Fix Your Tight Hamstrings – 10 Minute Hamstring Stretches!
- Standing hamstring stretch: This is a great way to lengthen and loosen up your hamstrings. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, and slowly hinge at your hips to reach for your toes. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat.
- Hamstring curls: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your heels off the ground, squeezing your hamstrings, and then slowly lower them back down. You can also do this exercise with one leg at a time.
Weighted exercises:
- Romanian deadlift: This exercise is a great way to strengthen your hamstrings and glutes. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a weight in each hand (dumbbells or barbell) in front of your thighs. Keeping your back straight, hinge at the hips and lower the weights towards the ground until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Then, return to the starting position.
- Hamstring curl machine: This machine allows you to isolate your hamstrings and work them with resistance. Sit on the machine and adjust the pad so it fits behind your knees. Curl your heels towards your glutes, squeezing your hamstrings at the top of the movement, and then slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position.
Here are some additional tips for doing hamstring exercises:
- Warm up before you start: This will help to prevent injuries.
- Focus on proper form: It’s more important to do the exercises correctly than to use a lot of weight.
- Don’t bounce: This can put strain on your muscles.
- Hold the stretch: Aim to hold each stretch for 30 seconds.
- Breathe: Inhale as you lower the weight or stretch down, and exhale as you lift the weight or come up.
By incorporating hamstring exercises into your workout routine, you can improve your flexibility, strength, and power.