Groin, Back & Hamstring Isolation Stretches

Isolation stretching is an effective way to enhance your muscles and improve performance. You will notice improved strength and more flexibility, and you can also benefit from boosting the blood flow to vital muscles and muscle groups in your body, such as your groin, your hamstrings and your back. Isolation stretching can also help you recover quicker after an intense workout, realign collagen fibers, reduce muscle spasms, reduce the risk of muscle sprains and tears, and even improve your immune system.

  1. What is Isolation Stretching?

    • Isolation stretching is is a technique that helps people maximize the effectiveness of stretching without causing the sort of discomfort that keeps a lot of people away from it. It is also referred to as "Active Isolated Stretching," which is a specific stretching program developed over 30 years ago by a man named Aaron Mattes, who is a registered kinesiotherapist and licensed massage therapist. The technique uses four basic principles: Isolate the muscle to be stretched; repeat the stretch eight to 10 times; hold each stretch for no more than two seconds; and exhale on the stretch; inhale on the release.

    Isolated Stretches for the Groin

    • To isolate your groin, you need to do stretches that involve spreading your legs apart. A good yoga stretch for groin isolation is called Upavistha Konasana, also known as Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend. Start by sitting on the ground or a yoga mat with your legs straight in front of you and then slowly open your legs into a "V" shape. Flex your feet and rotate your thighs inward, but try to keep your knee caps pointed toward the ceiling. Then slowly walk your hands forward between your legs until you start to feel a stretching sensation in the groin area. If your chest is close enough to the ground, go ahead and try to grab your feet or toes to deepen the stretch.

    Isolated Stretches for the Hamstrings

    • A great way to isolate and stretch your hamstrings is with a yoga pose called Uttanasana, or Standing Forward Bend. This is a simple pose that can also help your lower back. Start by standing up straight with your hands on your hips. Slowly hinge at the hips and bend forward. Try to keep your knees straight, but if you need to, bend them slightly. Reach for your toes or the floor, and if possible, grab around your ankles or calves. To get more of a stretch in the hamstrings, shift some of your weight into your toes and you will feel a deeper stretch on the backs of your thighs.

    Isolated Stretches for the Back

    • When it comes to the muscles in your back, it's better to isolate the upper back and the lower back separately. For the upper back, a good stretch is a yoga pose called "Cow Face pose." It is usually performed seated, and there is a variation that involves the lower half of the body, but in order to isolate the upper back muscles we will only focus on the first part of this pose. Start sitting cross legged and make sure your back is very straight and then extend one arm over head, bend it at the elbow, and reach down your back. Then bring the other arm behind you, bend it at the elbow, and reach up toward your other hand. Try to clasp your hands or fingers together. For most people, this can be difficult, so having a towel or yoga strap available to grab in both hands is very helpful.

      Twists are good stretches for the lower back. Whether you do them seated or lying down, you will feel the stretch in the muscles of your lower back.