I know this video is several years old, but I was doing a RUclips search on something to help my left hamstring issue. It had been chronic for 2 years! I am an advid long distance trail runner and road and tried everything. Then, I came across this video and did it 3 days in a row before I went on my next long run and WOW! It truly works! The kinetic chain from our feet on up is absolutely amazing to me!! My left hamstring would bother me on the hill repeats days and fast pick ups, but not anymore!! Thank you so much for having this video! Now I feel even more ready for my Sedona Race Feb 5! Happy feet, happy hams! Marie :)
I have been trying to get rid of hamstring tightness for months. Massage, Chiro, probably too much (and incorrect) stretching. I have had plantar fasciitis in the past and used a Strassbourg sock a lot to help. I know Jill doesn't explain exactly why it works......but it worked for me!! I ran 30km yesterday and 10km today. Obviously my hamstrings were tight again, and my feet sore. I could actually feel part of my left hamstrings 'quiver' and release while using the ball. My left leg feels better now than it has in over six months. For me this will become a daily routine. Gotta love RUclips. Sometimes you just stumble across the answer. Thanks heaps Jill.
I am a middle-aged, overweight, runner and I just came across this video. Tried the technique when I got home tonight, and the results were amazing to me. Knots and tension in my hamstrings that I'd stopped noticing were looser. This one is going in my toolkit. Thank you, Jill.
Worked 80 hours this week and helped a friend move this morning. The hamstring in my left leg was so tight I couldn't bend my knee. Tried this one time and it Worked! Thanks!
I learned this trick five years ago when I started Crossfit and discovered how tight my hamstrings really were. I'd come back from a class and after my body cooled down I'd have lower back pain so bad I could hardly walk. When I mentioned this to an instructor, he did a diagnostic test of my flexibility and noted I had mobility problems galore, including really tight hamstrings that resulted in lower back pain and plantar fasciitis. Rather than a tennis ball he advised using a lacrosse ball as the latter is firm enough to resist your weight while soft enough to avoid being painful. But she nailed the way you roll the ball under the foot from the point under the toes to the arch and all the way to the heel. I usually do each foot for a solid 3-5 minutes after getting home from class and it makes a world of difference in avoiding or diminishing any pain after I cool down from a stiff workout. You can also roll on the ball placed below your lower back on the floor and it will also help.
I’ve had tight quads and hams for 45 years of my 73 year life. Used to race dirt bikes and play softball extensively. Leg cramps, massages, stretching, pickle juice, etc. etc. etc. never in 1 million years would I believe something so simplistic could be so effective.! This is without a doubt the most informative and interesting video!❤
You should try and strengthen your hamstrings and quads. A week muscle is a tight muscle. Good Morning, RDLs, and Leg Curls, lunges, and squats. Your quads might be tight because they are the antagonist to the hamstring agonist and vice versa.
Hi! I just wanted to thank you for this, I have been miserable for years with tight hamstrings affecting knees and getting worse, doctors were useless! this fixed it in thirty seconds! life is so much better thanks to this technique thankyou!
Hi, If you apply this type of pressure to your plantar fascia, I believe you will stretch it releasing some of it's arch supporting function. As a long distance runner some 40 years ago, after doing this as you suggested, I felt some of my old foot pains in the heel. I do think that this is an interesting technique but I would caution people to start seated and see if it helps before "putting all the pressure you can" onto that ball. I have flat feet as a child so I don't have much to lose in my arch. I'm a Physical Therapist and LMT, and that's my two cents. I would suggest a number of techniques to gain HS mobility. I wouldn't stop stretching. Add some helper PNF, warm up the muscle with external heat, stretch in a whirlpool, stretch in a pool with less body weight, stretch with come connective tissue massaging, release some trigger points. Eventually, the HS will elongate. But stretching will have to be done everyday to maintain gains.
would you recommend to do this exercise to someone with plantar fasciitis ? I have had hamstring problems but right I have plantar fasciitis in my left foot.
+Jon White You know that the Plantar fascia is not a muscle. It doesn't have a connection beyond the ankle which it never approaches or crosses. The hamstring is a muscle which originates in the ischium of the hip and crosses the knee to insert into the top of the tibia and fibula so no connection there either. As far as the calf muscles, the common insertion point is on the Calcaneus. The plantar fascia is on the bottom of the foot. It is a connective tissue which doesn't have a contractile function. It is not a living tissue like the muscle which has the ability to contract and relax. the fascia is a matrix of water, protein, and living cells which spit out protein and eats the fascia. So while the fascia can affect the mechanics further up the leg, the reverse is less likely.
+Jon White hi I'm a physical therapist and a massage therapist. I'm only commenting on your statement. Problems in the architecture of the foot affects the muscles higher up while in general problem up the chain in the calf and hamstring will have little effect on the plantar fascia in a normal person.
+Jon White my first question in response is can you site this research? Secondarily, from an anatomical perspective alone there is no physical connection between the muscle groups you cited and the plantar fascia. This was my point in reviewing the anatomy. Finally from a biomechanics perspective in a closed chain those muscles are affected by the architecture of the foot and not the other way around. The plantar fascia holding the arch in place under body weight affects the functioning of the calf muscles. As a flat foot vs an arched foot will affect the forces of heel strike to toe off in gait on the calf muscles. I don't know what you know. I have 26 years of LMT, 16 yrs of PT, 40 yrs of running, and the combination of education, human dissection, and athletic experience which run counter to you opinion and I feel is reflective of the "research" in my fields. But you aren't going to believe me based on my saying so as I'm not inclined to believe you invoking "research"
I do this with lacrosse balls. Works wonders! I'm a barefoot runner and the techniques in this video not only help leg muscles, but also keep my muscles and fascia in my feet nice and loosened up so that they perform the way they should... AND pain free.
Wow!! I've had tight hamstrings for most of my life. I'm in my 70's now and I've had problems hiking for years. This past winter it started impacting my cross country skiing. I was almost to the point of thinking I would have to give up the things I love doing. I have been to physical therapy a number of times but it didn't really help. I decided to look on the internet and see if I could find a stretching exercise that would work. I ran across this video and thought it didn't make any sense but decided to give it a try. Two days later I decided to take a hike and started walking at a fast pace to see how long it would take my hamstring to tighten up. It didn't. I hiked 4 miles without any problems. I've since resumed pain free hiking.
Worked for me. Before doing it, could not really touch the toes and after I could. Was not using a tennis ball but was using those solid recovery massage balls. Shall see how this translates with my running later. Thanks Jill!
I can't believe how much this hurt. I searched the internet for relieve of my leg tightness and found your RUclips video. I haven't slept throughout the night in decades. I always need to get up and stretch because the legs are so tight. My girlfriend thanks you also.
In my opinion While applying pressure on the ball , Tibia bone moves forward slightly, which in turns to relieve tightness in posterior capsule of knees . In addition , calf (gastrocnemius) is a secondary knee flexor , and by pressing a ball It contracts isometrical , which further helps in to relieve tightness of the calf. And finally , this position which again produce isometric contraction of quadriceps and helps to relieve tightness in hamstring . Thus the Range in knee bending (flexing) improves ...
If someone can't explain the why then they shouldn't be listened to. This isn't a hamstring stretch but may help gently stretch the Achilles, soleus and plantar fascia which are factors to posterior leg tension.
Grimmsley Costello It relates to the hamstring in terms of making it look more flexible than it is when trying to reach your toes you get further by stretching the calves same as you can make up with your lower back if you stretch it to go further to the front you'll get closer to your feet without actually getting more flexiblt hamstrings but people would assume the hamstrings are just so flexible. It's basically "cheating" - don't say it's bad. Just that it's important to be aware of it to not go too far with that kind of stretch but not addressing the hamstring directly at all in the same time. So to original comment - yes it will as any other stretch increase range of motion as long as you practice it.
It would be helpful to give the rationale behind this foot mobilization? The fact that your mobilizing the terminal end of the posterior chain doesn’t guarantee or promise any further extensibility upstream? An integrated approach, by mobilizing the plantar fascia along with the posterior crural fascia lines and all superficial back lines, might allow further ROM in an ASLR test, or a neutral spine-Good Morning? Not all facial restrictions in the posterior chain originate in the plantar fascia! This appears to be a meridian chain or acu-pressure points application, not a soft-tissue mob?
for those of you who question the validity of this treatment modality i would suggest you read Tom Myers and understand the Myofascial Meridian lines. Great post Jill.
Thanks for the awesome video and information. I found I could use a small grip ball. It has a lot of squishy give to it. You can do it when you’re seated if balance is a problem.
Maybe by massaging the finger flexors (their origin is behind the calves and their insertions in the fingers, so they go all the way from the tibia to the toes) you are taking off pression from the calves and from the knee. It makes sense that you can do a better "touch your toes" exercise after
It looks like you may be bending your knee as you apply pressure, but the video only shows from just above your shin down. should I be bending my knee? If so, only slightly or more? Thanks!
+Himanshu Patel it has to do with the neurological connection of the kinetic muscle chain! when i stretch my toes i can feel my tight hamstrings do a release-spasm type thing. it is truly amazing! Works with my lower back and butt also. js
+mother66 LMAO! i never even went. but i do have problem areas and i experience these things when i do release on myself. it usually effects an opposing muscle. i have a tight pectoralis minor that i've been working on and when i release it i can feel my rear delts relax since they have been in a CONSTANT battle with my pec minor to try and stabilize my shoulder.
+Himanshu Patel the fascia in your foot region is part of a whole fascial sheath that extends from the foot all the way up the back of your leg, butt, back, neck. The fascia surrounds muscles (hamstrings included). Tennis ball rolling helps hamstring stretches.
Thank you for posting this. I have an old foot injury that has caused my hamstring to tighten and cramp more often than I'd like. This exercise brought relief to both my foot and hamstring for the first time in a year.
I do this with a Lacrosse ball...hurts even more than a tennis ball,but,better results..for me that is,I've had Plantar Faciatis on both feet from running, twisting my ankles and not treating them right away. Running is extremely hard on your feet.... massage,rolling on a ball works!
Jill, I have very tight hamstrings. But I also have flat feet, which I understand means that the muscles on the bottom of my feet are generally too weak and too loose. That means I should avoid releasing them using the techniques in this video, right?
I wouldn't think so, it's not in line with the muscles group this targets. (plantar muscles, gastroc and soleus, and hamstrings). Try rolling your butt and hip extenders with the tennis ball instead or sitting on it on the floor (targeting your piriformis muscle)
awesome advice! I use tennis balls for all over body self acupressure massage as well together with foam rollers. the feet have all the body's reflex areas. Thanks for this video!
The gastrocnemius aids in knee flexion. She is creating dorsiflexion by having the tennis ball under hear foot ergo stretching the "calf" thus allowing for great ROM that's why that helps not the fascial release
I completed 2 park runs on 1st January and pulled my hamstring. In pain since, discovered this amazing video, it works. Thank you, thank you, thank you Jill.
Thanks! This helped reduce the tremendous pain Iʻve had in my middle toes that has had me limping for a week. I read that it was related to tight hamstrings causing tendon inflammation--whatever---the tennis ball stretch helped a lot.
May help with foot problems ie. Plantar. May be part of acupressure organs stimulation. May help foot prio receptors. Does nothing for my toe touches & hammies .
Hi Jill, can you explain how this technique releases tension in the hamstrings? I can see how it might release tension in the foot or in the calf muscles, but can't see how it would affect the hamstrings. Thanks.
Its changing the myotatic reflex of the hams when stretched, most likely by convergence facilitation of proprioceptive type 2 inhibitory afferents (much like how Golgi tendon organs inhibit/work), its complex but makes perfect locomotive neurologic organisational sense. When the fascia and connective tissues are stimulated with the ball its a little akin to powerfully firing these receptors during gate (sprinting) you need to have flexibility instantly in your hams to allow for the eccentric contraction phase as the quads pull the tib forwards, the concentric ham phase only adds to this summation of proprioceptive afferents by loading the GTOs of the achilles and bicep fem. This means your gamma nervous system regulating your muscle spindle activity allows you to go further without myotatic reflex contraction - hence ham flexibility. Its probably a short lived thing but breaking aberrant neuro cycles in our very plastic functional nervous system can be of clinical use. ITS CERTAINLY NOT DANGEROUS AS SOME IDIOTS ON HERE ARE SAYING. STRETCHING A TIGHT HAM STRING CAN BE A LOT MORE DANGEROUS. Stretching nearly always only works because of its neuro effect. If you think you have mechanically lengthened tissue you are usually mistaken unless perhaps you have torn your ham again whilst stretching. Eccentric exercises like the Nordic Ham Protocol are probably the best way of progressively sorting things in the long term.
Hmm.. I'm trying to understand how this technique is supposed to work. So the plantar fascia alone originates from the tip of your heel to the base of the proximal phalanx on each toe. Another structure that attaches to the heel (but posteriorly) is the achilles tendon, where your calf muscles blend into. While the gastrocnemius (main calf muscle superficial to the soleus) plantarflexes (points down) the foot, it also crosses the knee joint making it a weak flexor of the knee compared to the hamstrings. To stretch an agonist or synergist of a movement (in this case, flexing the knee), you would want to do the opposite (straighten the knee) and put it at passive insufficiency (ex/ doing the splits or touching your toes while maintaining an anterior pelvic tilt). I also recognize that myofascial release also increases flexibility by relieving tension. Does your method propose that myofascial release on the plantar fascia indirectly increases hamstring flexibility by relieving tension from the bottom up on your lower kinetic chain?
I have no idea about the exact mechanism, but it's true that in yoga stretching the toes / balls of the feet (as in poses which require you to stand or sit on tip toes) helps significantly during deep forward bends which for a beginner feel very uncomfortable in the hamstring area. Being able to dorsiflex your feet way back and curl toes helps a lot with that.
Thank you for sharing. I find my left ankle is tighter than my right after years of driving OTR. This makes tightness up the leg. I'll be buying a ball soon: maybe a rubber ball for dogs.
I know this video is several years old, but I was doing a RUclips search on something to help my left hamstring issue. It had been chronic for 2 years! I am an advid long distance trail runner and road and tried everything. Then, I came across this video and did it 3 days in a row before I went on my next long run and WOW! It truly works! The kinetic chain from our feet on up is absolutely amazing to me!! My left hamstring would bother me on the hill repeats days and fast pick ups, but not anymore!! Thank you so much for having this video! Now I feel even more ready for my Sedona Race Feb 5!
Happy feet, happy hams!
Marie :)
I have been trying to get rid of hamstring tightness for months. Massage, Chiro, probably too much (and incorrect) stretching. I have had plantar fasciitis in the past and used a Strassbourg sock a lot to help. I know Jill doesn't explain exactly why it works......but it worked for me!! I ran 30km yesterday and 10km today. Obviously my hamstrings were tight again, and my feet sore. I could actually feel part of my left hamstrings 'quiver' and release while using the ball. My left leg feels better now than it has in over six months.
For me this will become a daily routine.
Gotta love RUclips. Sometimes you just stumble across the answer.
Thanks heaps Jill.
I am a middle-aged, overweight, runner and I just came across this video. Tried the technique when I got home tonight, and the results were amazing to me. Knots and tension in my hamstrings that I'd stopped noticing were looser. This one is going in my toolkit. Thank you, Jill.
Worked 80 hours this week and helped a friend move this morning. The hamstring in my left leg was so tight I couldn't bend my knee. Tried this one time and it Worked! Thanks!
I used to do this after my 12 hour shifts at the hospital because my feet hurt so bad. It made my feet feel so much better and really relaxed me.
I learned this trick five years ago when I started Crossfit and discovered how tight my hamstrings really were. I'd come back from a class and after my body cooled down I'd have lower back pain so bad I could hardly walk. When I mentioned this to an instructor, he did a diagnostic test of my flexibility and noted I had mobility problems galore, including really tight hamstrings that resulted in lower back pain and plantar fasciitis. Rather than a tennis ball he advised using a lacrosse ball as the latter is firm enough to resist your weight while soft enough to avoid being painful. But she nailed the way you roll the ball under the foot from the point under the toes to the arch and all the way to the heel. I usually do each foot for a solid 3-5 minutes after getting home from class and it makes a world of difference in avoiding or diminishing any pain after I cool down from a stiff workout. You can also roll on the ball placed below your lower back on the floor and it will also help.
"I know it sounds crazy but for some reason it works" the words of an expert
it probably doesnt
was exactly what I thought when I heard that.....
I found that distracting and I failed to hear the next couple of minutes of dialogue because I was focused on this sentence.
And I was so focused on my navel lint, I couldn't hear anything she said at all...
I've ordered a tennis ball online ....
I’ve had tight quads and hams for 45 years of my 73 year life. Used to race dirt bikes and play softball extensively. Leg cramps, massages, stretching, pickle juice, etc. etc. etc. never in 1 million years would I believe something so simplistic could be so effective.! This is without a doubt the most informative and interesting video!❤
You should try and strengthen your hamstrings and quads. A week muscle is a tight muscle. Good Morning, RDLs, and Leg Curls, lunges, and squats. Your quads might be tight because they are the antagonist to the hamstring agonist and vice versa.
Hi! I just wanted to thank you for this, I have been miserable for years with tight hamstrings affecting knees and getting worse, doctors were useless! this fixed it in thirty seconds! life is so much better thanks to this technique thankyou!
What a great little vid.. simple and effective. Thank you!
Hi, If you apply this type of pressure to your plantar fascia, I believe you will stretch it releasing some of it's arch supporting function. As a long distance runner some 40 years ago, after doing this as you suggested, I felt some of my old foot pains in the heel. I do think that this is an interesting technique but I would caution people to start seated and see if it helps before "putting all the pressure you can" onto that ball. I have flat feet as a child so I don't have much to lose in my arch. I'm a Physical Therapist and LMT, and that's my two cents. I would suggest a number of techniques to gain HS mobility. I wouldn't stop stretching. Add some helper PNF, warm up the muscle with external heat, stretch in a whirlpool, stretch in a pool with less body weight, stretch with come connective tissue massaging, release some trigger points. Eventually, the HS will elongate. But stretching will have to be done everyday to maintain gains.
would you recommend to do this exercise to someone with plantar fasciitis ? I have had hamstring problems but right I have plantar fasciitis in my left foot.
So do I :/
+Jon White You know that the Plantar fascia is not a muscle. It doesn't have a connection beyond the ankle which it never approaches or crosses. The hamstring is a muscle which originates in the ischium of the hip and crosses the knee to insert into the top of the tibia and fibula so no connection there either. As far as the calf muscles, the common insertion point is on the Calcaneus.
The plantar fascia is on the bottom of the foot. It is a connective tissue which doesn't have a contractile function. It is not a living tissue like the muscle which has the ability to contract and relax. the fascia is a matrix of water, protein, and living cells which spit out protein and eats the fascia. So while the fascia can affect the mechanics further up the leg, the reverse is less likely.
+Jon White hi I'm a physical therapist and a massage therapist. I'm only commenting on your statement. Problems in the architecture of the foot affects the muscles higher up while in general problem up the chain in the calf and hamstring will have little effect on the plantar fascia in a normal person.
+Jon White my first question in response is can you site this research?
Secondarily, from an anatomical perspective alone there is no physical connection between the muscle groups you cited and the plantar fascia. This was my point in reviewing the anatomy. Finally from a biomechanics perspective in a closed chain those muscles are affected by the architecture of the foot and not the other way around. The plantar fascia holding the arch in place under body weight affects the functioning of the calf muscles. As a flat foot vs an arched foot will affect the forces of heel strike to toe off in gait on the calf muscles.
I don't know what you know. I have 26 years of LMT, 16 yrs of PT, 40 yrs of running, and the combination of education, human dissection, and athletic experience which run counter to you opinion and I feel is reflective of the "research" in my fields. But you aren't going to believe me based on my saying so as I'm not inclined to believe you invoking "research"
This worked perfectly for me. I don't care how or why. Thanks Jill!
I do this with lacrosse balls. Works wonders! I'm a barefoot runner and the techniques in this video not only help leg muscles, but also keep my muscles and fascia in my feet nice and loosened up so that they perform the way they should... AND pain free.
It actually worked for me ! Thanks Jill.
Wow!! I've had tight hamstrings for most of my life. I'm in
my 70's now and I've had problems hiking for years. This past winter it started
impacting my cross country skiing. I was almost to the point of thinking I
would have to give up the things I love doing. I have been to physical therapy
a number of times but it didn't really help. I decided to look on the internet
and see if I could find a stretching exercise that would work. I ran across
this video and thought it didn't make any sense but decided to give it a try.
Two days later I decided to take a hike and started walking at a fast pace to
see how long it would take my hamstring to tighten up. It didn't. I hiked 4
miles without any problems. I've since resumed pain free hiking.
Worked for me. Before doing it, could not really touch the toes and after I could. Was not using a tennis ball but was using those solid recovery massage balls. Shall see how this translates with my running later. Thanks Jill!
I can't believe how much this hurt. I searched the internet for relieve of my leg tightness and found your RUclips video. I haven't slept throughout the night in decades. I always need to get up and stretch because the legs are so tight. My girlfriend thanks you also.
In my opinion While applying pressure on the ball ,
Tibia bone moves forward slightly, which in turns to relieve tightness in posterior capsule of knees .
In addition , calf (gastrocnemius) is a secondary knee flexor , and by pressing a ball It contracts isometrical , which further helps in to relieve tightness of the calf.
And finally , this position which again produce isometric contraction of quadriceps and helps to relieve tightness in hamstring .
Thus the Range in knee bending (flexing) improves ...
THANK YOU
Someone's a Dr.
thank you Jill! i have had a hamstring injury and always feel tight, i felt immediate relief after doing this. :)
It really works?
Coming back to this video, after practicing this for a week feel much much better. Thank you again so so much ❤️
Does this work with a baseball or would it be too hard?
Pure gold! Pain disappeared!
...tried this, it works great! Thank you!
Thank you. This and foot stretches and strengthening finally relieved my pain from a hamstring tear that lingered for 10 years. Excellent video.
If someone can't explain the why then they shouldn't be listened to. This isn't a hamstring stretch but may help gently stretch the Achilles, soleus and plantar fascia which are factors to posterior leg tension.
EEEE
She doesn't call it a stretch. She says it's a fascia release.
Further going along with her lack of knowledge, this technique is inducing a stretch. Thus, even her title is a contradiction.
Why?
Giggitty2 I agree, burn the witch!! 😠
It does work. I just did it and the pain in my left calf, which I've had for days, stopped. Thank you!
Bravo! Flexibility is primarily neurological. Traditional passive Stretching inhibits performance & increases risk of injury.
Will this actually increase range of motion longterm? I'm not even close to touching my toes.
Grimmsley Costello Has everything to do with hamstringmyofascial connectionsall the best,a soccer physio
Grimmsley Costello It relates to the hamstring in terms of making it look more flexible than it is when trying to reach your toes you get further by stretching the calves same as you can make up with your lower back if you stretch it to go further to the front you'll get closer to your feet without actually getting more flexiblt hamstrings but people would assume the hamstrings are just so flexible.
It's basically "cheating" - don't say it's bad. Just that it's important to be aware of it to not go too far with that kind of stretch but not addressing the hamstring directly at all in the same time.
So to original comment - yes it will as any other stretch increase range of motion as long as you practice it.
It would be helpful to give the rationale behind this foot mobilization?
The fact that your mobilizing the terminal end of the posterior chain doesn’t guarantee or promise any further extensibility upstream?
An integrated approach, by mobilizing the plantar fascia along with the posterior crural fascia lines and all superficial back lines, might allow further ROM in an ASLR test, or a neutral spine-Good Morning?
Not all facial restrictions in the posterior chain originate in the plantar fascia!
This appears to be a meridian chain or acu-pressure points application, not a soft-tissue mob?
I'm a dancer and I have very tight hamstrings and this helped me so much!
for those of you who question the validity of this treatment modality i would suggest you read Tom Myers and understand the Myofascial Meridian lines. Great post Jill.
tight hamstrings were causing some behind the knee pain , did this release and immediate relief you are awesome
I'm always finding ways to stretch my hamstrings and I will definitely try this one. Thank you!
Did it work for you?
Yes:)
I cant wait to try this. Thanks for your video.
Thanks for the awesome video and information. I found I could use a small grip ball. It has a lot of squishy give to it. You can do it when you’re seated if balance is a problem.
.... good job on adding joint strain to relieve muscles
Facia fascia everywhere...it's sooo true. Same with IT bands and everywhere...thank you for this important reminder!
i popped 3 of my tennis balls trying this.
+mikemilks coz you are FAT!
+mikemilks use a lacrosse ball. works wonders
+MrOnionCock I used LEGO
+mikemilks I use a lacrosse ball. It's still a tad softer than a baseball, but much firmer than a tennis ball.
+mikemilks Im going to try using a marshmallow
yes! i’m a runner and tap dancer so it’s a lot of pressure on my feet! thanks!
Maybe by massaging the finger flexors (their origin is behind the calves and their insertions in the fingers, so they go all the way from the tibia to the toes) you are taking off pression from the calves and from the knee. It makes sense that you can do a better "touch your toes" exercise after
My right foot and hamstring feels so much different (BETTER) from my left side by doing this technique. Thank you!!!
It looks like you may be bending your knee as you apply pressure, but the video only shows from just above your shin down. should I be bending my knee? If so, only slightly or more? Thanks!
Angela Lopez It won't matter if you're bending your knee when you're releasing the plantar fascia (arch).
Thank you ,verry much,!!
this for people with abnormal foot arch. it will release fascia over foot region. how will it affect your hams?
+Himanshu Patel it has to do with the neurological connection of the kinetic muscle chain! when i stretch my toes i can feel my tight hamstrings do a release-spasm type thing. it is truly amazing! Works with my lower back and butt also. js
+mother66 LMAO! i never even went. but i do have problem areas and i experience these things when i do release on myself. it usually effects an opposing muscle. i have a tight pectoralis minor that i've been working on and when i release it i can feel my rear delts relax since they have been in a CONSTANT battle with my pec minor to try and stabilize my shoulder.
+ampecsu but admittedly was i was just sort of talking out of my ass but that is the best way i could explain it
+Himanshu Patel the fascia in your foot region is part of a whole fascial sheath that extends from the foot all the way up the back of your leg, butt, back, neck. The fascia surrounds muscles (hamstrings included). Tennis ball rolling helps hamstring stretches.
Fantastic upbeat straight to the point advice. You're fab! will try it out with my dog's tennis ball .. If they let me ... Thanks!
This worked for me! Thanks a bunch!!!
Thx, just tried this, helps a lot
This is amazing 👏
i just did it and it works, thank you. less pain and i can reach much lower to the ground
NO ONE does this! I am amazed to see someone address this. I do this before every dead lift & squat session.
Thank you for posting this. I have an old foot injury that has caused my hamstring to tighten and cramp more often than I'd like. This exercise brought relief to both my foot and hamstring for the first time in a year.
I used a tennis ball after my half marathon where I had bad pain on the bottom of my foot. Deffinitely helped me heal faster.
Sadly I have mortens neuromas in both feet so couldn't possibly try this, but sounds interesting. Thanks for the idea.
I do this with a Lacrosse ball...hurts even more than a tennis ball,but,better results..for me that is,I've had Plantar Faciatis on both feet from running, twisting my ankles and not treating them right away. Running is extremely hard on your feet.... massage,rolling on a ball works!
This totally works! I was very skeptical. 🫤 Seemed too simple. But... the tightness and pain is decreasing. Thanks for sharing this! 👍 ❤
Jill, I have very tight hamstrings. But I also have flat feet, which I understand means that the muscles on the bottom of my feet are generally too weak and too loose. That means I should avoid releasing them using the techniques in this video, right?
I've no idea how, but feels like it works!
How often should I practice this please
is this helpful for sciatica relief as well?
I wouldn't think so, it's not in line with the muscles group this targets. (plantar muscles, gastroc and soleus, and hamstrings). Try rolling your butt and hip extenders with the tennis ball instead or sitting on it on the floor (targeting your piriformis muscle)
No and neither for hamstring tightness
Thanks for video keep going 🤠 greeting from Morocco
awesome advice! I use tennis balls for all over body self acupressure massage as well together with foam rollers. the feet have all the body's reflex areas. Thanks for this video!
The gastrocnemius aids in knee flexion. She is creating dorsiflexion by having the tennis ball under hear foot ergo stretching the "calf" thus allowing for great ROM that's why that helps not the fascial release
I completed 2 park runs on 1st January and pulled my hamstring. In pain since, discovered this amazing video, it works. Thank you, thank you, thank you Jill.
Very helpful!!! Loosen up my leg/running problem
Thanks! This helped reduce the tremendous pain Iʻve had in my middle toes that has had me limping for a week. I read that it was related to tight hamstrings causing tendon inflammation--whatever---the tennis ball stretch helped a lot.
You are very Beautilful lady, Thank You
I use a foam roller but this looks helpful, good video!
How often should you do this?
Highly recommend using massage therapy on your calves. This will release tightness which pulls on the Achilles which then pulls the plantar fascia.
May help with foot problems ie. Plantar. May be part of acupressure organs stimulation. May help foot prio receptors. Does nothing for my toe touches & hammies .
Should we use hard tennis ball or soft tennis ball??
This actually worked for me!its the first time I touched my toes in 6 years
is this safe to do if you're pregnant? I know there are certain pressure points that should not be pushed on when pregnant.
Jill
I have a fused right foot with 5 pins in my ankle joint and 2 pins in the large metatarsal bone. Will this still work to loosen my hammies?
thanks Jill. surprisingly this worked! this will be a part of my post Tennis match routine from now on. thank you much!
This worked really well for me, thank you!
Can you do the same thing for your back and shoulders?
Can I use a lacrosse ball for this instead of a tennis ball?
Thanks a lot Jill
How often should this be done?
I have plantar fasciitis. Can I do this exercise?
We cant see the postion of the leg. Just the feet. How shall we position the leg? What to do with the knees?
Hi Jill, can you explain how this technique releases tension in the hamstrings? I can see how it might release tension in the foot or in the calf muscles, but can't see how it would affect the hamstrings. Thanks.
It seems as though this is relaxing the Achilles tendon, much like stretching the Illio Psoas relieves tightness in the traps and other neck muscles.
Its changing the myotatic reflex of the hams when stretched, most likely by convergence facilitation of proprioceptive type 2 inhibitory afferents (much like how Golgi tendon organs inhibit/work), its complex but makes perfect locomotive neurologic organisational sense. When the fascia and connective tissues are stimulated with the ball its a little akin to powerfully firing these receptors during gate (sprinting) you need to have flexibility instantly in your hams to allow for the eccentric contraction phase as the quads pull the tib forwards, the concentric ham phase only adds to this summation of proprioceptive afferents by loading the GTOs of the achilles and bicep fem. This means your gamma nervous system regulating your muscle spindle activity allows you to go further without myotatic reflex contraction - hence ham flexibility. Its probably a short lived thing but breaking aberrant neuro cycles in our very plastic functional nervous system can be of clinical use. ITS CERTAINLY NOT DANGEROUS AS SOME IDIOTS ON HERE ARE SAYING. STRETCHING A TIGHT HAM STRING CAN BE A LOT MORE DANGEROUS. Stretching nearly always only works because of its neuro effect. If you think you have mechanically lengthened tissue you are usually mistaken unless perhaps you have torn your ham again whilst stretching. Eccentric exercises like the Nordic Ham Protocol are probably the best way of progressively sorting things in the long term.
What rhodesdarcy said... I think.
Can you use a lacrosse ball for this?
this stretch was awesome
It did work, thanks Jill
Does this help in Planter flasciitis?
Great video by the way; very informative and practical
Hello do your knees have to be locked for this technique
What is this supposed to do in the life of the feet? I do not understand the method and the result that it is necessary to give
Does this work with a lacrosse ball?
Hmm.. I'm trying to understand how this technique is supposed to work. So the plantar fascia alone originates from the tip of your heel to the base of the proximal phalanx on each toe. Another structure that attaches to the heel (but posteriorly) is the achilles tendon, where your calf muscles blend into. While the gastrocnemius (main calf muscle superficial to the soleus) plantarflexes (points down) the foot, it also crosses the knee joint making it a weak flexor of the knee compared to the hamstrings. To stretch an agonist or synergist of a movement (in this case, flexing the knee), you would want to do the opposite (straighten the knee) and put it at passive insufficiency (ex/ doing the splits or touching your toes while maintaining an anterior pelvic tilt). I also recognize that myofascial release also increases flexibility by relieving tension. Does your method propose that myofascial release on the plantar fascia indirectly increases hamstring flexibility by relieving tension from the bottom up on your lower kinetic chain?
I have no idea about the exact mechanism, but it's true that in yoga stretching the toes / balls of the feet (as in poses which require you to stand or sit on tip toes) helps significantly during deep forward bends which for a beginner feel very uncomfortable in the hamstring area. Being able to dorsiflex your feet way back and curl toes helps a lot with that.
This is to do with the pressure points in the ball of the foot, which travel right up the leg (they're all linked).
Hi! It is posible to use a hard foam roller instead ?
Jill can this be done while sitting on a chair?
She is so pretty and gives nice information too.....
Thanks, Jill. It helped me. Aloha.
Thank you for sharing. I find my left ankle is tighter than my right after years of driving OTR. This makes tightness up the leg. I'll be buying a ball soon: maybe a rubber ball for dogs.
She has wisdom
I use a baseball that does the same thing correct?
Hey Jill, I really like your rug. Would it be available online somewhere? Peace.
Can i use lego instead ??
Angus Young try nails. That would work better.
HA!!!
Aren't you supposed to start with jacks?
💀💀💀💀💀
u sick fuck