Why are the Hamstrings always tight?

What are the hamstrings?

The hamstrings are one group of three muscles: Biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranous. They all originate from ischial tuberosity (your sitting bones) and extend down behind the knee with a tendon. Biceps femoris attaches to the fibula (your calf bone), and the other two hamstrings attach to tibia (your shin bone).

Why your hamstrings are always tight even though you stretch them everyday?

The tightness is most likely originating from somewhere else- lower back and hip flexors, not from your hamstrings directly.

When our hips don't move as much as they are designed for, muscles of the hips (hamstring, hip flexors, glutes) are all shortened. This happens when we sit too much! Sitting creates tight hip flexors, tilts your pelvis, arches the lower back, and weakens the glutes and deep core muscles. As a result of poor pelvic position, the hamstrings are shortened and become tight.

What to do?

Active stretches will help to loosen up the tight muscles and improve the range of motion. Self-myofascial release with foam roller will releasse tight lower back and glutes.

Lie down on the floor, lift your bottom off the floor into bridge position, and place the soft density foam roller under the sacrum. Lift and straigthen your LEFT leg up first, and then lower down as straight as you can. REPEAT moving your leg up and down at least 10 times. SWITCH to RIGHT leg, and repeat the exercises.

When do you use your hamstrings?

You use them when you bend your knees and move your legs backwards.

Running, cycling, swimming, climbing stairs.

Stabilizing your hip while bending over to tie your shoes or pick up the trash from the floor.

FUN FACTS: The name "hamstring" originated in 18th century England. Back then, buthcers would display pig carcasses in their shop windows by hanging them from long tendons at the back of the knee.

Hip Opening (hip flexors stretch)

Lie down, come up to bridge position, and place the soft roller under your sacrum. First, pull both knees toward the chest, and then stretch one leg down toward to floor. Stay here up to 1 minute to lengthen the hip flexors.

Because of our life style, everyone spends more time sitting than moving. Therefore, your hip flexors get tight, and sometime they are so tight that they become painful around the groin area.

What are the hip flexors?

The iliacus and psoas major, together called the iliopsoas, are important hip flexors and low back stabilizers. It stretches from the lumbar vertebrae, underneath the inguinal ligament, to the lesser trochanter. Now, it makes sense that when it is short and tight, you have low back pain.

When Do You Use your hip flexors?

Hiking, climbing or walking up an incline. Riding a bike. Getting up from a reclined position (sit-up). Reaching up, against gravity. Doing abdominal exercises, single leg stretch, leg drops, V-sits.

Fun Facts: Carnivore friends, you eat them as “tenderloin” or “filet mignon,” the long, slender psoas major is located deep to the abdominal contents.

Foam roll to Look younger

When you foam roll, you directly affect your connecive tissue. What is connective tissue? Isn't just my skin?? Nope!As the name implies, connective tissue serves a connecting function. It supports and binds other tissues in the body. Connective tissue has cells scattered throughout an extracellular matrix of fibrous proteins and glycoproteins. The primary elements of connective tissue include a ground substance, fibers, and cells.There are three main groups of connective tissues. loose connective tissue, dense connective tissue, and specialized connective tissue. With foam rolling, we are affecting directly the dense (fibrous) connective tissue. Its structure helps attach muscles to bones and link bones together at joints. Dense connective tissue is composed of large amounts of closely packed collagenous fibers.

• Tendons and ligaments are examples of dense regular connective tissue.

When you foam roll slowly and regularly, you are breaking down tight connective tissue (fascia). Since damaged connective tissue can contribute to pain at “trigger points” that restrict blood flow to nearby areas, causing pain, you are helping to decrease pain and stiffness. In turn, you have better performance in sports and better movement in life.

Let's ROLL, everyone!