IdealStretch Original – Hamstring Stretcher, Lower Back Stretcher, Hip Stretcher, & Calf Stretcher - Knee Extension & Pain Relief

You need some steady arm strength to use this device, but even if you don't have that strength starting out, as I didn't, you will have it after a week of two of use.You can see from the picture what the concept is. One strap just below your knee and one just behind your ankle, and a place to grip and pull back.It works exactly as it appears it will work, and it's excellent.I had some hesitation at first because of the angle and the strength of the pulling and holding that's required to do it properly - I don't mean yanking, but do this at all seriously, you have to hold it in position for at least a minute or longer, and you have to stretch in steps, so you hold it for a while, extending and breathing into it and relaxing your hamstrings as they're stretched, then work a little deeper, hopefully intelligently and thoughtfully so nothing is forced in the wrong way, and that's actually a strength thing to be able to do it steadily for a long enough period of time.The first week I found it a bit more than I enjoyed, arm-wise, but as things do go with exercise, even stretching, the body is made to evolve and develop strength as you use it, and now, during the second or third week, my arms are enjoying it just fine, and they can pull and hold in that position comfortably, which actually surprised me, in a positive way.Most people who exercise much at all won't find it a problem at all. And now I guess I'm one of them.I'd suggest this as a purchase if you're trying to stretch your hamstrings intelligently. I've tried it every other way - for decades. Yoga quite extensively, and I just hit a plateau. The problem with stretching the hamstring if yours are as tight as mine is that the pressure goes into the lower back before it reaches deep into the belly of the hamstring muscle, and even if you try it on your back using a strap, that's still a problem. Sitting and reaching forward or standing and reaching down are even worse. Some people probably never had that problem because they have hamstrings that were either stretched and elongated when they were young or they just aren't fundamentally tight. But for those of us who begin with tight hamstrings as adults, it's very difficult to stretch this muscle without some kind of an apparatus of a massage person helping.This device, though I've only had it a few weeks, is clearly a solution. I tried a different device as well, but I can't continue using it because it is bruising the entire area around and underneath my lowest rib to a degree that was scaring me before I figured out what was happening. And it is pushing more and more on the front inside of my hip in a way that is also more and more painful. But the bruising on and under my rib - I don't know exactly what's there, but it feels like actual organs are being compressed when I use it and the growing soreness that is getting worse and is likely to continue worsening isn't something I'm willing to go through. That soreness is there all day long and even at night when I move in bed. It's pretty awful. That device is done for me.This device is the one for me.This is the one that is left, and I look forward to continuing to use it.

I absolutely love this item because I had a total knee replacement in January. I really believe this will help improve my range of motion. Although, I do wish the bars were a little longer so that I could slide the brace above my knee as well as below my knee!

I was skeptical as I hit “place order” but am finding that if you use it several times a day, it really stretches problem (tight) areas and provides pain relief.

Game changer! Best hamstring stretching device!(Minus 1 star for it being quite overpriced for the cheap materials and basic design)

Definitely help to stretch my tight hamstrings.

fast delivery, great product!

Excellent

Very helpful tool to stretch the hamstrings. Recommended to me by my physical therapist for knee replacement surgery.