Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy Hamstrings Get TightInjuryConditionsHamstring StretchesManaging Chronically Tight Hamstrings
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Why Hamstrings Get Tight
Injury
Conditions
Hamstring Stretches
Managing Chronically Tight Hamstrings
Hamstringtightness develops when the muscles on the back of the thighs become shortened due to injury or sitting for long periods. These muscles can also be tight in people who participate in sports that require a lot of running, changing directions, and jumping. In some cases, hamstrings get tight without an apparent cause.
Tight hamstrings aren’t always a problem, but for some people, they can lead to pain or increase the risk of injury.
This article discusses tight hamstrings—reasons that they can occur and how to manage them.
Tx Group / Getty Images
Hamstring MusclesThe hamstring muscle group runs from the ischial tuberosity (your “sits bones”) to the back of the knee. They consist of three muscles: semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris.They assist the hip with extension (backward movement of the thigh), provide stability in a standing position, and bend the knee.
Hamstring Muscles
The hamstring muscle group runs from the ischial tuberosity (your “sits bones”) to the back of the knee. They consist of three muscles: semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris.They assist the hip with extension (backward movement of the thigh), provide stability in a standing position, and bend the knee.
Exercise and Sitting: Top Reasons Why Hamstrings Get Tight
Hamstring tightness often affects people who are very physically active, especially athletes who participate in sports that require a lot of running or jumping.
Hamstring tightness is also common in students or people who have desk jobs and sit most of the time.Sitting with your knees bent puts your hamstrings in a shortened position. Sitting for prolonged periods can eventually lead to hamstring tightness.
Low back pain can also develop when tight hamstrings cause the pelvis to tilt backward, pulling the lower back into a rounded position and contributing to poor sitting posture.
Hamstring Tightness Due To Injury
Hamstrings often become tight due to injury—most commonly a hamstring strain.
Hamstring strains range in severity from mild to severe.
Conditions With Hamstring Tightness as a Symptom
Hamstring tightness can be a symptom of other conditions and be a risk factor for injuries.Hamstring tightness can occur with the following conditions:
Tight hamstrings can also negatively affect physical performance in sports that require jumping, sprinting, and kicking a ball.
Stretches to Gently Release Stiff Hamstrings
Stretchingexercises help improve the flexibility of tight muscles. While there is more than one type of stretching exercise, you can use static stretches—which involve holding the muscle in a stretched position for the duration of the stretch—to release stiff hamstrings gently.
You can dohamstring stretchesin various positions.Stretches might be uncomfortable at first but should not be painful. If it hurts, you’re stretching too far.
Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds and perform three repetitions in a row several times daily.
Seated Hamstring Stretch
The seated hamstring stretch can be performed almost anywhere.
90/90 Hamstring Stretch
You can also stretch your hamstrings lying down with the 90/90 stretch.
Towel Assisted Hamstring Stretch
Using a towel adds leverage to your hamstring stretch.
Standing Hamstring Stretch
Use a short stool, stair, or curb to perform the standing hamstring stretch.
How to Stretch Tight Hamstrings
Stretching can provide immediate, temporary relief from tight hamstrings, but flexibility exercises should be performed two to three times per week to maintain these improvements.
In addition to static stretching, other interventions can help manage chronically tight hamstrings. Dynamic stretches are exercises that stretch the hamstrings through repetitive movements.They are often performed as part of a warm-up before physical activities.
If you have chronically tight hamstrings, you may need additional treatment from a healthcare provider, such as aphysical therapistormassage therapist—especially if the tightness is related to an injury or is causing other physical conditions.
Interventions can include:
Summary
Tight hamstrings develop when the muscles on the back of the thighs shorten. While the cause of hamstring tightness isn’t always known, it commonly affects athletes as well as people who spend a lot of time sitting, such as students or people who work at desk jobs.
Tight hamstrings can also be a symptom of other conditions, such as a hamstring strain or low back injury. Treatment for tight hamstrings includes stretching and other interventions, such as massage, manual physical therapy, and dry needling.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orthpaedics Surgeons.Hamstring muscle injuries.Albeshri ZS, Youssef EF.The immediate effect of kinesio tape on hamstring muscle length and strength in female university students: A pre–post experimental study.Saudi J Med Med Sci. 2023;11(1):73-80. doi:10.4103%2Fsjmms.sjmms_585_22Ahn JO, Weon JH, Koh EK, Jung DY.Effectiveness of hamstring stretching using a pressure biofeedback unit for 4 weeks: A randomized controlled trial.Hong Kong Physiother J. 2020;40(2):99-107. doi:10.1142%2FS1013702520500092Martin RL, Cibulka MT, Bolgla LA, et al.Hamstring strain injury in athletes: Clinical practice guidelines linked to the international classification of functioning, disability and health from the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy and the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association.Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2022;52(3):CPG1-CPG44. doi:10.2519/jospt.2022.0301Wan X, Li S, Best TM, Liu H, Li H, Yu B.Effects of flexibility and strength training on peak hamstring musculotendinous strains during sprinting.J Sport Health Sci. 2021;10(2):222-229. doi:10.1016%2Fj.jshs.2020.08.001Jandre Reis FJ, Macedo AR.Influence of hamstring tightness in pelvic, lumbar and trunk range of motion in low back pain and asymptomatic volunteers during forward bending.Asian Spine J. 2015;9(4):535-540. doi:10.4184%2Fasj.2015.9.4.535Zhang X, Ren W, Duan Y, Yao J, Pu F.The biomechanics effect of hamstring flexibility on the risk of osgood-schlatter disease.J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:3733218. doi:10.1155%2F2022%2F3733218Aurora Health Care.Lower extremity stretching home exercise program.Harvard Health Publishing.The ideal stretching routine.Iwata M, Yamamoto A, Matsuo S, et al.Dynamic stretching has sustained effects on range of motion and passive stiffness of the hamstring muscles.J Sports Sci Med. 2019;18(1):13-20.Cadellans-Arróniz A, López-de-Celis C, Rodríguez-Sanz J, et al.Immediate effects of diacutaneous fibrolysis in athletes with hamstring shortening. A randomized within-participant clinical trial.PLoS One. 2022;17(7):e0270218. doi:10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0270218Bazzaz-Yamchi M, Naghdi S, Nakhostin-Ansari A, et al.Acute and short-term effects of dry needling in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain and hamstring tightness: a pilot study.ScientificWorldJournal. 2021;2021:7259956. doi:10.1155%2F2021%2F7259956Kaneda H, Takahira N, Tsuda K, et al.Effects of tissue flossing and dynamic stretching on hamstring muscles function.J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(4):681-689.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orthpaedics Surgeons.Hamstring muscle injuries.Albeshri ZS, Youssef EF.The immediate effect of kinesio tape on hamstring muscle length and strength in female university students: A pre–post experimental study.Saudi J Med Med Sci. 2023;11(1):73-80. doi:10.4103%2Fsjmms.sjmms_585_22Ahn JO, Weon JH, Koh EK, Jung DY.Effectiveness of hamstring stretching using a pressure biofeedback unit for 4 weeks: A randomized controlled trial.Hong Kong Physiother J. 2020;40(2):99-107. doi:10.1142%2FS1013702520500092Martin RL, Cibulka MT, Bolgla LA, et al.Hamstring strain injury in athletes: Clinical practice guidelines linked to the international classification of functioning, disability and health from the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy and the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association.Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2022;52(3):CPG1-CPG44. doi:10.2519/jospt.2022.0301Wan X, Li S, Best TM, Liu H, Li H, Yu B.Effects of flexibility and strength training on peak hamstring musculotendinous strains during sprinting.J Sport Health Sci. 2021;10(2):222-229. doi:10.1016%2Fj.jshs.2020.08.001Jandre Reis FJ, Macedo AR.Influence of hamstring tightness in pelvic, lumbar and trunk range of motion in low back pain and asymptomatic volunteers during forward bending.Asian Spine J. 2015;9(4):535-540. doi:10.4184%2Fasj.2015.9.4.535Zhang X, Ren W, Duan Y, Yao J, Pu F.The biomechanics effect of hamstring flexibility on the risk of osgood-schlatter disease.J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:3733218. doi:10.1155%2F2022%2F3733218Aurora Health Care.Lower extremity stretching home exercise program.Harvard Health Publishing.The ideal stretching routine.Iwata M, Yamamoto A, Matsuo S, et al.Dynamic stretching has sustained effects on range of motion and passive stiffness of the hamstring muscles.J Sports Sci Med. 2019;18(1):13-20.Cadellans-Arróniz A, López-de-Celis C, Rodríguez-Sanz J, et al.Immediate effects of diacutaneous fibrolysis in athletes with hamstring shortening. A randomized within-participant clinical trial.PLoS One. 2022;17(7):e0270218. doi:10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0270218Bazzaz-Yamchi M, Naghdi S, Nakhostin-Ansari A, et al.Acute and short-term effects of dry needling in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain and hamstring tightness: a pilot study.ScientificWorldJournal. 2021;2021:7259956. doi:10.1155%2F2021%2F7259956Kaneda H, Takahira N, Tsuda K, et al.Effects of tissue flossing and dynamic stretching on hamstring muscles function.J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(4):681-689.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Orthpaedics Surgeons.Hamstring muscle injuries.Albeshri ZS, Youssef EF.The immediate effect of kinesio tape on hamstring muscle length and strength in female university students: A pre–post experimental study.Saudi J Med Med Sci. 2023;11(1):73-80. doi:10.4103%2Fsjmms.sjmms_585_22Ahn JO, Weon JH, Koh EK, Jung DY.Effectiveness of hamstring stretching using a pressure biofeedback unit for 4 weeks: A randomized controlled trial.Hong Kong Physiother J. 2020;40(2):99-107. doi:10.1142%2FS1013702520500092Martin RL, Cibulka MT, Bolgla LA, et al.Hamstring strain injury in athletes: Clinical practice guidelines linked to the international classification of functioning, disability and health from the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy and the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association.Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2022;52(3):CPG1-CPG44. doi:10.2519/jospt.2022.0301Wan X, Li S, Best TM, Liu H, Li H, Yu B.Effects of flexibility and strength training on peak hamstring musculotendinous strains during sprinting.J Sport Health Sci. 2021;10(2):222-229. doi:10.1016%2Fj.jshs.2020.08.001Jandre Reis FJ, Macedo AR.Influence of hamstring tightness in pelvic, lumbar and trunk range of motion in low back pain and asymptomatic volunteers during forward bending.Asian Spine J. 2015;9(4):535-540. doi:10.4184%2Fasj.2015.9.4.535Zhang X, Ren W, Duan Y, Yao J, Pu F.The biomechanics effect of hamstring flexibility on the risk of osgood-schlatter disease.J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:3733218. doi:10.1155%2F2022%2F3733218Aurora Health Care.Lower extremity stretching home exercise program.Harvard Health Publishing.The ideal stretching routine.Iwata M, Yamamoto A, Matsuo S, et al.Dynamic stretching has sustained effects on range of motion and passive stiffness of the hamstring muscles.J Sports Sci Med. 2019;18(1):13-20.Cadellans-Arróniz A, López-de-Celis C, Rodríguez-Sanz J, et al.Immediate effects of diacutaneous fibrolysis in athletes with hamstring shortening. A randomized within-participant clinical trial.PLoS One. 2022;17(7):e0270218. doi:10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0270218Bazzaz-Yamchi M, Naghdi S, Nakhostin-Ansari A, et al.Acute and short-term effects of dry needling in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain and hamstring tightness: a pilot study.ScientificWorldJournal. 2021;2021:7259956. doi:10.1155%2F2021%2F7259956Kaneda H, Takahira N, Tsuda K, et al.Effects of tissue flossing and dynamic stretching on hamstring muscles function.J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(4):681-689.
American Academy of Orthpaedics Surgeons.Hamstring muscle injuries.
Albeshri ZS, Youssef EF.The immediate effect of kinesio tape on hamstring muscle length and strength in female university students: A pre–post experimental study.Saudi J Med Med Sci. 2023;11(1):73-80. doi:10.4103%2Fsjmms.sjmms_585_22
Ahn JO, Weon JH, Koh EK, Jung DY.Effectiveness of hamstring stretching using a pressure biofeedback unit for 4 weeks: A randomized controlled trial.Hong Kong Physiother J. 2020;40(2):99-107. doi:10.1142%2FS1013702520500092
Martin RL, Cibulka MT, Bolgla LA, et al.Hamstring strain injury in athletes: Clinical practice guidelines linked to the international classification of functioning, disability and health from the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy and the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association.Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2022;52(3):CPG1-CPG44. doi:10.2519/jospt.2022.0301
Wan X, Li S, Best TM, Liu H, Li H, Yu B.Effects of flexibility and strength training on peak hamstring musculotendinous strains during sprinting.J Sport Health Sci. 2021;10(2):222-229. doi:10.1016%2Fj.jshs.2020.08.001
Jandre Reis FJ, Macedo AR.Influence of hamstring tightness in pelvic, lumbar and trunk range of motion in low back pain and asymptomatic volunteers during forward bending.Asian Spine J. 2015;9(4):535-540. doi:10.4184%2Fasj.2015.9.4.535
Zhang X, Ren W, Duan Y, Yao J, Pu F.The biomechanics effect of hamstring flexibility on the risk of osgood-schlatter disease.J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:3733218. doi:10.1155%2F2022%2F3733218
Aurora Health Care.Lower extremity stretching home exercise program.
Harvard Health Publishing.The ideal stretching routine.
Iwata M, Yamamoto A, Matsuo S, et al.Dynamic stretching has sustained effects on range of motion and passive stiffness of the hamstring muscles.J Sports Sci Med. 2019;18(1):13-20.
Cadellans-Arróniz A, López-de-Celis C, Rodríguez-Sanz J, et al.Immediate effects of diacutaneous fibrolysis in athletes with hamstring shortening. A randomized within-participant clinical trial.PLoS One. 2022;17(7):e0270218. doi:10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0270218
Bazzaz-Yamchi M, Naghdi S, Nakhostin-Ansari A, et al.Acute and short-term effects of dry needling in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain and hamstring tightness: a pilot study.ScientificWorldJournal. 2021;2021:7259956. doi:10.1155%2F2021%2F7259956
Kaneda H, Takahira N, Tsuda K, et al.Effects of tissue flossing and dynamic stretching on hamstring muscles function.J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(4):681-689.
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