I Have a Yellow Wrist Band…Now What?

Many of us who train at Get Fit have been assigned specific wrist band colors to wear during training, based on their results on the Functional Movement Screen! What I want you to know is that these are not a punishment and you should not feel poorly wearing your bands.

What we do ask is that if you have been assigned bands, that you wear them! This assessment helps both the coaches and you! This screen allows us to become educated on how you move, what is safe for you, which areas you can improve, and what movements you’re not ready for quite yet. Our overall purpose here is that we are preventing injury! Because no one came to us to get hurt, right?

Well today, I am going to talk about our yellow wrist band friends.

What is this band for?

This is a common question from our new members but I feel that we often forget the importance of this band, or don’t have all of the knowledge that we could have about it!

The yellow wrist band corresponds with the Active Straight Leg Raise, that was performed while laying on your back. This test asses:

• If you are able to disassociate the lower extremity and maintain a stable torso while doing so
• Flexibility in your hamstrings and gastroc-soleus
• Ability to maintain stability through pelvis while actively extending the opposite leg
• Hip mobility of the opposite leg, combined with lower abdominal stability

A lack of mobility of the hip flexor in the opposite hip, poor functional hamstring flexibility of leg being raised, and core stability can all be factors that lead to an issue- and there is when we add the yellow band.

What does this mean when it comes to exercise?

We want to be cautious of powerful hip dominant exercises, as the current flexibility/mobility status of the hamstrings and hip flexors, and lack of core stability, could lead to injury!

Examples of exercises not performed with a yellow band:

• Loaded deadlifts without the toes elevated
• Kettlebell swings
• Kettlebell clean
• i.e. explosive movements and exercises that are demanding too much on some of our problem areas

Here is where doing a little bit of extra credit work outside of your training time may be necessary. Listed below are stretches/corrective exercises that can be performed to help to improve hamstring/gastroc-soleus flexibility, hip flexor mobility, and help you to work on your core stability.

Bent Knee Leg Lowering

Purpose: To improve core stability and flexibility of the hamstrings

How to perform it:

• Lay on your back with your right leg straight and your left leg bent with your left foot flat on the floor
• Pull the toes of your right foot toward your shin
• Keeping the right leg straight, take 3 seconds to lift the leg as high as you can while keeping it straight without your knee bending
• Take 3 seconds to lower your leg

Repeat: 10x on each leg

Don't do it: if there is pain or popping in the hip or spine

Band Leg Lowering

Purpose: To improve core stability with hip separation, also improving flexibility of the hamstrings/gastroc-soleus of leg in band

How to perform:

• Grab a resistance band or towel and place it around the instep of your left foot
• Lay in a supine position and raise both legs as high as you can while keeping them straight
• Keeping both feet flexed, slowly lower your right leg towards the floor
• Slowly raise the right leg back up to the starting position

Repeat: 10x on each side

Don't do it: if there is pain or popping in the hip or spine

When should these be done? Daily, either at home or before/after class!

I hope this was helpful and next week I will be sharing some information on the white wristband!

Get stretching,
Coach Cari