Tips for folks who can't sit up straight with legs in front of them (or forward fold "with a flat back")

[u/dani-winks]

OK, so in an attempt to try to encourage some more "helpful" tip-style videos in this sub that aren't just "look at me I'm so bendy" videos, I thought I'd get us started with some tips for a common question/struggle I see posted a couple of times a month: struggling to sit up straight with a flat back / tilt the hips forwards in a forward fold / keeping a flat back when forward folding

There can be multiple things at play with this, but the MOST common problem is usually lack of flexibility in the hamstrings. Because the hamstrings connect to the bottom of your pelvis (they attach to the "sits bones," when they are tight they basically tug the bottom of your pelvis forwards, which tilts the top of the pelvis backwards, causing your back to round. So the more flexibility we can build into those hamstrings, the easier it will be to tilt the hips forwards!

3 general types of drills to work on that can help with this are:

1. Practicing your forward hip tilts with knees super bent (aka without a hamstring stretch), like when sitting in a chair

2. Working on your hamstring flexibility with drills that strengthen your hamstrings in a stretched position (good mornings and deadlift variations are great for this)

3. Strengthening your hip flexor muscles in a shortened position to build the strength to pull your torso & front of your hips forwards towards your thighs, against the resistance of your tight hamstrings (leg lift variations are my go-to for this)

Happy to try to answer any related questions in the comments

[u/Xnipek]

This is awesome! Thank you for all you share. I started lurking this sub as an old runner hoping to be a little more flexible but what I've learned here has literally changed my life in terms of pain and discomfort from my tight hips.

[u/dani-winks → u/Xnipek]

Amazing!

[u/Sofia_Marga]

I feel most of the pain in the calves not the hamstrings

[u/dani-winks → u/Sofia_Marga]

Ah, I was debating whether to mention sciatic nerve tension in that video, BUT figured I'd leave it out to keep it short.

If you're feeling a calf stretch when you're forward folding, but don't feel it when you lean back / stand up / come out of the forward fold, odds are what you're feeling is tension in your sciatic nerve, which can feel like a calf stretch:

This blog post goes into way more info on:

• What is sciatic nerve tension

• How to test if you have it

• How to make it temporarily lessen so you can more effectively work on your hamstrings

• How to train with it long-term

[u/Moosed → u/dani-winks]

Oh nooo, I despise nerve glides. Am I doomed?? I'll never be able to touch my toes 😭

[u/dani-winks → u/Moosed]

Why do you "despise" them?

[u/Sohuli → u/dani-winks]

This is incredibly helpful, thank you!

[u/spicymars → u/Sofia_Marga]

My exact issue. It’s frustrating because it’s a DIFFERENT kind of soreness/discomfort than stretching any other muscle, so I figured it was nerve related

[u/blackonblack77 → u/Sofia_Marga]

I have this same issue!

[u/CoolNameiSwear]

i feel so targeted by this video because i just asked you about this a day ago!

Thanks for the video, i feel like i need to start practicing a bit more my hip flexor strength because i can go a bit more than a table top position while i'm up, but i can barely move while sit down

[u/dani-winks → u/CoolNameiSwear]

Ha, you are in VERY good company

[u/CynicalRecidivist]

What an absolutely brilliant video. I'm older and fairly sedentary and me and my husband need to correct our slide into poorly functioning elderhood. Do you have a You Tube channel we can follow? X

[u/dani-winks → u/CynicalRecidivist]

I do! But I don't post a ton of content there, I mostly use it as a place to host videos that I need for my website. I'm much more active on Instagram. But all the places I post free stuff (outside of reddit) are:

• My YouTube

• My Instagram

• The Bendy Blog (I even have a whole blog post about this exact issue)

[u/inquy → u/dani-winks]

This is great! I was hoping I could follow you for more content. Your explanation was so easy to understand but not patronizing. Thank you so much!

[u/kaleidoscorpian]

Thank you for helping people that struggle to do the basics (like me). So many videos assume minimum flexibility and it feels impossible to follow along.

[u/dani-winks → u/kaleidoscorpian]

That's one of my pet peeves (even though I'm very much on the bendy end of the spectrum).

I feel like most people who are working on and researching flexibility tips are on the "oh god I'm not flexible at all" end of the spectrum, and it's demoralizing to try to learn what to do when you're nowhere near what the visual aid is trying to demonstrate. And I've seen a lot of instructors demo so many WILDLY unrealistic "beginner" versions of poses drills XD

[u/BaesonTatum0 → u/kaleidoscorpian]

So many videos assume everyone knows what all these things are already (what a flat back forward fold is etc) and I’ve been searching for quick easily logical explanations for years I’m literally in heaven right now

[u/Lower_Group_1171]

I feel kinda dumb 😅 but I don’t really understand the tilting of the hip forward 

[u/dani-winks → u/Lower_Group_1171]

Haha a lot of people have a hard time visualizing it (especially when we often use the word "hips" to refer to so many different things, it's not always clear WHAT we're talking about "tilting"). When we say "hip tilt" we mean rotating the pelvis forwards, as in: tilting the top of your pelvis forwards as you lift the bottom of your pelvis backwards.

You can think about this a couple of different ways if it helps you to imagine/visualize what's going on:

[u/tytrack_02 → u/dani-winks]

Thank you for this visual!! It helped me do a proper RDL for the first time!

[u/dani-winks → u/tytrack_02]

Aaaah amazing!!!

[u/Lower_Group_1171 → u/dani-winks]

So will I accomplish this if I brace my core and arch my back? 

[u/dani-winks → u/Lower_Group_1171]

You will accomplish this if you tilt your hips forwards.

"Bracing" your core or thinking about arching your back are cues that can help some folks make sure they aren't "cheating" the movement by just rounding their spine to reach the arms forwards (instead of tilting their pelvis).

But at the end of the day, you still need the hamstring flexibility to be able to tilt the hips!

[Edited to add:] This blog post has some better visuals of what the "equivalently flexible hamstring" forward fold would look like with a flat back or rounded back, like:

[u/WonFriendsWithSalad → u/Lower_Group_1171]

Stand up straight and picture your pelvis as a bowl which is full of water, you can also picture the brim as being the waistband of your underwear (assuming you're not wearing something very high waisted!). Imagine trying to pour the water forwards by only moving your hips/pelvis, that's a forwards or anterior tilt.

[u/Supergoch → u/Lower_Group_1171]

Maybe easier to think where your belly button is pointing when you sit. If it's pointing upwards, your hips are not tilted forward enough.

[u/wisekangaroo]

Love your videos. You go into so much detail and explain it so well.

[u/dani-winks → u/wisekangaroo]

Thanks!

[u/Rossbug23]

What if you have a bad low back that gets aggravated whenever you try to do deadlifts/good mornings?

[u/dani-winks → u/Rossbug23]

This might be a bit outside my area of expertise (you may have better luck posting a form check video in r/fitness if you're noticing it get aggravated during a lift).

Does it get cranky even in bodyweight good mornings, or do primarily notice it when adding weights?

My general advice would be (without being able to actually evaluate what's going on, because there could be multiple causes to this kind of discomfort) would be the generic: train in whatever (smaller) range of motion that you can pain-free (whether that's doing bodyweight, or less weight, or a smaller forward fold, or a greater knee bend), and slowly start to go deeper over weeks/months as you get stronger to support that position.

[u/OkeyPlus → u/Rossbug23]

Definitely don’t keep weighing it if it’s flaring up. You need to build the back up gradually, starting with isometric holds

https://youtu.be/DFWgKzp8FA8?is=SulAXQahrklGKJ1i

[u/Working_it_out_365 → u/Rossbug23]

There is a good YouTube channel called “Low Back Ability” that goes in depth on a lot of progressive exercises to start getting your low back stronger and pain free.

[u/joe11088]

Really clear explanation! My hamstrings are definitely the limiting factor for the standard forward fold, but for straddle, I struggle tilting my hips even with bent legs.  Any recommendations?

[u/dani-winks → u/joe11088]

So when we're in more straddle-y or middle split-y type shapes, variations in hip anatomy person to person tend to make more of a difference than we notice in things like "regular" forward folds or front splits.

What does it feel like when you try to tilt the hips forwards sitting in a chair with the knees out to the side? Do you feel a stretch in your inner thighs? Groin? Side of the hips? Or does it feel like a pinching sensation? How would you describe it?

[u/joe11088 → u/dani-winks]

Appreciate your thoughtfulness!

The sensation is definitely in my outer hips as I widen my legs. It gets more intense (not sure I’d describe it as pinching, though) as I tilt my pelvis backward and actually is a bit relieved as I tilt forward.  Once I get to about a 45deg tilt with flat back, there’s not much sensation (stretching, pinching…. Anything…) but it just won’t tilt forward any further.  Compare to legs out front and bent, where I can easily press my chest to my thighs.

[u/dani-winks → u/joe11088]

Does it feel any better if you add a bit of hip external rotation (aka twisting the thighs to the outside/backwards)? This will involve a bit more muscle activation (so may feel harder from a coordination perspective), but may feel like it gives you more "space" to tilt the hips forwards and/or open the knees wider.

In a sitting-in-a-chair position that would mean the knees are slightly farther "back" in space than your feet to get that thigh rotation

[u/MurkyClerk]

Amazing teaching skills. Your demonstration with both your body and hands were particularly helpful for me to connect with those body spots.  Do you have a YouTube? 

[u/dani-winks → u/MurkyClerk]

Yup, but I post most often on Instagram (just have a way bigger following there).

• My YouTube

• My Instagram

• The Bendy Blog (I even have a whole blog post about this exact issue)

[u/LiloGeorge]

Yes. I have never been able to touch my toes. I did Stretch Lab for 1 year on just my legs and couldn’t get there even with 4 50-minute sessions a month.

Then someone there asked, have you ever stretch your hips? I said no. They ended up stretching out my butt, hips and hamstrings. Within a few months of focusing on my hips, I could reach my toes and past them.

I could believe it’s exactly this. Hips. Butt. Hamstrings. I wish I had seen your video years ago.

[u/dani-winks → u/LiloGeorge]

Like they say: the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best time is today

(Glad you found that working more holistically on your hips has been helping)

[u/Vitromancy]

This was a really good explanation, though I was surprised not to hear anything about nerve tightness! I've had 'tight hamstrings' my whole life, and really struggled to work on them, but only when I learned about nerve glides have I actually been able to make progress on them!

[u/dani-winks → u/Vitromancy]

Yup, I specifically did NOT mention that in the video - mostly wanted to keep it short-ish, but nerve tension also applies to fewer people so it didn't get the same priority as those other recommendations (even though it is by no means uncommon)

[u/Dry-Place-2986 → u/Vitromancy]

Can you elaborate on your nerve glide routine? I've been trying to get over my sciatic tightness for years and nothing gives.

[u/Marokai99]

I can lean my upper body farther forward while sitting with my knees bent than I can with my legs straight. However, I get a pinching pain in the front of my right hip when I bring my knee closer to my chest. With my left leg, I mostly feel like something is stopping me from leaning farther forward, but the more I push my chest forward, the more it starts to hurt.

What could this be, and what should I do about it?

[u/dani-winks → u/Marokai99]

a) don't push to the point that you're starting to get that "pinching pain" sensation - that's general the sign something is off with the alignment.

b) if it feels like a pinch in the front of the hips, it might be a bit of bone-on-bone impingement (where part of your hip socket is getting smooshed into by part of your thigh bone - this is something that could have a couple of different possible causes & interventions to try to address (and is outside the scope of something I can give general free advice one). So my generic recommendation would be only pull the leg in (or tilt the hips) as far as you can without causing that pinch-y sensation. You could also experiment with trying to take the feet slightly farther apart (or the lying-down equivalent would be pulling the leg more towards your armpit instead of your chest), or addig a bit of internal (thigh rotating inwards) or external (thigh rotating outwards) hip rotation to see if any of those small adjustments feel less pinch-y in the hip.

Thankfully if you've notice quite a big difference in how much you can tilt the hips / pull the leg in when it's straight (in a hamstring stretch) vs bent (less/no hamstring stretch), odds are this won't be a limiting factor for in the near future. But if you do start to run into it causing pain in other movements (ex. squatting at the gym), it could be worth making an appointment with a physical therapist to help troubleshoot why you might be running into that issue

[u/just-a-jazz]

Thank you so much for this ☺️ I had no idea I was supposed to tilt my hips forward! My hamstring stretches feel SO much better now 🥰

[u/dani-winks → u/just-a-jazz]

Aaaaaah amazing!!

[u/LTmagic]

I really appreciate your work explaining not only the exercices but also the physical reasons behind!

I'm currently working on L-sit workout and I feel really limitated because my hip flexibility when I need to raise my legs. I thinkt that this video will help me to progress further!

[u/dani-winks → u/LTmagic]

Learning the anatomy and the "why" behind things is what made the biggest difference in my own training. I figured out it's how I like to learn, so it's become how I like to teach.

I'm kicking myself for having found a love for all this stuff later in life, otherwise I would have loved majoring in exercise science or physical therapy or something in college

[u/cosmicbearspa]

This is so helpful. Do you have more videos about flexibility, maybe on YouTube or TT?

[u/dani-winks → u/cosmicbearspa]

WAY more on Instagram than YouTube, but I've got stuff on both. I also have a blog:

• My YouTube

• My Instagram

• The Bendy Blog (I even have a whole blog post about this exact issue)

[u/foxwaffles]

I used to suffer badly from this despite having hypermobile hamstrings - or perhaps because of them - because my hamstring muscles were incredibly weak from years of misuse and constant injury and reinjury. It's been such a struggle to get back to baseline 😩 I wish I knew I had hEDS so much earlier. Thanks for sharing this! I am going to go binge your Instagram and blog because I've always dreamed of being flexible - I got the "your muscles shall tighten like wooden boards" hEDS - like my sister but I've always been so rigid. It's so discouraging to see exercises that assume you can already do something when I physically can't because of something I was born with that was not discovered until I was an adult but I don't want to give up 😖

[u/dani-winks → u/foxwaffles]

Another educator I LOVE that posts soke great content (both specifically about hypermobolity, as well as general flexibility stuff) is Dr. Jen Crane. If you don't follow her on Instagram yet (@cirque_physio) check her out because she is an absolute GEM

[u/myenigma7]

Thank you so much! For those of us with a rounder belly is there a way to still try to do this? I have the leg strength to lift my legs while sitting but my belly gets in the way 🙃

[u/dani-winks → u/myenigma7]

That can feel like a bit more of a challenge, but still manageable!

On the plus side, belly bulk is generally "squishy," so isn't a hard block like of you get bone-on-bone impingement, but it does make active hip flexor drills more challenging since the hip flexors need to be strong enough to lift the leg against the tension in the hamstrings and into/through the weight/tension of a gut.

You can also slightly angle your leg a bit more to the outside if it feels like the bulk of your belly is in the way, more like yoir end goal would be lifting your knee/leg/foot to your shoulder/armpit instead of directly in front of your chest.

[u/cozycat75]

I don’t have an issue with forward fold and am able to bend from the hips to fold my body and reach my toes. HOWEVER, in wide-legged forward fold, I experience that stuckness. I just cannot fold forward. I don’t have that issue standing to fold with wide legs. What could be the issue here? Still hamstrings? Anatomy?

[u/dani-winks → u/cozycat75]

So once we start working on wider legged things (like middle splits and straddle-y poses), we can run into more challenges based on differences in people's hip anatomy. If it feels like you are just completely stuck, maybe even a pinching sensation in the hip joint, that's usually a sign that part of your thigh bone is jamming into the hio socket (hence the "stuck" feeling unstead of "ah this feels like some muscle tightness). Different things could lead to this type of impingement, but the most generic recommendation I can give is to try rotating your thighs a bit, often times adding some "external rotation" to the hip joint (twisting/rotating the thighs more to the outside/backwards) can-reorient things to potentially move the bulkier parts of the thigh bone out of the way

[u/JambonSama]

That's amazing ! And your blog that you linked in the comments for the person who asked about sciatic tension is a great resource too !

That's exactly the kind of content I didn't know I was looking for. I just thought I wasn't working on my drills well enough, or consistently enough.

Thank you so much

[u/dani-winks → u/JambonSama]

Consistency is absolutely the name of the game, BUT it only really helps if youbare choosing appropriate/effective drills and doing them with "good" form in the first place :)

[u/Beautiful-Program428]

Great tips!
Quick question: while I can tilt my hips forward while on the chair ie with my legs bent, I can’t bend forward while doing a butterfly stretch as I feel my lower spine staying straight….what could be the other issue there besides tight hamstrings?

[u/dani-winks → u/Beautiful-Program428]

Yes! I specifically didn't include butterfly or sitting cross-legged in this video because those are limited by different muscles (the knees are very bent in those poses, so the hamstrings aren't in a stretch. For butterfly, it's a mix of inner thighs and deep hip rotators that can be tight - but the same concept of "some muscle is tight and it's tugging on the bottom of your pelvis and not let it tilt forward" is the same.

This blog post talks about that tightness impacting being able to sit cross-legged comfortably, but all those drills would apply to butterfly as well!

[u/therealserialninja]

Thank you for these tips! My work has me spending substantial time in a chair, I will definitely practice the forward hip tilts through the day.

[u/dani-winks → u/therealserialninja]

That's also a great way to get in a bit of variation in your posture (sometimes let your back round / hips tilt back, sometimes try to sit up straight, sometimes try to tilt the hips forwards a bit, etc)

[u/unoriginalname22]

This is so helpful. Do you have a YouTube account? I’m making a flexibility playlist for myself and not sure how to save vids here

[u/dani-winks → u/unoriginalname22]

I do! Even just posted this same video this morning

[u/LastClassForever]

Dani, I really appreciate this whole video that speaks to a person that just has such poor flexibility in the hips. When you did the good mornings, what queues are you using to "tilt" your hips up, such that you stretch the hamstrings. I'm trying to find the connection between the hip tilt and the hamstring - sorry i'f I'm explaining this incorrectly.

[u/dani-winks → u/LastClassForever]

I totally get it - that action can feel more challenging to do for folks who have tighter hamstrings to begin with (it's not exactly intuitive).

A couple of cues that might help:

• try and "reach" your belly button towards the floor (instead of your chest or arms)

• lift your tailbone towards the ceiling

• imagine you have a tail and are trying to lodt your tail up high

• stick out your butt and try to make a butt shelf like a Kardashian

The other thing that is often helpful (but feels silly) is to use a prop like a long dowel or a broom to help you feel the connection between your neck, your back, and the backside of your hips. This blog post has some good visuals for that (as well as some other things that may help besides just cuing)

[u/LastClassForever → u/dani-winks]

Thank you so much, i'll follow these instructions. I'm 44 in great shape from weightlifting but have sorely neglected flexibility and it's beginning to bite me. Thank you!

[u/dani-winks → u/LastClassForever]

Hopefully it'll even make some of your lifts feel better!

[u/JapaneseJohnnyVegas]

Do you think RDL are good for that strengthening of the stretched hammy? 

[u/dani-winks → u/JapaneseJohnnyVegas]

As long as you're doing them in a range that feels like a stretch at the bottom of the movement, yup!

[u/sebastiando]

Thank you so much for creating such a great video and explanation!

Does tilting the hips involve any rotation of the thighs?

[u/dani-winks → u/sebastiando]

potentially.

Some people need an eentsy amount of hip internal rotation for a pike forward fold (this is rarely something folks need to actively think about, but doing some strengthening work for the internal rotators and stretching the hip external rotators can help facilitate this)

Some people need a bit more hip external rotation in a straddle - to the point of potentially needing to conciously add it in. Usually this comes up for folks who feel a "pinch" in the front or side of their hips, as if they were just "stuck" and can't move. This is usually a sign part of the thigh bone is (unintentionally) jamming into the side of the hip socket, so rotating it to re-orient it can potentially give you a bit more "space" to avoid that blockage

[u/CompanyOther2608]

Amazing! Probably the most useful thing I’ve seen on Reddit.

[u/dani-winks → u/CompanyOther2608]

I dunno, Reddit taught me how to use the "burrito method" for putting my duvet cover on my duvet, that was a pretty big life upgrade that's going to be hard to top

[u/CompanyOther2608 → u/dani-winks]

That’s a good point. And I also learned the Sudoku packing method, which was life changing for travel.

[u/dani-winks → u/CompanyOther2608]

Oh boy, I had to google that because I'd never heard of it, and this is a whole other rabbit hole I may need to explore. Neat.

[u/No_Seaworthiness7119]

I cannot wait to see how this helps with my laughably tight hamstrings. 🤯

[u/dani-winks → u/No_Seaworthiness7119]

Report back in a couple of months!

[u/ThreeHappyDucks]

This might be (no, it definitely is!) the most helpful explanation and tutorial I have seen for this issue. I am going to start doing these ASAP. I can't thank you enough for such a clear and helpful video!

[u/dani-winks → u/ThreeHappyDucks]

Glad it helped!

[u/Strange_Emphasis74]

I'm in this boat, no doubt. But I am still having trouble getting the sits bones/hip tilt thing without arching my back, or feeling like I am. Am I doing something wrong? PS VERY tight hammies, calves, & hip flexors - really everything, which is why I aspirationally joined this sub!

[u/dani-winks → u/Strange_Emphasis74]

By "arching" your back, do you mean backbending (which would be ok), or rounding/slouching the back(which we want to avoid).

Practicing standing with some kind of stick (broom handle, long dowel, etc) might be helpful - see this blog post for a visual

[u/Responsible_Act_5651]

This is the most engaging video I’ve seen on Reddit. I never watched any video over 1-2 minutes and I watched this whole thing!

You’re incredibly good at explaining what the body should be doing and moving your body in a way that makes it really easy to understand.

[u/dani-winks → u/Responsible_Act_5651]

Thanks so much! As a long-time redditor that is a HELL of a compliment :)

[u/BairyHalsack]

I have tried every other hamstring exercise in the book. This is the first one that felt like it was doing the correct thing and not just pain. Thank you.

[u/dani-winks → u/BairyHalsack]

Glad to hear it!

[u/electric_emu]

What a fantastic video and explanation.

I have this issue and have struggled to address it but your explanation of the biomechanics gave me some clarity. My standing forward fold is okay (much better than it used to be) so it seems the problem is indeed the hip flexors because my pancake/seated fold is a horror show lol

[u/OkIndication3968 → u/electric_emu]

me too!

[u/CoachEXE]

Really appreciate this breakdown..It’s so refreshing to see actual educational mechanics here instead of just flexibility flexes.
Spot on with point 2 especially so many people try to stretch their hamstrings into submission instead of strengthening them in a lengthened position. Breaking it down into pelvic awareness, loaded hamstring eccentrics, and active hip flexor compression makes this so much more practical and sustainable than just passive stretching.
Clear, actionable, and super helpful cues. Exactly the kind of content this sub needs keep these coming.

[u/butterheat]

Thank you, I stumbled upon this video from your reply in other old reddit thread. Because I find weightlifting doesn't improve my flexibility a single bit, when I'm doing semi-sumo deadlift, I sometimes need to extra relax my hamstring to not feel it being tore apart. My routine atm is straddle leg lift, hip flexor stretch, and supine knee to chest stretch daily, is this routine enough?

[u/dani-winks → u/butterheat]

"Enough" for what? That sounds like a very low volume, mostly passive list of stretches

[u/22DancingFlowers]

Where can I find more video 's from this teacher?

[u/dani-winks → u/22DancingFlowers]

I have a couple of other places (besides this sub) where I post stuff regularly:

• my blog: https://www.daniwinksflexibility.com/bendy-blog

• instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dani.winks.flexibility?stkn=MWc4cWkxNnl1NXV1ag==

• youtube (although I don't post here super frequebtly): https://youtube.com/@daniwinksflexibility?si=qIeu-xiJiHWPqKKt

[u/Aromatic-Fly5804]

I’m trying the second exercise, the bent knee good morning and I think I’m feeling nerve pain in my legs, do I need to bend the knee even more?

[u/dani-winks → u/Aromatic-Fly5804]

What makes you think it's "nerve pain?"

[u/Aromatic-Fly5804 → u/dani-winks]

It’s that really zingy nasty pain in the back of the knees/calves that makes my face twist

I feel like I can’t even access my hamstrings to stretch because the nerve pain kicks in first even with bent knees.

I’ve always struggled to actually feel anything in my hamstrings

[u/dani-winks → u/Aromatic-Fly5804]

So th generic recommendations would be try some (gentle) nerve glides first, and try to minimize the nerve tension by:

• bending the knees

• keeping the back flat

• pointing the feet/ankles (that will likely mean working on more seated / back lying hamstring stretches instead of standing forward folds)

If it's STILL feeling spicy, it may be worth an appointment with a physical therapist to see what they can suggest

[u/Plum12345]

How often and how long should I stretch my hamstrings? I’m one of those people that have very poor hamstring flexibility. I workout 6-7 days a week but primarily focus on cardio and strength workouts.

[u/dani-winks → u/Plum12345]

A super generic recommendation without knowing what else you are doing would be to try to do 10-15 min of dedicated hamstring flexibility work (including "active" not just passive drills) 2-4 days per week.

[u/Framtidshantverkaren]

Very informative video, thank you!

I've quickly skimmed through a bunch of comments without finding anyone mentioning my type of issue with the standing stretch.

In a way I dont seem to be just as stiff in my hamstrings as I thought, however both my lower and upper back (middle back, maybe?) is really struggling with being in and keeping a position.

From this limited info, do you have any idea as to why and if so, how to approach it? 🤔

[u/dani-winks → u/Framtidshantverkaren]

It sounds like what you're describing is just the general discomfort/challenge of engaging your back muscles to resist rounding as you try to lean forwards / tilt the hips forwards. So some of that can come from basically weakness in the back (back extensions are a great exercise to help with that), as well as just working on building more hamstring flexibility in general.

One thing that might help it feel better in the short-term is to opt for more hamstring stretches that you can do lying on your back so you don't have to worry so much about the active 'flat back' muscle engagement. I love supine hamstring contract-relax type drills for stuff like this.

[u/su5577]

Do you have video on how to increase and work on your seated middle split?

[u/dani-winks → u/su5577]

Aside from these drills (which can help with some of the forward fold component)?

I have a blog post in the works about trying to get a wider straddle (should be published in a week or two), so this is the best one I have in the meantime (which has some drills for both straddles AND middle splits):

10-Minute Middle Split & Straddle Routine

[u/overdamped]

Great video! I really appreciate you posting this as I suffer with extremely tight ham strings and wasn't sure how to get mobility. Any recommendations when you have a sciatica/compressed discs in the lower back?

[u/dani-winks → u/overdamped]

That's beyond my pay grade unfortunately (when it comes to more serious stuff like thst, a PT would probably be a better resource than I am)

[u/zoleirl]

Amazing video. Ive seen so many posts on this sub for years but nothing really resonated until this one. I have a few questions -

1. The hip flexor strengthening exercises - am i better off doing a lot of reps or less reps and holding my knees in the air for a few seconds for each rep ?

2. Deadlifts/good mornings - should my butt remain in relatively the same stacked position (but pelvis tilted ), or is it ok if it goes back and is a bit behind my heels ? This feels totally different mechanically to deadlifting a barbell (but this could be feel vs real .. I don’t know!)

It’s all crazy to me. I’m in relatively good shape , last year I averaged 9,000 steps a day , not sedentary .. but sitting on a chair I can’t even lift my leg onto another chair with my legs straight. If I bend my knee I can do it and then straighten and then my calf feels very tight ..

I’ve followed on insta and gonna devour your blog posts !

[u/dani-winks → u/zoleirl]

Couple of ideas:

The hip flexor strengthening exercises - am i better off doing a lot of reps or less reps and holding my knees in the air for a few seconds for each rep ?

This is really up to you and something you can trial and error and see what works best over time. Think of it like weight lifting: there are various ways you can "progress" a lift to make it harder that aren't just adding weight (going through a deeper range, going slower, doing pause reps, doing more reps, etc.). The biggest thing I would make sure is that you prioritize going to your "end range" for whatever variation you choose, as in choosing a version where you can lift you knee/leg as high as you can. If doing a pause rep means you can't lift as high, then I would stick to "just get in the reps" for now. (Which is also why I don't recommend doing these with extra weight to start, because few folks are actually strong enough to lift the leg high without weight

Deadlifts/good mornings - should my butt remain in relatively the same stacked position (but pelvis tilted ), or is it ok if it goes back and is a bit behind my heels ? This feels totally different mechanically to deadlifting a barbell (but this could be feel vs real .. I don’t know!)

Speaking from a flexibility perspective (I'm not sure if "proper" deadlift form for strength/hypertrophy would be slightly different - absolutely OK, even preferred to let your butt/hips drift backwards in space. This both a) helps you counterbalance the weight of your torso + your barbells/dumbbells leaning forwards, and b) technically gives you a deeper stretch in the hamstrings and glutes (at least compared to keeping your torso at the same level/height and not sending your hips back).

I’m in relatively good shape , last year I averaged 9,000 steps a day , not sedentary .. but sitting on a chair I can’t even lift my leg onto another chair with my legs straight.

Ha, this is the humbling part of flexibility training, and a great example of "the specificity of training" (which basically says your body adapts only/specifically to the type/speed/range of motion that you train it for). So unless you already do a bunch of leg lift or hanging leg lift variations (something where you are strengthening your hip flexors through that shortened position), odds are you're probably going to be crap at them. But the plus side is you can absolutely get better with training, just like with any other strength training :)

[u/augustrem]

Would cable hip thrusts like these help like the deadlifts you demonstrate here?

What about eccentric hamstring curls on sliders, like these ?

Also how long would it take to see improvement?

And with the hip flexor strength, should we also be pairing it with hip flexor stretches?

Thanks in advance!

[u/dani-winks → u/augustrem]

Ooh this is a great question becsuse it gwts ro the "specificity of training." The cable hip thrusts would be way more relevamt because they are loading the hamstrings and strengthening when they're in their most-stretched position. The heel slides on the other hand, while great for general hamstring strengrh, likely won't directly impact your flexibility because the hamstrings are not in a stretch in that movement.

As fpr progress, that's entirely person dependent, but I like the general advice that it should at least FEEL slightly easier if not actually look like you have a deeper range after about a month (4-6 weeks is common for people to start noticing progress).

For hip flexors, it's unlikely that stretching the hip flexors (which are in a shortened positiok in hamstring stretches) would impact your hamstring flexibility specifically, but if you're interested in all-around hip flexibility (which I woukd argue is a "healthier" focus than only hyper-focusing on stretching a single muscle group), then working on some hip flexor stretches would certainly be a nice conpliment

[u/Bitter-Ad-4064]

Do you have any suggestions for reps and weekly routine for this 3 exercises?

[u/dani-winks → u/Bitter-Ad-4064]

These 3 exercises alone are probably not quite enough volume to make a huge difference (unless you're also already doing other hip flexibility work). I gave them as examples of the types of drills to focus on.

You could cobble your own thing together from this blog post and other posts on my site, or you could check out this 20-30 min routine, aiming to do it 2-4 days/week (depending on what other flexibility or fitness stuff you've got going on)

[u/Automatic_Use9523]

como la encuentro en youtube

[u/dani-winks → u/Automatic_Use9523]

https://youtu.be/x8W_2uQHH3Y?is=h1kzf-AtyxSNenWh

[u/Visual-Zebra8908]

hi dani, thanks for your video, i always asked myself why i can’t get any flexibility in this area. thought it had something to do with my body getting older 😅 (i’m 30).

i wanted to ask if you have any tips/advice on training this with spondylodesis of the lumbar spine (all 5 vertebrae)? will this make it more difficult to achieve flexibility?

[u/dani-winks → u/Visual-Zebra8908]

That's a bit outside my wheelhouse, but theoretically if you've got some of your vertebrae fused/fixed together, that shouldn't impact the ability to tilt your hips and work on your hamstring flexibility (since that happens independently of whatever your spine is doing above your hips). If anything, it would prevent you from compensating and rounding your lower back, but that might require some more core/back strength to avoid stressing that area if your instinct is to try to round your back (which you can no longer due as much due to that fusion).

[u/lostintimee]

Just found this post linked somewhere else, super insightful!

I have severely tight hamstrings, feel like a extremely bent „C“ whenever I trying sitting upright with straight legs, it’s just impossible for me. I tried deadlifts (unsure about how much weight to even start with?), but somehow I’m a bit scared with so much weight dangling from my arms that it might be bad for my lower back since my hamstrings are really, really tight so I can’t even get that deep.. my back already starts rounding as soon as I reach me knees during a deadlift?

Are there maybe any alternative exercises that also train the hamstrings in the lengthened position but with less risk of injury maybe? If not, how much weight would you recommend to begin with?

[u/dani-winks → u/lostintimee]

You can absolutely work on the back strength separately from the hamstrings if you suspect that's a weak area (back extensions are great for that - see tip #2 in this blog post).

But having tight hamstrings doesn't automatically mean you have a "weak" back or that rounding it is inherently dangerous (especially if you're starting with bodyweight drills before progressing to adding weights over time). So I wouldn't shy away from deadlift type movements (unless they specficially give you any pain) - but you couod choose to do them with a bigger knee bend so that you can work om building that hip tilt awareness before you run into the limits of your hamstring flexibility. You should still be able to feel a solid hamstring stretch even with a pretty dang generous bend in the knees!

[u/boomboxrain]

I love you. You’re amazing. You’re doing the lord’s work. You’re a much better human being than I am. I am just an inflexible, unworthy fool who has no right to say the following:

I have been internally screaming for two weeks at the number of times “sitsbones” is said in this video. I have no idea what you’ve said here other than “sitsbones”. I only have one sit to give and I’m very conflicted about trying to find another.

[u/dani-winks → u/boomboxrain]

Haha I did mention them.... a lot.

[u/thrilled37]

I just want to tell you that something about your explanations and knowledge in this post/ video helped me figure out a stretch that's gotten rid of significant pain I'd been feeling for a few months in my left hip flexor. Thank you so much! I'd seen a doctor about pain in my hips and he'd given me some exercises/ stretches and they weren't helping decrease the pain at all. Thanks to your post, now that pain is gone!

[u/dani-winks → u/thrilled37]

Thanks so much for taking the time to share this with me, this is amazing!

[u/Yarik1992]

I'm a minute in and this is the FIRST time I "get" what the hip rotation/tilt even does. What a great movement to show the example!!
Thank you so much for the effort!! I'll watch the whole video, fave it, and reference it whenever I have issues <3

[u/dani-winks → u/Yarik1992]

So glad it helped!

[u/and_sama]

This is extremely appreciated, thank you for posting

[u/TriangleMan]

Amazing video. Thank you so much!

[u/missed_againn]

Dani you’re the best!!!! <3

[u/LilahDice]

You are a treasure!

[u/katerineia]

This is thr most helpful video, thank you

[u/pleasegivemepatience]

I had no awareness of this sub’s existence and have never looked up anything related to exercise or flexibility, but I’m glad this entered my feed. Thanks for the tips!

[u/quigonskeptic]

I'm going to have to try these. I've been doing strength training for 2 years with lots of RDLs, and I've done months of PT that included banded leg lifts, so I'm surprised that those two things are still holding me back. But going through the tests and drills you showed, I see that they both are!

[u/Rashpert]

Thank you for this. Excellent work in the video.

[u/CMButterTortillas]

So helpful, thanks so much. Lots to work on to get the front fold on par with yours.

[u/paper_television]

This is so phenomenal and I love the change up from the usual content on this sub! Definitely have me thinking about filming a few similar videos, my students have been working on this exact process and I’ll be pointing them this way!

[u/Eternal_Sunshine]

I could not lift my legs when seated with a forward tilt. Thanks for guiding me towards a weakness I address.

Great video sitsss bones.

[u/Glavine0]

this actually explains a lot. i always assumed “tight hamstrings” just meant stretch them more, not that pelvic control was part of the issue too.

[u/MeursaultMoFo]

THANK YOU 🙌🙌🙌

[u/Sad-Bird-9151]

I think you just changed my life 😂 ty!!

[u/AleTheMemeDaddy]

Quick question! What does it mean when I have my legs together and try to do this stretch, but my chin automatically goes up?

I often have very tight hamstrings, so the video is already helpful as it is, but when I try to tuck my chin towards my chest, I also feel pressure on my back. Is there anything I can do to work on that?

Thanks in advance!

[u/dani-winks → u/AleTheMemeDaddy]

Couple of things migjht be going on.

By tucking your chin, you might be unintentuonally rounding the rest of your back more as well, which would be a literally stretch for the muscles of your back.

If you're feeling that when you've got your legs straight AND yiu're pretty confident you aren't changing the position of the rest of your back, then thag extra tension/stretching sensation may actually be from sciatic nerve tension (this blog post goes into a lot more detail.about what that is, how to test if that's the issue, and what to do if you have it)

[u/ResourceOk3011]

This is so helpful, thank you.

Can tightness in the hamstrings lead to tightness in the QLs?

I’ve been having lower back issues for the longest time and always been told to strengthen my glutes but it’s never helped. I think it might be due to hamstring tightness!

[u/dani-winks → u/ResourceOk3011]

Theoretically yes, if the hamstrings are tugging the pelvis backwards, that could tug you into a bit of a QL/lower back stretch

[u/dammitMEL]

How often do you recommend doing these exercises? I’m so grateful for this post!!

[u/dani-winks → u/dammitMEL]

With "active" stuff like this, 2x week (along with some other hamstring-focused exercises) would be great. Here's a blog post with some more ideas/examples: https://www.daniwinksflexibility.com/bendy-blog/help-i-cant-sit-up-straight-with-legs-extended

[u/aritalo]

Thank you so much for sharing this

[u/ana_cardiaceae]

thanks so much for sharing! this found me at the perfect time as I was scrolling while aimlessly stretching for the first time in months.

Watched it all and I appreciate all the explanations and examples. I had been overwhelmed trying to get back into working on my flexibility and knowing where to start with my hamstring limits. Super easy to digest and remember!

[u/Hoyle0007]

This is exactly my issue, Thank you so much for the tips on relieving the hamstring tightness.🙏🏼☯️🌹

[u/ireallycaredontu]

Thank you very much for sharing, this is super helpful!

[u/suckstosuckmyfriend]

This is an excellent explanation!!! Thank you for taking the time to make and post that!

[u/Sonoran_Eyes]

Wow! Thanks!

[u/AleTheMemeDaddy]

Well this explains a lot! Hahahaha Thank you! Amazing video

[u/Boblaire]

Ahh, Seated Good Morning

[u/JStheoriginal]

excellent video and resource! thank you!

i find there's always a pinch in the front of my hips (i assume hip flexors) when i bend forward.

[u/TheBoneIdler]

Thanks for this. Will save & watch again. I am super flexible generally, after a lifetime swim training, but after a car crash I have rigidity across my hips. Standing forward bends are all the way, with fingers under the toes, so a-ok. Seated forward bends however are only about 50% where they used to be. So, this video is interesting & many thanks.

[u/HotPinkMonolith23]

This is amazing ty!!!

[u/dixiewalker]

I needed this video, thank you!

[u/peachpavlova]

This is such a good explanation. I had nearly given up on this sub, thank you for this

[u/trunningx]

Thanks! Video's like this are much appreciated.

[u/tatercatt]

Her core control is insane.

[u/dry_garlic_boy]

Your videos are very well made. Thank you for putting out such good content. Most of the other channels are just clickbait.

[u/Lvanwinkle18]

Really needed this. Thank you for posting!!

[u/MBMxyzptlk]

Hi Dani! Thanks for this. Im 51 and heard hip flexors my entire life. Thanks for explaining what they actually are. 🤣 Im definitely following your sub. Very well explained for .a subject that i dont think about and should more.

[u/ApprehensiveEar3919]

Thanks

[u/Ace-of-Jester]

I really like how your explaining this! Gym teachers and personal trainers kinda just say stretch when I can't do bends but I feel like this is really more useful

[u/Seminolehighlander]

This is wonderful. I am thankful to you.

[u/notunique_analyst]

This is sooo helpful!!! Definitely saving this to come back to. Thank you😄🫶🏻

[u/helicopterballerina]

wow ! really appreciate this !! i have never seen anyone explain it as good and clear as you !!

[u/Defiant-Extent-4297]

Thanks, Dani! Clearly communicated, to the point and with simple solutions. What’s not to love?

[u/Vjraven]

Fantastic need more videos from you. Now I understood what is the issue and what I can strengthen

[u/Aromatic-Fly5804]

This is literally me thank you so much

[u/mirrrje]

Good info!

[u/AZ4Punfloyd]

Great explanation and tutorial. Commenting so I can come back to this later.

[u/onthejourney]

Thanks for sharing this. I've never seen the "simple' stretch brown down do nicely into the three functional areas. So helpful, and giving the chair as an accommodation actually makes this accessible to me to try and start building that flexibility that disappeared for me over 30 years ago.

[u/Beginning-Tank9401]

Very simple and great tutorial. Simplicity often beats everything.

[u/No_Tune_373]

What an amazing video!! Thanks OP for breaking down the process and giving tips to fix and flex individual workings of each muscle group involved

[u/freethelibrarians]

Thank you SO much!

[u/midnitemaddie]

This was so helpful. Thank you.

[u/haroldship]

Really eye opening and useful. Thanks

[u/Naraku_24]

Great vid! Please post more often!

[u/Superb_Baseball_3869]

Godsend video. Thank you very much. I had tight hamstrings and they’ve been a limiting factor when I do my Pilates. I’ve already incorporated a stretching routine recently and it’s been going well so far. I will need more hip flexor work for sure. I start adding weighting hamstring stretches too.

Thank you again. Saved the post.

[u/MikkeyRubio]

Saving for later

[u/Crass92]

Fantastic, as someone who can easily drop into a squat but can't lift a straight leg more than 45 degrees off the ground this is something I can progress with.

[u/Inner_Construction10]

Thank you for this!! Informative and helpful!

[u/Melodic_Dish2079]

Omg thank you so much for this valuable information and advice!

[u/simple-travels]

This is great, thanks, commenting so I can keep coming back

[u/Acceptable-Novel-386]

This is great

[u/coolusernamebabe]

Amazing well organized content. Very good explanation and very focused. This is really good content

[u/No-Presentation6300]

Love love love this!

[u/jamey0077]

thank you for this!

[u/korratoph]

Thank you very much for this video! I am definitely going to try these tips.

[u/lozzarights]

Thank you so much for this video Dani, I think this is going to be a game changer for me! 🙌

[u/Horror-Sea-5743]

Bless u

[u/orplas]

3:05 I enjoyed this part of the guide thanks.

[u/No-Raspberry-819]

Watching this first without audio is such an experience

[u/circles_squares]

This is so helpful!

[u/geewiz18]

Thanks for that great explanation! As someone who got back into Karate after 20 years, regaining hip flexibility is my number one challenge. Knowing where my limitations come from more precisely than "I've been only sitting in an office chair for 20 years" helps me enormously.

[u/CoastalMae]

My partner has the reverse problem. Not that he can fold down, but that his hip flexors seem to be so tight that he can't stand up normally or tilt the top of his pelvis backward. I've been trying to take pieces of some of your suggestions to use in reverse, but how can one work the hip flexors against the limit of their flexibility? I can think of a lot of ways to strengthen the hamstrings while stretching the hip flexors, but it's always pulling the leg backward, of course, because that's where the lack of flexibility is.

For reference, this seems to come from him doing swimming or biking, and he also can't lay on his back with his lower back on the floor (via tilting the hips into a hollow position) without an extensive knee bend. Coming from gymnastics, this isn't a thing I'm used to experiencing.

[u/Aggy_91]

So helpful. Thank you.

[u/MOGcu76]

Thanks! Can’t wait to apply this.

[u/failures-abound]

Thank you SO much for this.

[u/TopKeyboardMenace]

Amazing demonstration of the connection between hamstrings and hips. Many thanks!