How to stretch tight hamstrings to avoid low back pain. Low back pain can be easily triggered or worsened by stretching tight hamstrings incorrectly. At the end of this video we show three ways you can stretch just the hamstrings to avoid putting undo pressure on the lower back.

What are the hamstrings and how to the contribute to movement?

The hamstrings are a group of four muscles: long head of the biceps femoris, short head of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. Each hamstring crosses two joints—the hip and the knee. The hamstring muscles are responsible for your hip and knee movements in walking, squatting, bending your knees, and tilting your pelvis. When bending over to reach the hamstrings work to lower your trunk in coordination with your muscles in your trunk.

Why are we stretching the hamstrings?

When discussing lower back pain triggers tight or weak hamstrings can place undo stress on the lower back or lumbar region. To avoid stress on these areas during certain movements patterns we want to have flexible and a strong hamstring complex to control our movements. Everyone is different in the demands we place on our bodies. A hurdler has very different demands then a recreational walker.

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The three stretches we demonstrate are as follows:

0:00 How to stretch your hamstrings to avoid back pain
0:36 Why do we want to stretch our hamstrings
5:26 Supine hamstring stretch
7:29 Seated hamstring stretch
9:17 Standing hamstring stretch

All stretches should be done a minimum of 3 x for 30 seconds. In the beginning you may want to start with shorter duration stretches to make sure the stretches don't aggravate your lower back.

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To you moving better! Have a great day!

Tom

DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your arm or hand, or any of these exercises are making your condition worse I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs