The standing hamstring stretch is a simple exercise that can increase flexibility in the hamstring muscles. It can be done by anyone and requires no equipment. The hamstrings are a group of three muscles that are involved in various movements and can become tight due to prolonged sitting. To perform the stretch, stand in front of a raised surface and rest one foot on it, then tilt your pelvis away from the extended leg and lean forward slightly until you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
A standing hamstring stretch is a static exercise designed to increase the flexibility of the hamstring muscles on the back of the thigh. Many people can benefit from this stretch, from casual exercisers to athletes. There are many exercises that stretch the hamstrings, including those that involve lying on the floor, but the standing hamstring stretch can be done by virtually anyone and requires only a surface to rest your foot on and no equipment other than your body. .
To understand how to perform this stretch correctly, it can help to understand the physiology of the muscles being stretched. The hamstrings are actually a group of three muscles: the semitendinosus, the semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris. However, because the biceps femoris consists of two sections, the long head and the short head, it is sometimes considered two separate muscles.
Stretching from the back of the thigh to the outside of the other two muscles, the biceps femoris runs vertically, originating from the hip bone in the case of the long head and the top of the femur in the case of the short head. Both sections attach to the top of the outer lower leg bone, the fibula, just behind the knee joint. The semitendinosus lies just inside and runs parallel to the biceps femoris, originating in the same place on the hip bone and inserting along the inside of the tibia bone in the lower leg. Below this muscle is the semimembranosus, which originates with the other hip muscles and inserts just above the semitendinosus on the tibia.
Because the hamstring muscles cross the hip and knee joint, they are involved in hip extension, or lifting the leg behind the body, as well as knee flexion, or flexion. Therefore, they are used in a variety of movements, from walking and running, to swimming and climbing stairs. Also, because these muscles are in a chronically shortened position among people who sit for much of the day, they can become very tight and therefore require regular stretching. The standing hamstring stretch is recommended, then, for both the highly active and the sedentary to maintain proper muscle alignment.
To perform the standing hamstring stretch, one should stand in front of a chair, bench, or ladder and rest one foot on the raised surface with toes flexed, not pointed. You should then soften the knee of your standing leg and tilt your pelvis away from your extended leg, ensuring the muscle is maximally lengthened and the stretch is not absorbed through the lower back. With your pelvis pushed back and your back as straight as possible, rounding your spine similarly diverts the stretch to your back muscles, you should lean slightly forward from the hip until you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. . In fact, the stretch can be felt without any forward lean if the foot remains flexed and the pelvis is pushed back. The standing hamstring stretch should be held for 20-30 seconds and repeated on the other side, and should be performed daily for optimal benefit.
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