Your hamstrings are one of the three large muscles at the back of your thigh between the hip and the knee. You use your hamstrings more when you run, jump and climb. Hamstring stretches using Yoga help to work those muscles, so they don’t get weak or injured. They can also help to relieve pain and aid recovery of strained or torn hamstrings.
The other great reason to try some yoga when you have hamstring injuries is that yoga also helps teach you to breathe and relax. To get the most out of stretching, you need to be relaxed when doing it. Yoga can help you learn how to relax and let your mind go so that when you do normal stretches, you can get more out of it. The body will not stretch if you are physically or mentally tense.
Hamstring Stretches Using Yoga – What Causes Hamstring Injuries?
Hamstring damage is a very common injury in sports, especially running sports. They happen when there is a strain, tear to the muscles at the back of your thigh. Hamstring injuries can be one of the hardest to come back form physically and mentally.
The primary causes of hamstring injury are:
- Muscle overuse
- Trauma
Muscle overuse happens when you stretch your hamstrings beyond their elastic limits. This might cause tiny tears in the tendons at the back of your thigh. In the worst cases, you might rupture your hamstrings. This is often due to the glutes being inactive and making the hamstring have to work harder than it was meant to.
Trauma happens with short, quick actions you make during sports like jumping, leaping or sprinting. These quick moves might overstretch your hamstrings and cause tiny tears that are quite painful and could put you out of play if left untreated.
Hamstring stretches using Yoga can help to prevent injuries or restore your hamstrings after an incident. You do want to give the muscle some time to heal. The worst thing you can do for an unhealed tear is stretch it too far. You risk making the tear worse.
Hamstring Stretches Using Yoga – Exercises To Try
Hamstring Stretches Using Yoga – The Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)
This exercise helps to train your hamstrings to stretch more without tearing. It also helps them to heal from the damage of trauma after you have gotten treatment.
How to do it:
- Start with a standing Yoga posture and place one leg at the back of the mat.
- Bring your other leg into a 45-degree angle.
- Stretch both arms to form a ‘T’ keeping them in line with your shoulders.
- Place your left hand at the front of the mat while positioning your right hip towards the back of the mat.
- Maintain both feet in this ‘triangular’ position for 15 – 30 seconds. You should feel the stretch at the back of your thighs.
- Repeat the exercise for your other leg.
Hamstring Stretches Using Yoga – Lying Down One-foot Pose (Supta Padangusthana)
This is a simple, yet effective exercise to strengthen your hamstrings and improve flexibility. You’ll need a strap or resistance band and a Yoga mat to do this properly.
How to do it:
- Lay on your back with both feet straight on the mat.
- Lift your left foot up until it makes a 90-degree angle with your right foot.
- While holding the strap or resistance band, place it in the middle of the sole of your left foot and straighten your leg.
- Keep your shoulders flat on the mat and hold this position for 60 seconds.
- Release and repeat the exercise for your right foot. You can do 3 -5 reps alternating between both feet.
These are two great exercises that could help you work your hamstrings at home. However, for lasting benefits to your hamstrings, you should consider working with a Yoga specialist. An expert would guide you through the best workouts to safeguard your thigh muscles.
Need an Expert? Talk to 9INE POINT Health
9INE POINT Health helps to connect injured athletes with top healthcare providers in their locality. Sometimes your hamstring may be too damaged to be fixed with Yoga. We can help you find top sports medicine professionals to help you learn more hamstring stretches using Yoga and other methods that can keep you healthy. You save time and money when you talk to the right professionals.
What If You Can’t Fix Your Hamstring on Your Own?
Sometimes you can ice all you want, but a muscle is in pain because another area is not working or because it is protecting you. With the hips, for example, your back may be hurting because your psoas is doing too much work and it is also tight. The psoas may be doing too much work because your other hip flexors are not activating correctly. The chain reaction could keep going if you do not get the right treatment. Just doing hamstrings stretches using yoga not enough.
Sometimes you need the help of a sports medicine provider. Sports medicine providers are used to working with athletes that need to get results quickly, to get back on the field. If you are not an athlete, I am sure that you still want quick results.
There are many different options you can go with when looking for a provider. You could get a chiropractor, massage therapist, physical therapist or many other options. The key is finding someone you trust and that you are excited to work with.
How to Find The Best Healthcare Providers to Help You Beyond Hamstring Stretches Using Yoga?
9INE POINT Health is the best place to find the health care providers you need for any injuries. It does not matter where you are hurting; a 9INE POINT Health provider will be able to get you healthy again. 9INE POINT allows you to find the best local providers and compare them quickly using the 9INE POINT Number.
If you have no idea what you need, but you know you need something, 9INE POINT Health is an injury guide, and you will get helped through the process. We make it easier for you to find the information and the person you are looking for.
Skills to Look for in a Healthcare Provider Beyond Hamstring Stretches Using Yoga
- Active Release Technique
- Graston Technique
- Acupuncture
- Massage
- Fascial Stretch Therapy
- Corrective exercises
- Dry Needling
- Sports Background
- Functional Movement Screen
- And more
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
