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The hamstrings are the large muscles located at the back of your legs, behind the thighs. They are recruited in almost all of our daily activities from walking to bending down to standing up from the couch. Not only that, but they affect both the knee and the hip, so keeping them healthy contributes to the health and stability of both of those joints as well. Tightness in the hamstrings can also contribute to low-back pain.
Hamstring exercises work to improve the strength and flexibility of the muscles, improving athletic performance and preventing injuries. Understanding the importance of your hamstrings, common issues related to them, and how to address these issues can significantly enhance your fitness journey and quality of movement in daily life.
What are the hamstring muscles?
The hamstring muscles run down the back of each leg, opposite the thigh, from the hip to the knee.
The hamstring muscles include the biceps femoris, semimembranosus and semitendinosus. These muscles start at the hip and insert into the knee and lower leg, working together to help you flex (bend) your knees and extend your hips.
What causes weak hamstrings?
Weak hamstrings can result from several factors, including a sedentary lifestyle, lack of targeted exercise and muscle imbalances. When you spend a lot of time sitting, your hamstrings can become inactive and weaken over time. Also, focusing too much on exercises that target the quadriceps (the muscles at the front of the thigh) without balancing them with hamstring exercises can lead to muscle imbalances, further contributing to hamstring weakness.
What happens if you have tight hamstrings?
Tight hamstring muscles can cause pain in other areas of the body like the knees, hips and low back. When your hamstrings are tight, they limit the range of motion in your hips and knees, which can affect your posture and movement patterns. This restriction can cause you to compensate in other parts of your body, leading to discomfort and potential injuries, especially in the lower back and knees.
What causes hamstring muscle pain?
Hamstring pain can be caused by several factors, including muscle strains, overuse injuries and improper stretching or warm-up routines. Muscle strains often occur during activities that involve sudden acceleration or deceleration, such as sprinting or jumping. Overuse injuries can develop from repetitive movements or prolonged periods of activity without adequate rest. Neglecting proper stretching or warm-up exercises before engaging in physical activities can also increase the risk of hamstring pain and injury.
Best hamstring exercises
Whether you’re looking to improve your athletic performance, tone your lower body or just want to feel stronger or safer in everyday movement, these exercises will get the job done — no equipment needed! You can incorporate strength exercises every other day, with a rest day in between to give the muscles time to repair. The stretches can be done daily.
But first, a tip when working your hamstrings: start slow. Hamstring injuries are common so be sure to warm up properly, focus on quality over quantity, and stretch afterward to avoid injury.
Standing hamstring curl
Using a chair or wall for support, start in a standing position. Pick one foot up and raise it off the floor toward your glute by bending the knee to a 90-degree angle. Hold for two seconds before returning to the starting position. Repeat 10 times and then switch legs.
Triangle pose
Stand with your feet hip-width apart with your arms at your sides. Take a step forward so that your feet are a few feet apart, with your front right heel in line with the arch of your back left foot. Point your right foot forward and keep your left foot perpendicular to it. Raise your arms over head and then twist away from your right front leg, lowering your right arm out in front of you, and your left arm straight back behind you at shoulder height. Then, lower the right arm down to touch the right shin. Lift the left arm up toward the sky and engage the right side waist. Hold this position for 10 seconds, remembering to breathe slowly and consistently, before switching sides.
Half split
Begin in a low-lunge position with your right foot forward and your left knee on the ground. Shift your hips back so that your left hip is over your left knee. Straighten your right leg, keeping your heel on the ground and toes pointing up. Make sure that your hips are facing forward. Slowly lean forward toward your right toes making sure that you avoid rounding your back. Hold this position for a few seconds, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings before returning to the starting position. Perform 10 reps on each side.
Forward bend
Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Reach your arms overhead to lengthen your spine. Hinge forward at your hips, keeping your back straight as you fold forward with a slight bend in your knees. Allow your hands to either rest on the floor or on your shins. Keep your eye line focused between your legs to keep your spine aligned. Hold this pose for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. Repeat for 10 reps.
Downward dog
Start in a plank position with your shoulders over your wrists. Pull your naval in toward your spine and reach your butt up toward the ceiling. Form a “V” with your body with your heels reaching down toward the ground. Press down through your toes and your fingers to stretch the legs and the underarms. Bend one knee and then the other knee. Hold the stretch for 3 breaths.
Legs up the wall
Sit down next to a walk. Slowly lie down and scoot your bottom toward the wall. Extend your legs straight up along the wall. Try to straighten your knees, but if your hamstrings are tight you can keep your knees slightly bent. Flex your feet and squeeze your quads. Feel a stretch behind the legs in the hamstrings.
Good mornings
Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your hands placed behind your head. Focus on keeping your shoulders back and your core muscles engaged. Take a deep breath in and on the exhale, hinge at the hips, bending your chest toward the floor until your body forms an upside-down “L” shape. You should feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings. If you feel any pain or uncomfortable pulling, you’ve lowered too far! Slowly move back into a standing position on your exhale. Squeeze the glutes and hamstrings to return to standing tall. Repeat.
Crab walk
Start sitting on the ground with your knees bent. Place your hands two inches behind you with your palms flat on the ground and your fingers pointing away from your body. Step your right foot forward as you simultaneously move your left hand forward. Then step your left foot forward as you move your right hand forward. Continue walking forward for a total of 10 reps (or as far as your space allows). You can also try walking backwards as well!
Reverse lunge
Stand with your feet hips-width apart. Step the right foot back into a lunge position. Engage your abs and lower your right leg down until your knee almost touches the floor. Both knees should be at a 90-degree angle. Step forward to the starting position and then repeat 10 times before switching sides.
Single leg deadlift
Stand with your feet as wide as your hips. Put your weight into your left leg and come up on to your right toe, using it as a kickstand for balance. Begin to hinge at your waist, keeping your left knee soft. Place your hands on your hips for balance. Continue to hinge forward as you slowly lift your right leg up and back until your body forms a straight line from head to toe. Ensure that your hips stay square to the ground. Pause, and then return to the starting position and repeat.
Standing reverse leg lifts
Stand tall and shift your body weight to your right leg. Lift your left leg straight back while you contract the glute, raising it to about a 45-degree angle from the standing leg. Slowly lower the leg back down and perform 10 times on this side. To switch sides, shift your body weight to your left leg, and raise your right leg back and up.
Side lunge
Stand tall with a straight back and your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your weight in your heels and your left leg straight, take a big step to the side with your right leg until the knee is bent around 90 degrees. Slowly and with control, push down through the right heel to press back up to the starting position and alternate sides. When stepping to the side and bending your knee, focus on lowering your hips (like you’re doing a squat) at the same time, and avoid leaning forward.
Curtsy lunge
Standing with your feet as wide as your shoulders, step your right foot back behind and to the left of your left foot. Bend both knees as you lower down into a lunge in this curtsy position. Then press down through your left heel to bring your right leg back to center. Perform 10 reps and then switch sides.
Glute bridge
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor a few inches from your butt. Keeping your heels on the ground, lift your hips up and squeeze your glutes and hamstrings. You should form a straight line from your upper back to your knees. Pull your belly button in toward your spine, and slowly lower down one vertebra at a time. Repeat.
Single leg glute bridge
Starting in the same position as your standard glute bridge, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor in front of you. With this variation, start by keeping your left heel on the ground, and raise your right leg straight up in the air. Squeeze the glute and hamstring muscles, keeping your core activated as you lift your hips. Keeping your right leg raised, slowly lower your hips back to the floor. Repeat for 10 res. Then switch to the other side, keeping your right heel on the ground and raising your left leg.
Glute bridge walkout
A final variation of the glute bridge, this move will start just like the original. Once your hips are up in the raised position, pause and hold for a breath. Alternating feet, slowly “walk” your legs away from your butt until the legs are almost straight. Be careful to keep your low back supported by keeping your abs engaged. Then, slowly “walk” your feet back toward you until you are back into the bridge position. Repeat.
Donkey kicks
Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders, fingers spread wide, and knees directly below your hips. Press evenly into both hands and maintain this balance throughout. Keep your back straight and abs tight. Maintaining the 90-degree bend in your right leg, kick your heel straight up toward the ceiling. Only go as far as you can without arching the back or letting your hips start to angle outward. Lower the leg back down with control and then alternate legs. To further activate the hamstring, you can squeeze a water bottle or dumbbell behind your knees.
Donkey kick into fire hydrant
Perform the donkey kick, reaching the right leg up toward the ceiling. Then once you come back to center, immediately open the right knee up toward the side of the room, keeping the knee bent at 90 degrees, into the fire hydrant. Continue alternating, repeating 10 times before switching sides.
Reverse leg lift
Reach your right leg behind you and straighten it. Point the toes. Then lift the leg up as high as your hip, squeezing your right glute, and lower it down. Repeat 10 times and then switch sides.
Backward leg lift into side leg lift
Perform the reverse leg lift. After you tap the toes down on the ground, lift the leg up and around to the right so that the leg goes out to the side of the right hip. Perform a side leg lift and then lift the leg up and back to the backward leg lift position and tap the toes onto the ground. Repeat 10 times and then switch sides.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
