Ever stretch your hamstrings, yet wake up the next day with the tightness having returned? While tight hamstrings are an all too common theme these days, it doesn’t mean we can’t do anything about them.
Of course, we might be able to blame rigid chairs or the hours we spend sitting in the car. We might also be able to blame a lack of movement or poor quality of movement when we do go about our exercise. But whatever the case may be, to diminish tight hamstrings, after identifying issues that may be causing them—e.g., postural, a weakness issue, an over-activity issue, a compensation issue, a structural issue—we can then attempt to rectify them.
Some steps to do this include the following.
Step 1: Retrain Neural Tolerance
Retraining our neural tolerance—i.e., our stretch and pain tolerances—can go a long way in pushing the boundaries for our flexi- and mobility—especially when it comes to the hamstrings.
If you feel incredibly rigid within the hamstrings, and you struggle to touch your toes, some deep breathing and relaxing into the position can allow you to get there (seriously, try it out). This is because our nervous system plays a part in putting our bodies into “defence mode” when it’s not used to going to certain ranges of motion.
By performing movements that teach us new limitations within the hamstrings, however, we can push past our current state. And one such method here is a great self-administering stretch known as the KEF (made up name, but it’s an acronym for knee extension-flexion).
Step 2: Perform Eccentric-Focused Exercises
A stiff-legged deadlift is already a great exercise, but when we place emphasis on the stretch portion (i.e., the eccentric contraction) by focusing on “reaching” further each rep (through the hips and not the spine, of course), we can train the body to push further past its current hamstring boundary.