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.
