After a day at a desk job, you may experience pain in your back, shoulders, and hips. If you stand up and touch your toes, the muscles that run along the back of your thighs (hamstrings) may also feel quite tight.
“Sitting for long periods of time or not moving for long periods of time can cause stiffness because your hamstrings remain in a shortened state. The more you sit, the stiffer they may become,” says a physical therapy doctor. explains Dr. Milica McDowell, a physical therapist and board certified physiologist. walking occurs.
Tight hamstrings can restrict the movement of your hips and knees, making daily activities such as walking and climbing stairs difficult. It can also cause your pelvis to tilt backwards, causing lower back pain.
McDowell explains that if you don’t incorporate enough stretching into your daily routine, your hamstrings may not maintain their elasticity. She suggests doing 5 minutes of light movement, like power walking or jogging, to warm up your muscle tissue, then perform the four stretches below.
1. Pelvic tilt when standing
- Stand with your feet under your hips. Imagine wearing a giant championship belt with a big buckle.
- While standing, tilt the belt buckle toward the floor, return to a neutral position, and tilt the belt buckle toward your chin. Movement should come from the pelvis. Try to limit the movement of your ribs and torso.
How it helps
“This is the first part [front] and the rear [back] Pelvic tilt. This movement helps unlock your pelvis and stretches your hamstrings,” explains Dr. McDowell.
2. Increase hamstring stretch
- Stand upright and place your right heel on the bottom step or slightly higher, keeping your right knee straight and right hip back.
- Lean your right leg forward, keeping your back flat and looking toward your toes. You’ll feel a gentle stretch in your hamstrings and lower buttocks.
- Hold this position for 20 to 60 seconds and repeat 2 to 3 times on each side.
How it helps
This is a great stretch to relieve hamstring tension and can be performed on steps, stairs, curbs, etc. To deepen the stretch, increase your steps.
3. Front fold
- Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Keep your knees bent and extend your hands to the floor. Fold the torso towards the thighs. Relax in this position.
- If you have good hamstring flexibility, slowly extend your leg and begin to contract your quadriceps.
- Continue for 4-5 breaths. Repeat 3 times.
How it helps
This stretches and lengthens your hamstrings. This movement allows you to progress as your flexibility increases. Practice with your knees bent first, and when you feel more flexible, you can extend your legs.
4. Dynamic hamstring march
- Stand upright with your arms out in front of you at shoulder height.
- Walk slowly forward and kick your legs straight in front of you, as if you were trying to touch your toes with your outstretched hands.
- If this is difficult, start by kicking up to waist height while keeping your arms extended in front of you.
How it helps
This not only relieves hamstring tension, but is also an ideal move to perform before a workout. Dr. McDowell adds that practicing this move will also improve your cardiovascular fitness a bit and improve your balance.
Try combining the above movements with hip stretches, hip strengthening exercises, and spinal mobility yoga moves like hunches to help your body recover after sitting.
What causes tight hamstrings?
When we sit, the hamstring muscles are forced into a shortened position. Sitting too much can permanently shorten your muscles, a process known as adaptive shortening.
This is not the only cause of tight hamstrings. Injury, exercise, overuse, and muscle imbalances may also be the cause.
“When it comes to quadriceps, [front thigh muscles] They are much stronger than the hamstrings and can cause strains and imbalances. Weak gluteal muscles can also cause the hamstrings to overcompensate, causing tightness and tightness,” adds Dr. McDowell.
Weak buttock muscles are also a symptom of sitting too much. To combat this, learn how to squat or try some of the moves in our roundup of the best glute exercises.
