Hamstring Stretch

Maintaining good flexibility is key if you have back pain. The primary muscle that is frequently tight in people who have back pain is the hamstring. As shared in the video above, there are 3 main ways to stretch the hamstring: standing, sitting or laying on your back. If you have any balance difficulty, I recommend you attempt the sitting or laying on your back method to stretching this muscle.

When stretching, it is important not to bounce. I typically recommend holding stretches for 3 sets of 30 seconds or 1 minute in duration. The stretches shown above are considered static stretches and are meant to be part of a cool down after exercise or during normal daily activities. If you are looking for stretching prior to an athletic activity, then you should perform more dynamic type stretches. Look for an upcoming video on dynamic stretching next month.