Stretch DVD

[clothesminded]

STS has made me VERY aware that I have no flexibility, as in I may injury myself if I don't do something quick.

I really need to focus on lower body flexibility. I have a bad left knee and can feel the muscle or tendon.. whatever, which runs down your knee and along side it tighten up when I workout. It's pretty creepy. Almost feels like it could just snap. So, I am looking for a stretch dvd that really focuses on stretching the hamstrings, glutes, quads, IT band... anything lower body.

I've searched on the forum and found some dvd's which people recommended. I'm not sure, however, if these will meet my goals- lower body flexibility.

Any thoughts on the following dvd's or others which might be a better fit?

Bryan Kest's Power Yoga (looked this one up on Amazon and I"m not sure which one it is)
Karen Voight Yoga Power
Tamilee Webb's Stretch
P90X stretch (I have this one, but haven't done it)
Classical Stretch: Total Body and Athlete's Intense Stretch (looked like Amazon may not carry this one anymore)
Stretch Max-Cathe
Total Body Stretch-Cathe

Thanks in advance.

 

[upnorthchick]

I have had some low back issues over the past few months and just recently I started doing some concentrated stretching. Like you, I wish I had been doing this LONG ago as it may have prevented some of my problems.

I have Tamilee Webb Total Stretch. I like it a lot. It has 3 separate stretch routines :standing, sitting, and floor. I think they are each 15-20 min. I usually do the standing stretch routine. Sometimes I do them all for a nice long stretch.

The DVD also includes a "Stretching for Flexibility" workout. It is like a very, very, very basic yoga-ish workout.Did I mention that it's basic? However, it is very freshing and there is a lot of lower body stretching. I actually did it this morning and I felt really good afterwards.

I had a consult with a PT recently and she gave me these stretches for my low back, quads, leg/hip, and core/ab/obliques:

1) Basic Quad stretch, hold each side for 15 sec, 3-5 reps, 2-3 times per day
2) Modified Child's Pose, hold 15 sec, 3-5 reps, 2-3 times per day
3) Slow "Bicycle" crunches, hold each side 3-5 sec, 10-30 reps
4) Lying side leg raises, hold each side 3-5 sec, 10-30 reps

I'm sure there are other stretches that will help you too but these have helped me A LOT.

HTH!

Lisa

 

[clothesminded]

Lisa, thanks for your feedback on the Tamilee Webb dvd. I will put that one on my list to buy. I want to get 3-4 of them to rotate. I've never done any sort of stretching and now that I'm older (36) I can totally agree with you about starting this way sooner.

I will also try out the stretches you mentioned. When I was to a PT after my knee injury last summer, he gave me some stretches to do. I should have kept doing them, but... Anyway, I'll add the ones you gave me with those. That should give me a good stretch, plus adding the dvd's on other days.

 

[nicolegadino]

Hi -
I hate taking time to stretch, I am always in a hurry, but there is one I enjoy! It's Crunch candlelight yoga, I can stream instantly to my TV from Netflix. I am not very bendy and I enjoy it.

 

[upnorthchick]

Yeah, until recently I didn't realize how important stretching is. In the past I would skip the stretching at the end of a workout just so I could fit in more of the actual workout. Doh! I'm kicking myself all over town about that!

Good luck with your stretching and I hope your knee feels better soon!!

Lisa

 

[kathryn]

Since you have P90X Stretch, why not try that ? (It has some interesting work for the forearms that I haven't seen in other workouts).

Some other stretch workouts I like:
Tamilee Webb's DVD

Debbie Siebers' "Cool It Off" (this is a Slim Series workout, around 45 minutes, and contains some work for stabilizing muscles like spinal erectors---back---and some knee work).

Madeleine Lewis' "AM/PM stretch"

 

[clothesminded]

Thanks, ladies. I'm going to do the stretch dvd from P90X tonight, order the Tamillee Webb one, and one or two others. That should do it.