Many of us have very tight hamstrings. For athletes, especially runners, the hamstrings get tight as they’re used during workouts. Hamstrings can also tighten up from sitting all day, which many people do in this technology-oriented world. Doing some yoga for hamstrings poses can help you loosen the hamstrings, allowing better range of motion and comfort. For you yogis, flexible hamstrings will also let you work on more advanced poses like hanumanasana (splits). To help you lengthen your hamstrings, I’ve compiled my favorite hamstring stretches. In all of these poses, be sure to engage your quads so you don’t lock and/or hyperextend your knees. For all hamstring stretches, be sure you’re feeling a nice, comfortable stretch in the belly of the muscle, its widest part.
Disclaimer: I am a yoga teacher, but I’m not your yoga teacher. Always practice yoga mindfully and if you have any questions, consult with your teacher.
Forward Fold
The forward fold is probably the best known yoga pose to stretch the hamstrings. I often start my post-run stretching with this pose because it’s a nice way to relax after working hard. In the forward fold you should try to keep your back straight and pull your chest toward your legs—don’t curl your back over and just try to get your nose to your legs. To modify for tight hamstrings, bend your knees more and place a yoga block or other firm object beneath your hands.
Wide-Legged Forward Fold
This hamstring stretch is similar to forward fold but is a little less intense on the hamstrings. Again, it’s important to keep a flat back and lead with your chest to get the most out of this pose. To modify for tight hamstrings, place a block, chair, or some other firm object under your hands or arms so you don’t fold as deeply.
Head-to-Knee Forward Bend
This forward bend is also a well-known hamstring stretch. As in the other hamstring stretches, be sure to lead with your chest when folding in. To modify for tight hamstrings, keep a bend in the knee and don’t fold over as deeply.
Pyramid Pose
Pyramid pose is probably my favorite hamstring stretch. Make sure that your hips are facing squarely forward before you fold to make sure that you’re getting the most out of the pose. To modify for tight hamstrings, step the back foot in closer to the front foot to shorten your stance. You can keep a bend in the front knee and you can also place something firm like a yoga block under your hands to make the pose a little easier.
Reclining Big Toe Pose
This hamstring stretch can get deep into the muscle. You can use a yoga strap if you have one, if not, use a similar object like a belt. If you’re very flexible, you can grab around the big toe with your thumb, index, and middle fingers and pull from your hand. Be sure to keep your bottom foot flexed and keep that leg active and keep your back on the floor. To modify for tight hamstrings, bend the knee of the stretched leg slightly, or don’t pull the leg as close to the torso.
Looking for more yoga articles from Running with the Sunrise? Try the Yoga for Beginners or Yoga for Runners pages! And be sure to sign up for our free newsletter! Find more great yoga poses for hamstrings at Yoga Journal’s Poses for Hamstrings section.
Do you have any favorite hamstring stretches?
How often do you take the time to stretch?
Do you have a yoga for calf muscles? Mine keep getting knots and seems like you might know some good moves.
SO necessary. People need to work into them, too, and then give them time once in the pose. These are so helpful!
I love love love these! I’ve started going to yoga classes and they really help with flexibility, but I find they don’t focus on the things I really need to work on, so your posts of poses are great!
LOVE yoga! I didn’t know the technical term for the splits though so that’s new to me. We usually go through all of those poses during our yoga class on Wednesdays. We do yoga once a week. But I do make time to stretch after runs for about 5-10 minutes. Thanks for posting this! I enjoy following your blog. 🙂 have a beautiful day.
Thanks for your kind words! Glad to hear I’ve chosen some good poses. 🙂 Hope you have a lovely day, too!
I love these, but I am a 66-yr-old male with v-e-r-y tight hamstrings. I have stretched and stretched with little long-term progress.
How long should I hold these poses?
How often should I do these stretches?
How do I continue to make progress?
What can I do to maximize stretches? I have heard that infrared sauna helps lengthen the stretch in degree and time.
Thanks!
To start out, I’d hold each pose for 3 to 5 breaths, making sure that your breath is nice and even and slow. Try the stretches a couple of times a week at first and then gradually add days over time until you’re practicing them most days or every day. Making sure that you’re stretching after some kind of a warmup, whether it’s a run or some other physical activity, will help you get a better stretch. And yes, stretching in a heated room will help you stretch a little deeper, too. Just be careful not to go too far and injure yourself! What’s most important is that you feel a nice stretch, not that you make the pose look a certain way (bringing your nose to your knee, etc.). Let me know if you have any other questions!