5 Exercises To Stretch The Hamstrings
Exercises to stretch the hamstrings are essential to prevent injuries when we exercise, even to avoid atrophy of these muscles if we are sedentary.
These five exercises to stretch the hamstrings that we will recommend will help the recovery process of these muscles. They may be exhausted after a strong training session or a long night of dancing.
But what are the hamstrings specifically? They are that group of muscle tissue found on the back of the thighs, the ones that go from the ischium bone of the pelvis to the tibia and fibula.
Their specific names are:
- Femoral biceps.
- Semitendinosus muscle.
- Semimembranous.
Why is it important to stretch the hamstrings?
As you can see, these muscles are involved in the lower movements, especially those related to the hips and knees. They are required with such everyday activities as walking, running and dancing.
In fact, one of the most frequent injuries among soccer players involves these muscles, due to the demand of the movements of the legs, both on the field and in training.
It is important to clarify that exercises to stretch the hamstrings should be performed by those who play sports or perform training routines that constantly involve these tissues. Also those people who lead a sedentary life.
Why? The former require stretching before and after the routine, thus avoiding injuries. The second because they activate the zones, avoiding atrophies that limit the knee joint. There may even be involvement of the sciatic nerve.
On the other hand, stretching the hamstrings helps:
- Improve pelvic position and pelvic mobility.
- Prevent disc and lumbar problems.
- Have greater control of the lower extremities.
- Prevent gonarthrosis, a disease that affects the knees.
5 stretches for the hamstrings
We are now going to give you the precise instructions for you to correctly execute these five exercises to stretch the hamstrings on a daily basis.
1. Ball stretch
- To perform this exercise, sit on a mat and lean against the wall with your back completely straight.
- Place the ball under your right knee and bring your toes up, as if you were pointing towards yourself.
- Contract your quads to press the ball, without lifting your heels and keeping your toes straight. You should not let your feet drift to the sides.
- You can keep your back straight or, for a better stretch, arch your spine inward, keeping your shoulder blades and buttocks against the wall.
- Keep pressure on the ball for 30 seconds.
- Repeat the same steps with your left leg for five minutes of stretching.
2. Stretching with lumbar support
- Roll up a small towel to position it on your mid back.
- Lie down with your feet up and against the wall. The buttocks should always remain flat on the floor or the mat. They cannot rise.
- Place an elastic band or something like a towel on the front of the soles of your feet and apply pressure to all hamstrings for 30 seconds.
- Avoid bending your knees too much, breathe, and repeat for a minimum of five minutes of this stretch.
3. Straight leg raise
- Lie face down on a mat and rest your forehead between your flexed arms.
- Make sure you are completely straight, support your pelvis on the mat, and tighten your glutes, as well as the hamstrings of your right leg.
- Completely straight, raise your leg up to a 40-degree angle or as high as possible.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds and slowly return your leg to the floor.
- Breathe and perform the same movement with your left leg.
- Complete a minimum of five minutes of this stretch.
4. Trunk flexion with arm support
- Stand facing a table, bend your trunk towards it and support your arms outstretched, leaving your hands on it.
- Bend your knees and bring your back inward, pushing your pelvis out as far as possible. Keep your feet straight and flat on the floor.
- Maintain the movement and pressure on the glutes and legs to hit all the hamstrings for 30 seconds.
- Straighten your knees, breathe, and repeat. Do this stretch for five minutes.
5. Trunk flexion
- This simple stretch consists of flexing the trunk so that the hands touch the floor without bending the knees.
- To start, stand up straight, take a deep breath and flex your trunk as you exhale. You can support your buttocks on the wall for greater stability.
- You can bend your knees or place a bench to support your hands.
- Do the movement without straining your spine or hamstrings too much. The idea is to stretch them, not injure them.
- Do this stretch daily and increase the intensity until you can touch the floor with your hands and legs fully stretched out.
Incorporate hamstring stretching exercises into your routine
As you may have seen, these five exercises to stretch the hamstrings are very easy to perform. Remember that if you practice sports related to soccer, run or dance, it is ideal that you complement your daily routine with them.
If, on the other hand, you do not do any physical activity, but your job requires you to spend a lot of time sitting in front of the computer, doing this stretching routine at least three times a week will be beneficial. A sedentary lifestyle is a cardiovascular risk factor that we must control to protect ourselves from future serious events, such as a myocardial infarction.
