Hamstring stretch exercise: Health benefits,types and How to perform

Hamstring stretch exercise is a great way to improve flexibility of leg mainly back side of your thigh and have many health benefits and reduce the risk of injury mainly Back, knee and Hip region.

What is hamstring (hams) stretch?

A hamstring is a group of three muscles that cover the back of your thigh. These muscles are the semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris, which cover hip and knee joints. Sports that include a lot of sprinting or stop-and-start motion, like soccer and tennis, may create tightness in your hamstrings. So can tasks like dancing and running.
Keeping these muscles loose is effective. Tight hamstrings are responsible for strain or tearing. There’s also a difference between injury and tightness. If you feel pain in the hamstring, it’s good to see a doctor before trying to treat your injury at home.
There are so many stretches that you can perform to help keep your hamstrings loose. It’s the best idea to warm up your muscles before stretching. Try to walk or perform some other activity so your muscles are warm.
People should goal to stretch the muscles in their body, including the hamstrings, regularly. Even a few minutes of daily stretching can increase a person’s overall mobility.
If someone feels lasting tightness in their hamstrings, they should consider speaking to their physiotherapist. Persistent tightness in the hamstrings may indicate that the muscles are over lengthened.

What are the advantages of hamstring stretches?

Hamstring stretches can maintain the hamstrings lose and flexible. Flexible hamstrings have many advantages, such as:

• Avoiding lower back pain – Tight hamstrings lower the mobility of the pelvis, which can give pressure to the lower back. Strengthening and stretching the hamstrings can avoid them from becoming too tight and give extra support to the back and pelvis.
• Decreasing injuries – Maintaining the hamstrings lose will reduce the chance of straining or tearing the muscle fibers during strenuous physical activities, such as jogging, running.
• Improving flexibility – Hamstring stretches can improve flexibility and increase the range of motion in the hip. Both of these advantages will help people perform daily activities, such as bending over, with ease and walking upstairs.
• Improving posture – When the hamstrings are tight, the muscles rotate the pelvis backwards. This can destroy the natural arch in the back, which can cause wrong seated and standing posture. Maintaining the hamstrings lose can help people stand taller and sit straighter.
• It increases the mobility of the hip and knee joints. such as, increase ROM of knee flexion and hip extension.
• It maintains your optimal athletic performance.
• Stretching the hams after an athletic performance can help reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in these muscles.

What are the different types of hamstring stretch?

There are so many types of stretching techniques for the hamstring. Those are :

• The Simple Hamstring Stretch
• The Hurdler Hamstring Stretch
• Standing Hamstring Stretch (Both Legs at Once)
• Standing Hamstring Stretch (One Leg at a Time)
• The Towel Hamstring Stretch
• Wall hamstring stretch
• Seated hamstring stretch
• Hamstring stretch on the edge of a bed
• Advanced seated hamstring stretch
• Toe Touching
• One-legged Standing Hamstring Stretch
• Easy Hamstring Stretch for Athletes
• Advanced Hamstring Stretch for Athletes
• Partner Hamstring Stretching
• Foam roll hamstrings
• Standing hamstring stretch 2
• Seated hamstring stretch (with squats)
• Rotating toe touch
• Seated wide-leg hamstring stretch
• Staggered Hamstring Stretch
• Standing hamstring scoop
• Inchworm hamstring stretch
• Toy soldier hamstring stretch
• Yoga poses

The Simple Hamstring Stretch

How to stretch hams: Sit on the mat with both legs out straight.
Extend your both arms and reach forward by flexing at the waist as far as possible while keeping your knees extended.
Hold this simple position for 15 – 30 seconds.
Relax back into the beginning position.
Repeat 3-4 times.
Be sure to stretch until a mild pull is felt in the back of your thighs. If you feel any extra pain, you should stop the exercise.

The Hurdler Hamstring Stretch

The hurdler hamstring stretch is a simple exercise that can be performed right on the ground.
How to stretch hams: Sit on the ground with your right leg out straight.
Bend the left leg at the knee and position the sole of that foot against your right inner thigh.
Extend your both arms and reach forward over the right straight leg by bending at the waist as far as possible.
Hold this bending position for 10-15 seconds.
Relax and repeat with the left leg.

Standing Hamstring Stretch (Both Legs at Once)

How to stretch hams: Stand and cross your left foot in front of your right.
Gently lower your forehead to your left knee by flexing at the waist.
Keep both knees extended.
Hold this bending position for 15 – 30 seconds.
Relax and repeat for the other side by crossing your right foot in front of your left.

Standing Hamstring Stretch (One Leg at a Time)

How to stretch hams: Stand tall with one heel resting on a stool.
Keep your knee extended.
Reach up into the air so your arms are about parallel with your ears.
Reaching your arms upward, as opposed to reaching lower toward your foot, will maintain your back straight.
Keep your back straight. You should be flexing forward slightly from your hips.
Reach forward and experience a stretch in your hamstring behind your thigh.
Hold these hams stretch for 15 – 30 seconds, and repeat 3-4 times.
Switch legs and repeat with the opposite leg.

The Towel Hamstring Stretch

How to stretch hams: Lie on the mat on your back.
Twist a long bath towel around your toes and grab the ends of the towel in both hands.
Slowly pull on the towel to raise your straight leg. Be sure to keep your knee extended. The leg without the towel should remain flat on the mat.
Take your leg upward until a stretch is felt behind your thigh. A person may also feel a stretch in her calf. That is normal.
Hold this towel stretch for 15 – 30 seconds, and then relax.
Repeat 4-5 times on each leg.

Wall hamstring stretch

This stretch is done at the corner of a wall or near a couch.
How to stretch hams: Keeping left leg on the ground, place the right leg against a wall or arm of a couch.
Slowly push the knee so that the lifted leg is as straight as tolerable.
Hold the hams stretch initially for 10 seconds, and gradually hold up to 30 seconds.
Do this stretch with each leg, one at a time, 3 to 5 times for one complete set. Aim to do 2 sets daily.

Seated hamstring stretch

How to stretch hams: Sit on the border of a chair, straighten your right leg in front of the body with the heel on the ground.
Extend the spine by sitting tall and moving the pelvis forward.
Hold this seated stretch for 30 seconds.
Repeat 2- 3 times for each leg. Aim to do this exercise twice daily.

Hamstring stretch on the edge of a bed

How to stretch hams: Sit on the border of a bed.
Place the right leg along the border of the bed while the left leg is placed down with the foot resting on the ground.
Flex forward at the hip, keeping the spine straight.
Try to maintain the leg on the bed as straight as possible without pain.
Hold these hams stretch for 30 seconds.
Repeat 2-3 times for each leg. Aim to do this exercise twice daily.

Advanced seated hamstring stretch

For this stretch, you need two chairs.
How to stretch hams: Take a straight sitting position on a chair with the shoulders moved back and the spine in a neutral position.
Lift right foot onto the seat of the other chair and extend the leg.
A stretch will be felt in the back of your thigh as well as the leg’s calf muscles.
Inhale to straighten the spine. While exhaling, flex the trunk forward over the extended leg. If this position causes any pain in your leg and/or back, stop immediately.
Hold this seated stretch for 5 – 15 seconds.
Repeat with the left leg. Aim to do this exercise twice daily.

Toe Touching

How to stretch hams: Take a standing position with your arms by your sides.
Now raise your both arms and bend your waist level.
Try to touch your toe with your fingers respectively (right fingers to right toe).
Bend as much as you can, try to reach the foot and remember to straighten your knees throughout the stretch.
When you feel a stretch, hold this toe touching stretch for around 10-15 seconds.
Do it 3-4 times.

One-legged Standing Hamstring Stretch

How to stretch hams: Stand straight with your arms hanging on your sides.
Now bend one leg at your knee and grab that knee with both hands.
Next, pull the knee towards your chest as much as you can.
The other leg is slightly bent at your knee.
You can use a wall for support.
Hold this standing position for 5-10 seconds and release.
Do it 8-10 times on each leg.

Easy Hamstring Stretch for Athletes

How to stretch hams: Stand in front of a table that is at your waist or a little lower level.
Now put your right leg heel in front of the table.
Now bend forward at your hip level with our arching your spine.
Be sure that your right knee is extended during the stretch.
Your left knee should be slightly bent.
When you feel stretched during your leaning, stop there for 10-15 seconds and release.
Perform it on the left side.
3-4 times in each leg.

Advanced Hamstring Stretch for Athletes

How to stretch hams: Stand in front of a bench at waist level.
Place your left leg on a bench and keep the spine straight.
Now do one leg squat on your right leg.
This gives you a deep stretch into your left hams.
Be sure to straighten your spine during stretching.
Hold this squat for 5-10 seconds and return to the beginning position.
Do it 8-10 times on each leg.

Partner Hamstring Stretching

How to stretch hams: Take a supine position on a mat.
Both legs are extended in front of you.
Now your partner lifts your leg straight towards your head without bending your knee.
You feel a stretch backside of your thigh, hold that for 15-30 seconds.
Repeat on the other leg.do it 3-4 times on each leg.
To feel a deeper stretch, your partner bends your foot downward/dorsiflexion. You can feel a stretch in your calf muscle also.

Foam roll hamstrings

How to stretch hams: Sit on the ground with your foam roller under your left thigh. Your right leg may stay on the ground for support.
Your arms are behind you, roll your hamstring, the complete back of your thigh, from the end of your buttocks to your knee.
Maintain your core engaged and your back straight.
Continue gently rolling for 30 seconds to 2 minutes total.
Repeat with the opposite leg. Try to roll out your hamstrings thrice in a week.

Standing hamstring stretch 2

How to stretch hams: Stand tall with the spine in a neutral position.
Place the left leg in front of the body with the foot flexed, the heel pushed into the floor, and the toe pointing toward the roof.
Slightly bend the right knee.
Slowly lean forward and place the hands on the straight left leg.
Maintain a neutral spine.
Hold these hams stretch for 10–30 seconds.
Repeat 2-4 times.

Seated hamstring stretch (with squats)

Check your balance with the seated hamstring stretch with squats.
How to stretch hams: Bend your left leg and squat on the floor in such a way that your backside is touching the heel of your left foot.
Extend your right leg straight in front of you.
Bend forward to reach your right toe while keeping your back straight.
Hold this squat position for 10 to 15 seconds.
Repeat the steps with your left leg.

Rotating toe touch

How to stretch hams: Stand straight with your feet wider than hip-width apart with your arms extended out to your sides at shoulder height.
Keeping your legs extended and your arms aligned, twist your upper body and extend your left arm down toward your right ankle.
You can feel this stretch more sharply in the back of your right leg.
Hold this rotating stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Return to the beginning position and repeat on the other side.

Seated wide-leg hamstring stretch

How to stretch hams: Sit down with your legs straight out wide in opposite directions.
Maintaining your spine long, fold forward.
Extend both arms forward till you feel a stretch in the back of your legs.
Make sure both legs remain completely on the ground.
With each exhale, try to drag your hands out a little further to deepen the stretch.
Hold for 20 – 30 seconds. Return to the initial position and repeat.

Staggered Hamstring Stretch

How to stretch hams: Start standing in a staggered stance with your left foot slightly in front of the right.
Bend your right knee slightly, keeping the left leg straight.
Maintaining a flat back, push your hips back to feel a stretch in your left hamstring.
Continue moving the hips back to deepen the stretch.
Hold these hams stretch for 20 – 30 seconds, then switch sides.

Standing hamstring scoop

How to stretch hams: Stand with your feet around hip-width apart facing forwards and inhaling.
Shift your weight into the right foot and extend your left leg slightly in front of you with your heel flexed and toes pointing towards the roof.
As you exhale, bring both arms down towards your left foot, hinging slightly at the hips and bending your right knee.
Scoop the arms lower and return towards you.
Repeat 10-12 times then switch to the right leg.

Inchworm hamstring stretch

How to stretch hams: Stand tall with your feet around hip-distance apart facing forwards and inhaling.
As you exhale, extend your hands down towards your feet and roll down one vertebra at a time, hinging at the hips.
You can slightly bend your knees if your hamstrings are tight.
When your hands reach the floor, inhale and move your hands forwards along the floor.
When your hands reach directly below your shoulders, stop there in a plank position.
Exhale and move your hands back towards your feet till you are in a forward fold position.
During this move back is when you can feel the lower hamstring stretch.
Inhale and gently roll back up until you are back at the initial position.
Repeat 8-10 times.

Toy soldier hamstring stretch

How to stretch hams: Begin standing with the feet is around hip-distance apart and facing forwards.
Moving from the hip, swing the right leg up in front of you with the feet flexed. Keep your left leg straight.
Reach your left hand forwards to meet your right foot, trying to touch your toes.
Back to the initial position and do it on the opposite side.
Do 10 repetitions on each leg, inhaling and exhaling as you turn your legs.

Yoga poses

There are some Yoga poses that give you hams stretch. Those are :

• Downward Dog
• Extended Triangle Pose

Downward Dog

How to stretch hams: Start on the mat on your hands and knees.
Then raise your knees and send your tailbone toward the roof.
Extend your legs slowly. Tight hamstrings may do this pose difficult, so you can bend your knees slightly.
Just assure to keep a straight spine.
Hold this dog pose for 10-15 seconds and release.
Do it 3-4 times on each leg.

Extended Triangle Pose

How to stretch hams: Initiate in a standing position. Then move your legs around 3-4 feet apart.
Reach your arms out parallel to the floor with your palms facing towards the floor.
Turn your left foot in toward the right and your right foot out 90 degrees. Maintain your heels in line with one another.
Slowly bend your torso over your right leg and reach your right hand to the floor or a yoga block for support.
Stretch your left arm toward the ceiling.
Hold for 30 – 60 seconds.
Do it on the opposite side.

What are the common mistakes to Avoid during hams stretch?

There is a certain mistake you shouldn’t done during stretch :

• Bending your knees: If you want perfect hamstring stretch while sitting, try to keep your legs extended. If your hams are tight, so you need to bend your knees, simply do not stretch forwards as much. Remember that increasing hamstring flexibility takes time.
• Hunching over the shoulders: Try to hinge at the hips level, rather than hunching over from the shoulders. Imagine reaching ‘up and over the legs and trying to keep your spine in a normal position. It is good to have a neutral spine and not move as far forwards as to hunch over just to touch your toes.
• Not flexing the toes of your working leg: The toes of your extended leg must be pointing upwards so that your leg stays straight.
• Not having your hips square: Keep your hips facing forwards and side by side with each other. This helps to maintain your pelvis correctly aligned and avoids unequal strain on the hips.
• Arching your lower back: Try to maintain your lower back as flat as possible to the floor and your pelvis neutral. This assures that you don’t strain your lower back and do it a safe hamstring stretch. You can even put a towel or blanket under your lower back for extra support.
• Wrong alignment :Make sure that your hips are parallel directly over your feet, rather than pushing your bum out behind you. This assures that you are feeling the stretch in your hamstrings.
• Over-stretching: There are advanced hamstring stretches available, but be careful not to use the band too much that you cause injury. Don’t overstretch with a strap.
• Moving too quickly: During dynamic hamstring stretch, the motion should still be relatively slow and controlled so that you can feel the stretch in your hamstrings. The fast motion doesn’t give your muscle a benefit.
• Not engaging your core: Though this is a hamstring stretch, it is still important to work your core to protect your lower back from strain.

What are the safety and precautions for hams stretch?

Here are a few tips to make this hams stretch safer and more effective:

• Don’t bounce. Bouncing triggers a mechanism called the stretch reflex. This can cause more muscle contraction, not less.
• Lift the sitting bones toward the roof. This lengthens the hamstring muscles.
• Assure your hips are directly over your feet. Your buttocks aren’t behind your feet. This error makes the stretch less effective.
• If the core muscles are weak, need to use a table or other surface to help you come back up to standing during the squat stretch.
• A rule of thumb for safety is only going as far as you can without feeling back pain or any insecurity.
• Don’t stretch while you’re in pain or try to force a stretch. Breathe normally while performing stretching exercises. Try to do hamstring stretches into your routine for at least 2-to 3 days every week.

Author: Nitesh Patel - Physiotherapist

Physiotherapist in Samarpan Physiotherapy Clinic Ahmedabad Bapunagar Amaraiwadi Vastral Mobile Physiotherapy Clinic Dr. Nitesh Patel ( Physiotherapist ) : Mo No : 09898607803