The hamstring is a group of three muscles that run up the back of your thigh. Sports that involve a lot of sprinting or stop-and-start movement, like football and tennis, may cause tightness in your hamstrings. So can activities like dancing, cycling and running.
Keeping these muscles flexible is important. Tight hamstrings may be more prone to strain or tearing. There’s also a difference between tightness and injury. If you feel pain in your hamstring, it’s best to see a doctor before attempting to treat your injury at home.
Here is a really great stretch for your hamstrings using a resistance band, if you don’t have a band a inner tube or pair of tights can work just as well!
Lie down on the ground with your back flat and your feet on the ground, knees bent.
Slowly bring one leg up to straight, either holding it with your hands or the band/tights
Extend the leg while keeping the knee slightly bent.
Hold for 30 seconds
Try an increase the stretch by bringing your foot closer to your face pointing your toes
Hold for a further 30 seconds
Repeat on the other leg
Hamstring stretch is a developmental stretch, we are aiming for the muscle to remember this new length and hold it there when you stop stretching, this is why we have to hold the stretch for longer.
