Ragdoll Forward Fold
Ragdoll Forward Fold
Muscle Group Stretched: Hamstrings, Back
Muscle Group Strengthened: n/a
Type of Stretch: Static Passive
Difficulty: All Levels
Suggested Prerequisites: none
As often as I cue students to “keep a flat back” in a forward fold, there can certainly be times when you want to round your back in this stretch. Rounding the back isn’t “wrong,” but it does change the mechanics of what’s being stretched, shifting the focus more towards spinal flexion (rounding of the back) and often de-emphasizing the hamstring stretch.
How To
Step 1
Start standing with your feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent.
Step 2
Hinge at the hips to lean forwards, and relax your back, letting it round as you forward fold. Bend your knees generously so that this stretch feels comfortable on your hips and low back. Let your arms relax and dangle long (or you can cross your arms if you prefer). Relax your neck by letting your head hang heavy, looking through your legs as opposed to actively craning your neck to look at the floor. It can even fool good to add some gentle movement, like swaying side to side, or bending one knee a bit more, then the other. Feel free to play with it!
Hold for 20-60 seconds.
Modifications
Need to make it easier?
Bend your knees a LOT.
Place your hands on your thighs for support. When we lean forwards, our hamstrings are getting stretched, but they’re technically also contracting a little to keep us from falling on our face. Bracing your hands against your thighs helps support the weight of your upper body, making it gentler on the hamstrings.
Want to make it harder?
Straighten your knees once you’ve come into your relaxed forward fold. They don’t even have to straighten all the way, even straightening them a bit will make the hamstring stretch more challenging
Try a more active (weighted) variation like Jefferson Curls.
