Do you have tight hamstring? Do you know this can cause lower back pain? According to Sports Medicine Australia, one of the most common injuries in sport is the hamstring strain, as the hamstring muscles are very susceptible to tears and strains. These are the muscles that help to bend your knee backwards. This muscle helps in walking, running and any day to day activity that you can think of that uses your leg muscles.

Since hamstrings attach to the pelvis and to the Knee, tightness can tilt the pelvis incorrectly and change the way your lower back moves. This in turn causes undue stresses to the muscles and joints of the lower back leading to pain. It is important to stretch the hamstring muscles especially after exercising to keep their flexibility and prevent back issues. The best time to stretch a muscle is when it is warmed up. Hence, after a workout, as a cool down would be the best time. It is important to hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds for it to be effective. A foam roller uses the body weight to put pressure on the muscle. It is this pressure that helps in relieving the tightness in the muscle. Similar to a deep tissue massage.

hamstring stretch, yoga, pilates

Stretch tight hamstring with a foam roller!

There are various ways of stretching the hamstring muscle. In this video, we are using a simple foam roller to stretch the hamstrings using body weight. Please talk to your Physio to show you the correct technique.