7 Stretches to Loosen Your Hamstrings

Hamstrings is an important group of muscles in your lower body. Ask an athlete or a sports person about keeping these muscles in shape and they detail the significance of the hamstrings to you. These are quite essential and if these tighten up, they can lead to serious injuries. To help you overcome the problem of tightened hamstrings we bring to you a list of stretches to loosen your hamstrings.

7 Stretches to Loosen Your Hamstrings

Hamstrings is a group of muscles located at the back of the thigh and its importance is realized only when it is tightened beyond control. However, with appropriate exercises and stretching, you can keep your hamstrings strong, supple and prevent injuries by loosening them.

Here are some of the most important stretches to loosen your hamstrings.

Forward Bend Stretch to Loosen Tight Hamstring

One of the simplest and the most recommended stretches to loosen your hamstrings is the forward bend. To do a forward bend, stand up straight and then lean over forward without bending your knees. Try and get the maximum stretch by putting the palms on the floor. If you can’t touch the floor, try to hug your legs for a deeper stretch. Hold for 30 seconds and then relax and repeat.

Standing Straight Kicks

Standing straight kicks is one of the dynamic stretches to loosen your hamstrings. It works wonders for your hamstring muscles and is so effective that it can also be done as a warm up exercise. To do the standing kicks, stand up straight and then kick one leg straight in front of you while keeping the other leg as straight as possible. When you kick, try to flex your foot towards you and try for a higher kick each time. Do 10- 20 on each leg for best results. If the kicking is hard for you when you do it for the first time, try and get a hold of something like a bar, a chair or even a wall.

Standing Pike Stretch

A version of the standing forward bend, this stretch is one of the effective stretches to loosen your hamstrings. Although it may hurt a little, it is sure to have the desired effect. To do this stretch, stand in front of a wall with the feet joint together, then lean over crossing the arms over the head and push the upper back against the wall. Slowly slide down the wall but keep the legs straight. Hold the pose for 30 seconds and release.

Forward Split

Not everyone’s favorite and quite difficult, this can be one of the stretches to loosen your hamstrings. While it is more popular in gymnasts and fitness enthusiasts, this stretch is sure to have the hamstrings loosening up in no time. The simple practice of this stretch is also known to increase the hamstring flexibility. To do this stretch, start by kneeling on one leg, keeping the back straight. Now, square the hips and slowly ease onto the back leg to feel the stretch in the hips. Further, bend the back leg and straighten the fore leg and lean towards the forward leg to feel the deep stretch in the hamstring muscles.

Static Seated Stretch

Sit on the floor with one leg stretched in front of you and the other bent halfway. Rotate the leg and lean forward at the hips to feel a stretch under the thigh. Hold for 30 seconds and then release, repeat with the other leg. This too is one of the simplest yet effective stretches to loosen your hamstrings.

Standing Hamstring Stretch

Stand with one leg stretched in front of you and balanced on a stool or something of the hip height. Now lean forward from the hip towards the stretched out leg and hold your toes with your hands. Feel the stretch in the hamstrings, if there is no strain bend further down and try to touch the forehead to the knee. This is one of the important stretches to loosen your hamstrings, especially for those involved in strenuous exercises or sports.

Hamstring Stretch On The Back

Stretching the hamstrings by lying on floor with the back against the floor is the way for this stretch. To do this stretch lie on the back and lift a leg upwards and hold the thigh near the knee, with both hands to gently increase the stretch. This stretch to loosen your hamstrings is more effective for the muscles nearer the knee whereas the seated hamstring stretch is effective for the muscles near the buttocks.

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:March 10, 2018

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