Relieve tight hamstrings with these 5 stretches
Tight hamstrings are an incredibly common complaint among runners, whether they spend their time at a local parkrun, are getting ready for their next 10k race or training for a marathon. Actually doing something about it, however, is another matter. In the same way that eating is generally considered more appealing than cooking, going running is plainly more fun than stretchingbeforehand. In a bid to make this essential maintenance feel easier, we’re here to tell you that hamstring stretches don’t have to take long.
Regular stretching offers a number of important benefits: it reduces tension, improves flexibility, prevents some of the most common running injuries, and increases your overall range of motion. By stretching your hamstrings often, you'll not only feel more comfortable during your runs, but also improve your performance on race day. So, take a few minutes after each run to give your hamstrings the attention they deserve – your body will thank you.
Why should runners stretch their hamstrings?
We’re not going to get too deeply into the science of what’s going on when you stretch your body. Suffice it to say that stretching is about letting your muscles and your nervous system hear from each other. If your muscles are under stress, for example from, ooh, let’s say running, your nervous system alerts your brain through pain and discomfort. When you stretch, you’re telling your nervous system how to tolerate increased extension in the muscles.
Why is length in the hamstrings good for runners?
When runners work to develop both the length and strength of their hamstrings, it helps to keep them injury free. 'Tightness in the hamstrings can lead to lower back or hip pain,' says injury rehabilitation specialist and owner of Body First UK Physio and Wellbeing Clinic, Liz Tough.
'Tightness could also cause a lack of range of movement (ROM) in the hips or knees. In the clinic we see a high number of leg length discrepancies, which can then lead to posture imbalance, running stride imbalance and impact running performance. This, in turn, leads to complaints of knee pain.'
Should you still run if you have tight hamstrings?
A little tightness is okay, but 'very tight and short hamstrings can become weak as the muscle fibres do not have their full ROM,' says Tough. 'Tight hamstrings are often the cause of minor tears in the muscle fibres and can affect your running gait and posture.'
Why are tight hamstrings common in runners?
Sometimes it can feel like, even if you’re doing the stretching work, nothing’s changing. ‘So many of the runners I treat in clinic tell me they are constantly stretching, but it's not making any difference, and that they're still suffering from chronically tight hamstrings,’ says Tough. ‘My advice is that you may need to switch up your strength and stretch training to help find out the root cause of these tight hamstrings.’
One possible issue, she says, could be either anterior or posterior pelvic tilt, which means either than your bum sticks out, or is pulled the other way and tucks under. ‘If the pelvis is being tilted forward, therefore giving the patient an exaggerated lumbar arch [your bum sticks out] this can cause the hamstrings to become unstable and overworked. In this position, the hamstrings are in constant tightness stretch – so instead of stretching them even more, you need to look at stretching the hip flexors, situated at the front of the pelvis.
‘But if you have a tucked-under pelvis, this can cause problems with your knees and cause shortening in your calves and Achilles. So it may not be enough to just stretch your hamstrings – you need to stretch your calves too.’
So, to sum up:
Strengthening is as important as stretching
Every part of the muscle chain needs stretching. This includes the tendons
5 best hamstring stretches for runners
Each of the hamstring stretches that we detail below are static stretches, which means that once you’ve extended a muscle and are feeling a small amount of discomfort, you need to hold that position briefly. If done right, static stretches are great for making you more flexible. We said ‘discomfort’, remember, not ‘pain’. Stretching shouldn’t be painful, so don’t push it to that point – stop at the place where you start to feel some tightness.
1/ Pigeon pose
Why do it: The pigeon pose is a fantastic stretch for runners, targeting not just the hamstrings but also the hips and glutes, promoting overall flexibility and tension relief. This pose opens the hips up really well, while also providing a gentle stretch to the hamstring of the extended leg.
How to do it: Start on all fours, then bring your right knee forward and place it behind your right wrist, with your ankle near your left hip. Extend your left leg straight back, keeping your hips squared to the mat. Lower your torso toward the floor, either resting on your forearms or extending your arms in front of you. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds, breathing deeply, then switch sides.
2/ Standing hamstring stretch
Why do it: By lengthening the hamstrings and engaging the lower back, this stretch helps alleviate tension accumulated from running.
How to do it: Take a step forward with one leg and keep that front leg relatively straight. Then bend the trailing leg until the knees meet in the middle. Slightly bend the front, straight leg and lean forwards at the waist – you should feel the stretch along the back of the upper leg. Hold the stretch for 40-60 seconds on each side.
3/ Seated hamstring stretch
Why do it: By effectively targeting the hamstrings, this stretch helps alleviate tightness and boosts flexibility, allowing for a longer and more efficient running stride.
How to do it: Sit on the floor with one leg out straight. Bend the other leg at the knee and position the sole of that foot against your opposite inner thigh. Extend your arms and reach forward to fold over the straight leg (remembering to keep a small bend in the leg). Hold the stretch for 40-60 seconds on each side.
4/ Kneeling hamstring stretch
Why do it: This stretch allows for a deep engagement of the hamstrings and hip flexors, lengthening and relieving tightness. The kneeling position helps to stabilise the pelvis, too, encouraging proper alignment in the lower back and reducing the risk of compensatory movements that could lead to injury.
How to do it: Kneel with one leg stretched out in front of you – keeping the heel on the floor. Keep the knee bent (rather than a completely straight leg), then, keeping your hips where they are, lean forwards towards the leg stretched out front. Hold the stretch for 40-60 seconds on each side.
5/ Lying hamstring stretch
Why do it: For this one, you need a resistance band (or towel, if you don't have one of those). Any stretch that involves lying down gets our vote, and this stretch has the double benefit of allowing you to target the hamstrings while minimising tension on the lower back, thanks to the controlled assistance the band provides. By elevating your leg and pulling gently with the band, you can achieve a greater range of motion.
How to do it: Lie with your legs straight out in front, then lift one leg up to about 90 degrees using a resistance band placed under the arch of your foot. Pull on the towel or resistance band and your leg will start to straighten. The higher your foot travels towards the ceiling, the greater the stretch. Once your foot is in the air, hold the stretch for 40-60 seconds, then switch.
A little advice... always keep a slight bend in the knee when stretching your hammies – you want to actually stretch the hamstrings and not the sciatic nerve at the back of the knee. Of course, in Pilates and yoga, you may well find the teacher asks you to straighten your legs (and touch your toes) but, for runners, we want to make sure we're stretching the muscle, which is high up on the back of the upper leg.
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