiently and effectively can be tough, unless you have the appropriate stretching machine that will help you maintain the correct form as you move from one muscle group to the next. The following stretching machines can target everything from your shoulders to your calves. If you want a machine that works effectively on the legs, then the Amazefan leg stretcher is a decent selection to consider. Pieces of exercise equipment such as a rowing machine or elliptical trainer can give you a great workout, help you lose weight, or get your cardio working. But stretch machines are a different breed. You might not ride your spinning bike every single day because you probably want to rest your legs to avoid overuse. However, with a stretch machine, you can absolutely use it every day. Of course, you want to be careful and very methodically and gently increase your flexibility. But if you want relief from tightness or to deepen your stretch, a stretch machine will help you get there. Between leg stretchers/split machines and full body stretching machines the uses will of course overlap. And the kind of device you choose really depends on your needs. But whether you’re doing it for sports or just to limber up after a long day hunched over a computer, the results from using a stretching machine can be incredible.