Your hamstrings anchor your sitting bones, limiting the forward tilt of your pelvis at your hip joints. This is good; it provides a stable base for your spine. But if your hamstrings are too tight, forward bending can strain your lower back and lead to serious injury.
Here is one of my favourite hamstring stretches.
How to do it:
Lie on the floor and loop band around the right foot, grabbing onto the band closer to your foot to create tension.
Straighten the right leg as much as you comfortably can while keeping the left leg bent on the floor.
Gently pull the right leg towards you, stretching the back of the leg.
Hold for 30 seconds the point your toes at your face and increase the stretch for a further 20 seconds
Gently lower the right leg out to the side and towards the floor until you feel a stretch in the inner thigh.
Hold for 30 seconds and then increase the stretch for a further 20 seconds
Straighten the left leg out on the floor and gently lower the right leg across the body and to the left as low as you can go feeling a stretch in the right hip and glute.
Hold for 30 seconds and then increase the stretch for a further 20 seconds
