Hamstring tightness can have different causes. You may be exercising frequently without stretching, or sitting most of the time without stretching. Alternatively, there can be a muscle imbalance, an incorrect positioning of the feet or a knee issue that keeps the hamstrings chronically contracted. Not surprisingly, hamstrings can also be tight as a result of back pain. In the last four examples, the hamstrings are tight to protect your body. While stretching your hamstrings, it’s important to find and correct the cause of your tight hamstrings as well. In this blog, I describe three ways of stretching these muscles in a safe way for your back, and bending forward to reach your toes isn’t one of them…

Causes of tight hamstrings

Hamstrings consist of 3 bundles of muscle that run from the sitting bones down the back of your thigh, along either side of the knee to top of the shinbones. The main functions of the hamstrings are to flex (bend) the knee and extend (straighten) the hip. They also help to stabilize the knee. If you have a sedentary lifestyle your hamstrings may be weak and tight. They can also get tight as a result of activities such as hiking, running or playing a variety of sports. If the root cause of your tight hamstrings is a muscle imbalance, misalignment or foot position, it’s a good idea to ask professional help. A yoga therapist can help you balance tight and weak muscles and work on foot positioning and posture. Don’t hesitate to contact me here to discuss if yoga therapy could help you: https://beneyoga.co.uk/book-a-free-consultation-call/.

How to stretch tight hamstrings

To continue enjoying exercise and to avoid lower back tightness and pain, it’s important to maintain hamstring flexibility by stretching them every day. Also many yoga poses are easier when the hamstrings are less tight. Child’s pose for example, (discussed here) gets more relaxing when the hamstrings are more willing.

The 3 ways in which to stretch the hamstrings described below are safe for the back because the back is supported on the floor. Try to keep your back completely relaxed as you stretch your legs. You can do this by imagining the back to stay heavy, broad and soft.

Make sure you don’t feel any pain while doing these stretches: even though intense, a good stretch will not give you sensations of burning, stabbing or throbbing. I would even assert that a beneficial stretch won’t feel like a strong stretch. If you want to find out more about the right way to stretch muscles, read here how long to hold a stretch and how to work with the breath. With the following hamstring stretches, start holding them as long as comfortable and over time work up to 90 to 120 seconds.

Leg Raise with a Belt

This is a lovely way to stretch the hamstrings. The belt ensures that your leg doesn’t have to work hard to stay up. Use a long belt (a bathrobe belt works well) so that the upper arms can stay relaxed on the floor. The back is supported and should not tighten while you stretch the back of the leg. If the hamstrings are tight, the straight leg will not point up at the ceiling, which is fine.

Start by doing this stretch in a dynamic way: exhale and straighten the leg, (leaving the hips heavy); inhale and bend the leg slightly to release the stretch. Once this feels good you can start holding the stretch. While holding the stretch, imagine lots of space behind your knee to keep the experience positive! And breathe….

Legs up the Wall pose

This supported inversion is soothing after a stressful day. It’s also perfect when your legs feel heavy due to hot weather or long standing and walking. It can be beneficial for lower back pain when this is due to lower back tightness. To come into the pose you have to first get quite close to the wall sideways before bringing both legs up. You may have to adjust the distance from the wall depending on the length of your hamstrings.

One arm and opposite leg stretch

This is a dynamic hamstring stretch that also gently extends the spine and stretches the upper back and chest.

Lie on the back with your arms next to the body and knees bent up towards the chest.

Inhale and straighten one leg up to the ceiling and bring the opposite arm next to the ear. Swap sides for 4-8x and then try both legs and arms at the same time.

Enjoy!

Namaste