You have 3 Hamstring muscles that run up the back of your thighs, the Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus, and Biceps Femoris.
Your hamstring muscles are responsible for knee flexion (pulling your heels to your buttocks) and hip extension (driving your upper leg backwards).
These important muscles also act as a fundamental braking system during locomotion so when you walk down a hill it is your hamstrings that are slowing you down.
Many people nowadays struggle with tight hamstrings.
Why are your Hamstrings Tight?
Before stretching your hamstrings it is important to ask why these muscles get tight in the first place. Like with most things, it is more important to address the cause of the problem rather than the symptoms.
Nothing in the human body works in isolation, everything is connected so when thinking about the hamstring muscles it is worth thinking about the rest of the body too and how the hamstring could relate.
Below I have listed 3 of the main causes of tight Hamstrings:
# 1 – Too Much Sitting Can Cause Tight Hamstrings
If you spend most of your time sitting then the legs remain bent for the majority of time.
When the legs are bent the hamstrings are slackened off. If you remain in this seated position for too long then the body will draw in the slack from the hamstrings.
Later when you come to stand and straighten the legs your hamstrings will feel tighter.
Your body is a master adapter, if you sit down all day your body will adapt to sitting!
Solution:
I think you probably know the answer to this one already.
Spend more time standing up with your legs straightened. Set a timer on your computer and get up and walk around every 50 minutes.
We are not designed to sit down for long periods of time so don’t do it, you will never win!
To help actively lengthen your hamstrings and open up your lower back perform 5 Yoga Squats as often as possible.
Work on getting deeper into the movement as time progresses.
Here’s how to perform the Yoga Squat:
# 2 – Tight Quads Can Cause Tight Hamstrings
If the front of your thighs or Quadriceps are tight due to incorrect recruitment of your Buttocks and/or incorrect workout programming, then this can effect your Hamstrings.
Your Quadriceps attach to the bottom of the front of your pelvis, if these muscles are shortened then they will actively rotate your pelvis forwards lengthening the hamstrings.
So although your hamstrings may feel tight they may actually just be long and weak.
If this is the case then you would be better off stretching your Quadriceps and strengthening (not stretching) your Hamstrings.
If you did stretch your Hamstrings then you will make the problem worse because you provide yet more slack for the Quads to reel in.
Solution:
Stretch your Quadriceps more often. Little and often is better then only once now and again.
A very simple Quad stretch that is often performed incorrectly involves taking hold of your one foot, while standing, and pulling your heel to your buttocks.
Once in this stretched position squeeze your buttocks tight and rotate the bottom of your pelvis upwards while keeping the knee pointing downwards.
To encourage your Quad stretches to stick perform a Hamstring strengthening exercise immediately after your stretch.
The bodyweight Single Leg Deadlift below is the perfect exercise to practice after your Quad stretch:
# 3 – Weak Core Muscles Can Cause Tight Hamstrings
Your pelvis is the muscle attachment site for both the front thigh muscles (quadriceps) and back thigh muscles (hamstrings).
Your Core muscles, including your abs attach to the pelvis too.
When you walk or run your pelvis needs to stay still and in control in order to provide a stable platform for your legs to operate under.
If your pelvis wobbles around, like it does on most sedentary people these days, then you risk injuring your lower back as well as other areas throughout your kinetic chain.
Good core muscles that activate correctly are vital for maintaining pelvic stability.
If your Core and Abs muscles are not doing their job correctly then your Hamstrings will help to stabilise your pelvis.
When the hamstrings are sharing the load with the core muscles they will not only tighten but also reduce their efficiency at what they are primarily designed to do.
Regular Hamstring injuries can be due to weak core and abs muscles!
Solution:
Strengthening and improving your Core muscles and improving their ability to activate correctly will enable your Hamstring to get back to the job they where designed to do.
Just performing hundreds of Crunches or Sit Ups is not the solution here. You need to actively train your pelvis to stabilise during movement.
The Deadbug core exercise below is an excellent way to work on improving your pelvic stability during movement:
I show you exactly how to improve your Inner and Outer Core and develop your Pelvic Core Stability in my:
37 Core and Abs Workouts Program
Conclusions
Stretching your Hamstrings may not be the solution for your tight hamstrings.
Like most things in life finding the root cause of the problem is more important than just attacking the symptom.
If you do suffer from tight hamstrings then you may want to consider your lifestyle, quad muscles and core muscles before embarking on a hamstring stretching program.
Related: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Stretching
Related: 22 Scientific Core Exercises Using No Equipment
Do you suffer with tight hamstrings? Let me know more below…
Having trouble sitting as getting pains in upper body. Tried standing in front of computer and now pains on lower limbs. Help!
Thank you for this article- I am excited to see if stretches to my quads and some additional core stability will help with my hamstring! My right ham has been sore for over 2 years, I have gone to a chiropractor/neuromuscular therapist and to PT. Both alleviated some pain, but never completely. I don’t feel like the hamstring is exceptionally tight when I stretch (which is often), so the the argument that it might be long and weak is quite compelling. Thank you!
Did these exercises help?. I have been suffering a sore hamstring for many years now and have try alot of treatments and it’s been a up and down(mostly down) rollercoaster, yesterday I went to do a bridge and my left hamstring spasms and then left a sore spot which I have been getting on and off for many years.
I think these exercises are pretty spot-on.
I have shallow kneecap grooves and my kneecaps would sometimes dislocate while hiking. I had minor surgery on one that adjusted some ligaments to hold it more tightly in place, but was told that building muscle would help. My hamstrings were overcompensating and were contributing to my kneecaps being pulled out of alignment.
I went to a sports PT and was given similar exercises: 3 sets of 10 reps of squats over a low chair, 3 sets of 15 reps of leg raises to the front, side and back each using a resistance band, and doing something called the diagonal “crab” walk using the resistance band a few meters up and down a room 3x. I was supposed to do these twice a day. They wanted me to do burpees too, which is somewhat similar to the yoga squat but with pushups in the middle, but I was too weak. Instead, they had me hold the plank position for as long as I could.
We also did the quad stretch described here followed by the “superman” single leg deadlifts and sometimes a few hamstring stretches. I used a leg press machine at the gym when I could. They also taught me better posture- to hold my gut in and rotate my hips forward while I walk, and point my toes in the direction that I’m facing while twisting.
I noticed improvement after a month and was impressed after two months.
I’ve since gotten really lazy. Been couch-potatoing it up for a few years now. And my hamstrings have been feeling sore and regular stretches don’t alleviate it much. I’ve started working-out again and was surprised at how tight they are. I didn’t understand, then, why they wanted me to do pushups and some of the other things, but now I realize it was to build my core as well as glutes, hips and quads to balance the hamstrings. I started the old sucky routine up again and already feel a little better.
Great , informative article and I will def try the excerises
I have suffered from extreme acute pain in my left hamstring for over two years now. My quadriceps have been cramping during exercise now as well. I have tried dry needling, foam rolling, calisthenics before workout, not working out, etc. Even low impact hiking causes tightness and pain in these areas. I paused training for months just to start again and pain, again. Doctor said I had femur fractures, physical therapist didn’t agree, just said “you have chronic knots, let’s try dry needling”. That helps for a couple of weeks at a time. Not a permanent fix.
Justin, can I suggest you go and see a sport massage therapist, once per week for 10 sessions. It is very important that you find a good therapist that is able to assess you thoroughly. Good luck.
Did these exercises help?. I have been suffering a sore hamstring for many years now and have try alot of treatments and it’s been a up and down(mostly down) rollercoaster, yesterday I went to do a bridge and my left hamstring spasms and then left a sore spot which I have been getting on and off for many years.
Thanks for the article. looking for a solution. Hamstring and calf still tighten up during workouts occasionally after I thought I had recovered from a moderate hamstring pull.
I haven’t been able to do a forward bend in forever. When I had a few PT sessions the trainer had me on my back and tried to push my straighten leg up and back. It could barely go over 60 degrees! What he didn’t realise (I think) but what I found out through google is that I have anterior pelvic tilt (like many people with weak cores) and so rather than stretching hams, I need to STRETCH THE HIP FLEXORS and strengthen core – glutes, abs and lower back. There are great YouTube vids that show clearly how all the muscles work together and compensate for each other’s weakness/tightness. I’ve always hated stretching, and exercise generally. But I now (finally at 34!) hate feeling so weak and unsupported. 😛
I was wondering if you can recommend what programme i should be trying for 8 years now i have been suffering from tight hamstrings and sore feet.i have been to see many speacilists they have no idea what is wrong.i feel my hamstrings are the problem and have been trying to stretch them out but still really tight and ache especially after walking or running.i am in pain every day and is worsning.any help would be grateful. Female age 36
Hello Lee, without assessing you it is always hard to recommend anything specific. I suggest you read the article above again, it could well be your pelvis position, lack of core strength, or quads. A good sports massage therapist could also help to assess and ease up tight areas.
Great article I will look at my hamstring issues through this lens. Thanks.
Great tips! I noticed that after doing hamstring exercises, my hamstrings felt less tight. Now I understand why. I’m going to try the quad stretch hamstring work combo. Thank you
I would add to weak core muscles that for some a spinal problem can lead to tight hamstrings such as low level spondylolisthesis. So if you strengthen the core and it persists it might be worth getting checked over.
Good recommendation Mick!