Hamstring Stretching

It is getting to be running season again…and that is as good a time as any to get some hamstring stretching in. Your hamstring is the group of muscles in the back of your thigh that flex your knee, i.e., moving your heel toward your buttock. Tightness in this muscle is a common contributor to low back pain, especially in those who sit all day. This can be for a variety of reasons: quadricep dominance, weakness in the hamstring, weakness or inactivity in the glutes or many other issues.

Here’s an exercise to help stretch your tight hamstrings. Remember that static stretching should NOT be performed within 2 hours of a run. Stretch after your workout but not before. Static stretching beforehand leads to weaker muscle contraction, poorer performance and increased risk of injury.

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A clinical tip:  if your hamstring is persistently tight and stretching on your own hasn’t helped, it may only feel tight. But it could be neural tension or limited mobility in a joint elsewhere in the body. You can also see this video here  on youtube.