10 Hamstring Stretches Your Tight, Achy Legs Will Love
Dealing with achy stiffness in the back of your thighs can be a real pain in the butt. Fortunately, the best hamstring stretches can be a balm for tight and cranky legs, providing sweet, sweet relief.
And that’s something lots of folks can celebrate. That’s because tight hamstrings are “very common,” Natalie Frizzell, PT, DPT, an exercise and sports physical therapist with FX Physical Therapy, tells SELF. There are a bunch of reasons why—and also a bunch of different stretches you can do to help. Below, important intel on the causes and repercussions of tight hammies, how to loosen them up, and 10 physical therapist-approved hamstring stretches that will do just that.
What is the root cause of tight hamstrings?
There are plenty of reasons why tight hamstrings happen. A really common one is all the time we spend sitting on our butts, physical therapist and run coach Kimberly Melvan, DPT, CSCS, tells SELF. “When you're in that sitting position, it shortens the muscles,” she explains. So if you're doing that for long periods of time, stiffness can start to creep in. Being inactive in general can also contribute. “Just not using them can cause them to tighten up”, Dr. Melvan adds.
Weak glutes are another culprit, since that causes the hamstrings to take on more work to extend the hips, Dr. Melvan explains. When the hammies get overworked, they can tighten up.
Other contributing factors include having weak hamstrings, a history of hamstring strains, flexibility issues in other muscles, or motor control issues in the hips or knee joints, Dhara Shah, PT, DPT, physical therapist in outpatient rehab at Emory University Hospital and spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association, tells SELF.
Genetics may be at play too; some of us just have tight hamstrings thanks to our DNA, Dr. Frizzell says.
Finally, it might not have to do with the muscles themselves, either. Sometimes when you have tight hamstrings, the muscle itself isn’t shortened, but rather there’s tightness in the myofascia, which is connective tissue that surrounds and interweaves multiple muscles, Dr. Shah explains. When a muscle is injured or put under extra stress, myofascial trigger points—basically, irritable spots in the muscle—can form and cause pain. Your hammies can also feel tight when there’s restricted blood flow to them. “If muscles do not get enough oxygen from appropriate blood flow, it can cause pain or discomfort,” Dr. Shah explains.
Tight hamstrings don’t feel great, but can they put you at risk of injury?
Here’s the thing: “Tight hamstrings don’t always equate to injury or pain,” Dr. Melvan says. Some people may have tight hamstrings and be just fine. But other times, they can cause problems in surrounding muscles and joints. “If you don't have enough motion in one area, you'll see issues in another area,” Dr. Melvan explains. “The back, hips, knees—all of those can have issues if the hamstrings are tight.” That’s because tight hammies can shift your movement patterns, change your posture, and limit your range of motion, she says. And these alterations can lead to other muscles taking on more stress than they are designed to, ultimately upping the chances of pain and injury.
When the hamstring muscles are shortened, you can also feel aches in and around the hammies themselves, since that shortening causes inflexibility of the muscle and surrounding joints. This prohibits our bodies from moving in the range of motion that’s required for daily movements, which can lead to pain in our tissues and joints, Dr. Shah explains.
Shortened hamstrings can also increase your risk of injuring the hamstring muscle group (which contains three muscles: the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus). “Basically it decreases the available range for the muscle to be able to work in, so it’s easier for that muscle to reach its end capacity, and then that's where we can get things like muscle strains and tears,” Dr. Frizzell explains.
How stretching can help tight hamstrings
Regular stretching can help lengthen tight hamstrings and alleviate some of the issues caused by them. “In general, just increasing lower extremity flexibility and range of motion helps improve mobility, especially in the lower back,” Dr. Melvan says. “The more mobile you are, the better you’re able to move in and out of those movements that you want without causing issues.” Stretching can also help tight-feeling hammies caused by myofascial trigger points and reduced blood flow.
Keep in mind, warming up your muscles before activity—including, yup, the hammies—“is a really good idea” to reduce your risk of muscle strains, Dr. Shah says. Dynamic stretches (exercises where you move fluidly through a joint’s range of motion) are ideal to do before exercise as a way to boost blood flow and prep your hammies for what’s ahead.
Dynamic hamstring stretches are also a smart way to bring more motion into an otherwise sedentary routine. Movement helps lubricate our joints, Dr. Shah explains. “So if you've been sitting at work, or in one position at work, the movement part of stretching is important.” She recommends doing 10 reps of a dynamic stretch to reap the benefits. You can also perform dynamic stretches for time—Dr. Melvan suggests one minute as a solid goal.
Static stretches (those moves where you hold still in one position) are helpful post-exercise when your tissues are already warm. Compared to dynamic stretches, “the prolonged stretching can help the tissues actually elongate a little bit more after the workout,” Dr. Shah says. She suggests holding a static stretch for 30 seconds, and repeating for three to five rounds.
To maintain the benefit of static stretching, you need to do it on a regular basis. “Daily stretching is going to help you rather than, I’m going to stretch once a week,” Dr. Melvan says. This doesn’t need to be a huge time suck: Stretching for just a couple minutes a day, most days of the week, “would probably be sufficient,” Dr. Melvan says.
While stretching your hamstrings is good, don’t forget about strengthening them. Remember, weak hamstrings can cause the muscle group to feel tight; regularly challenging them with resistance moves can combat that. (Check out these 15 hamstring exercises to bolster your leg day routine—posterior chain staples like deadlifts and glute bridges are great ones!)
Finally, one important caveat: Sometimes people think they have tight hamstrings, but it’s actually sciatic nerve tension (basically, pressure on the nerve that runs from your lower back through your hips, butt, and down each leg.) Sciatic nerve pain usually comes with butt or low back pain but it can mimic hamstring tightness, Dr. Shah says. The distinction is important, since doing a bunch of hamstring stretches when you have sciatic nerve pain can actually exacerbate your symptoms, or at the least just not help them improve. So if you’ve been consistent with your hamstring stretches and find your tightness is getting worse, or not improving after several weeks, stop and get checked out by a physical therapist. You should also see a PT if your hammies are not just tight but also painful, or if they suddenly became tight after a specific event—for example, when you lunged for the ball while playing rec soccer, Dr. Shah adds.
10 hamstring stretches your leg will love
First, there’s no one “best” hamstring stretch—the best hamstrings stretches are the ones that feel the most comfortable and easiest for you to do. “If you're trying to do stretches that are hard, you're not going to do them, and then there's no point,” Dr. Melvan says.
You’ll see there’s a lot of variety here—some stretches are performed standing up, others involve a chair, and still others have you on the ground—so test out a bunch and see what feels best for you (and what’s most doable for your day-to-day). You don’t need to do a ton of different hamstring stretches in order to see the benefit. Picking just one or two that work for you is usually all you need, Dr. Shah says.
Hurdler Stretch
- Sit on the ground with your right leg stretched out in front of you and left leg bent with your left foot tucked in toward your body.
- Lean forward and reach your arms to the sides of your left leg. Stop leaning forward when you feel a stretch in your left hamstring.
- Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.
A staple of middle school gym class, this stretch targets one side at a time. You can also keep both legs straight, if that feels good for you, and lean towards the side you want to stretch. “It’s all about comfort,” Dr. Melvan says. Above all, the stretch should feel good and be something you can relax into.
Forward Fold
- Stand with your feet together, shoulders back, chest proud, gaze straight ahead, and hands at your sides.
- Breathe in, and as you exhale, start by tipping your chin to your chest, and then continue to slowly roll down, bringing the crown of your head toward the floor. Imagine moving each vertebra one by one as you slowly fold your chest forward toward your thighs (your chest may not actually touch your thighs, depending on your flexibility).
- Once you are folded forward, you may choose to interlace your fingers around your big toes, clasp your opposite hand around your opposite elbow, grab the backs of your ankles, or gently press both hands against the floor.
- Stay here for 30 seconds.
You may have encountered the forward fold in yoga class before. It’s a classic way to lengthen your backside muscles, including your hamstrings, as well as your calves and hips.
Down Dog to Runner’s Lunge
- Start on your hands and knees, with your hands stacked under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Spread your hands wide and press your index finger and thumb into the floor.
- Lift your tailbone and press your butt up and back, drawing your hips toward the ceiling. Straighten your legs as best as you can and press your heels gently toward the floor. Your head should be between your arms, facing your knees, and your back should be flat.
- Pause, then shift your weight forward into a plank as you step your left foot outside your left hand.
- Raise your torso to assume a low lunge position. Squeeze your glutes to increase the stretch in your back leg’s hip.
- Continue flowing through this stretch for 1 minute. Then switch sides.
Stretches that involve movement through several joints give you “more bang for your buck” since they allow you to stretch multiple muscle groups at once, Dr. Frizzell explains. The down dog to runner’s lunge is a prime example of one such move: It’ll open up those hamstrings, along with your back, hips, and calves.
Downdog to Upward Dog
- Start on all fours, with your hands shoulder-width apart and knees under your hips.
- Lift your hips and send your butt up and back, drawing your hips toward the ceiling. Straighten your legs as best as you can (it’s totally fine to still have a slight bend in your knees!) and press your heels gently toward the floor, coming into an inverted V shape. Your head will hang between your arms, and your gaze will face your legs. Your back should be flat. This is downward dog.
- Hold for a moment, then move into upward dog: Shift your weight forward, drop your hips down to the floor and flip your toes over so the tops of your feet touch the floor.
- Tighten your core and straighten your arms to push your chest up. Pull your shoulders back, squeeze your shoulder blades, and tilt your head toward the ceiling, to open up your chest. This is upward dog. Pause for a moment, then shift your hips back to return to downward dog.
- That’s 1 rep. Continue alternating between the two poses until you’ve done 10 reps, or it’s been 1 minute.
This is another combo move that Dr. Frizzell recommends: You stretch your hammies in downward dog and then, as you move into upward dog, you extend (arch) your back and loosen up your hip flexors, chest, and ankles.
Hip Flexor to Hamstring Stretch
- Use a soft mat or rug for this exercise. Kneel on your right knee. Place your left foot flat on the floor in front of you, knee bent.
- Lean forward slightly, stretching your right hip toward the floor.
- Squeeze your butt; this will allow you to stretch your hip flexor even more. You should feel this in your right hip flexor. This is the starting position.
- Now push your hips back and straighten your left leg. You should feel a stretch in your left hamstring. Pause here for a moment, then return to the starting position..
- That’s 1 rep.
- Continue performing reps, pausing for just a moment in each position, until you’ve done 10 reps, or performed reps for 1 minute.
Here’s one more example of a combination stretch. As the name suggests, it opens up the front and backsides of your thighs by lengthening the hip flexors and hamstrings. Dr. Shah likes that it moves the knee joint through its full range of motion and opens up the hip joints too, delivering mobility work alongside muscle lengthening.
Seated Hamstring Stretch
- Sit down on a chair, bench, or step with your left leg bent, foot firmly planted on the ground. Right leg is extended straight in front of you with the heel on the ground, toes pointed up. Place your hands on your hips.
- Keeping a flat back, tip your torso forward. Stop when you feel a stretch down the back of your right leg. Hold for 30 seconds.
- Switch sides and repeat.
By taking a seat for this static move, you can really sink into the stretch. “It's nice and supported,” Dr. Shah says, adding that the seated position is “a little bit more relaxed” than the standing up version. This is one you could do after a workout, or even during the workday when you’re stuck at your desk.
Hamstring Sweeps
- Stand in a relaxed position with your hands at your sides, core engaged, and feet hip-width apart.
- Step forward with your right foot, keeping your leg perfectly straight and flexing your foot so that only your heel rests on the floor.
- Hinge, bending at the hip, and swoop down with straight arms tracing the length of your leg. Stand, keeping your arms straight and bringing your hands overhead, before lowering them to your side. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings, as well as lengthening in your spine as you stand and stretch.
- Now step forward with the other foot and repeat on the other side. That’s 1 rep. Continue to alternate sides, flowing through the movement at your own pace, until you’ve done 10 reps, or it’s been 1 minute.
Also called hamstring scoops, this dynamic exercise is Dr. Melvan’s favorite stretch to target the backs of your thighs. It’s one you can do before a workout or at really any point of the day to add more movement to your routine. Try to find a good flow as you do this. “The point is to not hold any of the positions, but to move in and out of it,” Dr. Melvan says.
Standing Toe-Touch Kick
- Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart, core engaged, and arms out at your sides. This is the starting position.
- Swing your left leg up to around hip height (if flexibility allows), and your right arm around to tap your left toes at the same time.
- Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
- Continue to alternate in a smooth, continuous way, feeling a stretch along the back of both legs, for 1 minute.
Dr. Melvan is a fan of this dynamic hamstring stretch, which is a great one to slot in before a run or other type of workout.
Seated Hamstring Stretch to Chair
- You’ll need a chair, bench, step, or other stable object to prop your foot onto.
- Bring your right leg onto the chair with your heel pressed down into the chair, toes pointing up. Your left leg remains grounded.
- Keeping a flat back, tip your torso forward. Stop when you feel a stretch down the back of your right leg. Hold for 30 seconds.
- Switch sides and repeat.
This is a great one to do if you’re out and about and can’t easily get on the ground to stretch your hammies, Dr. Melvan says. All you need is something to prop your foot up onto, like a chair, bench, or step.
Standing Hamstring Stretch
- Stand on your left foot with your right foot in front of you, heel on the floor, toes up. Hinge forward at your hips and bend your left knee as you sit back a bit.
- As you bend your left leg, keep your right leg completely straight with your weight on the edge of your heel. You should feel this stretch in the hamstring of the straightened leg. Hold for 30 seconds.
- Switch sides and repeat.
This is a do-anywhere hamstring stretch that doesn’t involve any equipment or getting down on the ground. You can manipulate the intensity by adjusting your torso lean: The more you bend forward, the deeper the stretch will be, and vice-versa, Dr. Melvan explains. You’ll also lengthen your calf muscles with this one, since pointing your toes up targets them, she adds.