Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 1/28/2009

Question
Ok so I have this awful problem where my knees dont seem to stretch to the fullest. They straighten but dont seem stretched. No one at my studio really knows how to help me and I have gotten used to using my quad to help me keep my knees straight which is not good. I was wondering if you had any tips of learning to stretch your knees without using my quads!!!

Answer
Hi Blaire. No you cannot stretch your knees without using your quads, but you can focus on lengthening and straightening your leg using as little effort as possible with your quads. You can also do the following to stretch your hamstrings: (this is from a previous answer of mine here)

Stretching the hamstring is done easily by putting one leg up on a chair. Plie on the standing leg, bending forward with the back straight, and leaning gently into the stretch for about 20 seconds. Change legs. Repeat three times each side, altogether.

After ballet class, after strengthening and before stretching, try using a rubber ball (pinky ball). Sitting, put the ball at the top of the hamstring, right under your butt where the hamstring inserts into the sit bone. Press into it, working the ball down the muscle to above the knee. Also use the ball to work out tension at the side of the thigh, down to the knee. You just have to tip over sideways to get pressure on the tense part of the thigh. This really helps to work out tension.

You'll feel a difference when you stretch. If you get aching and soreness in the hamstrings ice them as well, every day.

http://blog.thebodyseries.com/?p=161 is a link to Deborah Vogel's blog, scroll down to where she talks about hamstrings. Basically you could use the pinkie ball for relaxing all your leg and hip muscles. Getting rid of extra tension all over will help.

However, some folks' knees never get that straight look. So keep at  it but don't be forceful with your joints. Try this for a couple of weeks and see if your legs feel and maybe look straighter,

All the best, Dianne