Best Hamstring Injury Exercises & Stretches For Strengthening

Hamstring injuries are common in high-impact sports, especially those involving short bursts of running and stopping and starting. The semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris muscles are hurt. These injuries can be mild, partial, or complete. These muscles help bend the knee and straighten the hip. Grade I injuries are mild, while Grade II and III injuries are severe and may require surgery. Hamstring injuries are often caused by sudden loads or stretching beyond the hamstring’s capacity. They can also result from poor flexibility, overtraining, or past injuries. Treatment depends on the severity of the injury.

Common symptoms of a hamstring injury

Symptoms of a hamstring strain may include any or all of the following:

• A sudden acute ache in the back of the thigh
• Swelling near the hamstring
• A “popping” noise or sensation at the time of the injury.
• Being unable to bear weight on the wounded leg
• Pain while walking
• Weakness of the damaged leg
• Bruising in the area for the first few days.

Strengthening exercises for hamstring muscles

Hamstring curl

1. Lie on your stomach on the ground, back arched and weight supported by your elbows.
2. Keep your feet together and safely grip a light dumbbell between your two feet.
3. Bend your knees and curl them up so that your heels face the ceiling.
4. Hold for three seconds at the top.
5. Slowly drop your legs back down, but do not put any weight back on the ground.
6. To complete the set, repeat the leg curl nine more times (for a total of ten).
7. Complete all three sets.

Glute bridge

1. Lie on your back with both knees bent, pointing to the ceiling, and your arms at your sides.
2. Slowly elevate your pelvis off the floor and press it toward the ceiling.
3. Avoid arching your back and try to align it in a straight line from shoulder to pelvis.
4. Hold this position for 10 seconds.
5. Return to the previous place.
6. Repeat this exercise ten times to finish a set.
7. Complete all three sets.

Walking lunges

1. Stand up straight, your legs shoulder-width apart.
2. Step forward and bend your right leg, ensuring that your weight is supported by your heel.
3. Lower your body such that your left leg is bowed and your toe touches the ground.
4. Pause for a second.
5. As you lift yourself up, take a step with your left leg, assuming the same stance but on the opposite leg.
6. Continue this motion as if you were walking for a total of ten lunges.
7. Repeat the ten walking lunges twice more for a full set of three.

Hamstring stretching exercises

Seated hamstring stretch

1. Sit on the floor with both legs extended straight in front of you.
2. Bend at the waist and reach as far in front of you as possible while keeping your knees straight.
3. Once you feel the stretch, hold this position for 30 seconds.
4. Return to your starting position.
5. Repeat the stretch twice more.

Standing hamstring stretch

1. Stand on flat ground, your feet touching.
2. Cross your feet at the ankles.
3. Bend at the waist and slowly lower your head to your knees, keeping them straight.
4. Hold this position for thirty seconds.
5. Return to your starting position.
6. Repeat the stretch twice more.

Towel hamstring stretch

1. Sit on the floor with both legs extended straight in front of you.
2. Loop a long bath towel over your right foot, holding the ends with both hands and maintaining your back straight.
3. Slowly pull the towel to lift your right leg up, but keep it straight. Keep your left leg straight on the ground.
4. Raise your leg to feel the stretch.
5. Hold this position for thirty seconds.
6. Return to your starting position.
7. Repeat the stretch twice more.

Aerobic Exercise for hamstring strain

The sort of hamstring strain or soreness you have will determine whether or not aerobic exercise is advisable. Mild aerobic training with low impact can greatly improve certain hamstring muscle problems. Cardiovascular exercise, however, can exacerbate hamstring strain injuries; therefore, it is advisable to avoid it to prevent further injury and rest.

Before beginning any new workout regimen, always consult a medical expert. If a medical specialist recommends aerobic exercise, it will most likely be low-impact, such as walking or water aerobics.

Tips to prevent hamstring injury

Always warm up and cool down when exercising.

Warming up before participating in sports or exercising boosts blood flow to your muscles, which can help you avoid injuries. Warming up also raises the temperature of your blood, which allows oxygen to be transported to your muscles at a faster pace, increasing endurance.

Both of these occurrences can help to prevent hamstring and other problems. Warm up with 5-10 minutes of light to moderate endurance activities. This activity might be a jog, star leaps, or walking lunges.

Work on increasing your flexibility.

Stretching can help prevent hamstring strains. Repetitive stretching of the hamstring causes it to lengthen, allowing for greater mobility.

Increased flexibility allows the muscle to extend further and expands the range of motion in the joint, making it less likely to be strained during a movement that involves an awkward position.

Stay hydrated.

Staying hydrated is beneficial in many aspects of your health, but it can also help prevent hamstring problems. When someone is dehydrated, they may get muscle cramps. Severe muscle cramps may cause fiber tears.

For this and many other reasons, it’s critical to drink plenty of water every day. The recommended daily intake is approximately 2.6 liters for men and 2.1 liters for women.

Try to maintain a healthy body weight.

As previously stated, movement and weight are typically the causes of hamstring problems. As a result, a heavier person contributes more weight to the force, increasing the likelihood of hamstring injury. To assist in avoiding hamstring problems, aim to maintain a healthy body weight.

Calculating your BMI (body mass index) is an effortless approach to establishing your ideal body weight. BMI is a calculation of body fat based on your weight and height. A healthy BMI should be between 18.5 and 24.9. effortless

Build muscles in the hamstrings.

Strengthening the muscles in your hamstrings is an excellent approach to prevent them from injury. Many people focus on the quadriceps muscle, which is different from the hamstring muscle and rarely protects them. When there is a significant strength imbalance between the hamstrings and quadriceps, the person is more likely to sustain a hamstring injury. You can specifically use the indicated workouts to strengthen your hamstring muscles.

When to see a podiatrist about hamstring injuries?

Podiatrists specialize in the treatment of lower limb and foot problems. As a result, they have vast experience and knowledge in treating hamstring injuries.

A skilled podiatrist can do a physical exam or provide tests to evaluate whether you have a hamstring strain and, if so, what grade it is. They will also be able to advise you on how to effectively repair and rehabilitate your issue, and they will most likely recommend some hamstring stretches.

FAQs

What to do for a pulled hamstring​?

Follow the RICE approach for a pulled hamstring: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation for the first few days; then, progressively incorporate mild stretching and strengthening exercises as tolerated, under advice from a doctor or physical therapist. 

How long for a pulled hamstring to heal​?

Pulled hamstrings require time to heal completely. Some minor hamstring strains can heal within a few days. However, most injuries require weeks or months of recovery time to completely heal. In other situations, healing can take up to a year.