Hamstring Stretch

Lower Body Stretches Series

The hamstring stretch is the next video in these lower body stretches series.

The hamstrings are a group of muscles located at the back of the upper leg.

These muscles are the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and the semimembranosus muscles.

Together they help with many different things but are primarily used for flexion (or bending) of the knee.

They also assist in moving the upper leg backwards by extending the thighs.

Additionally, the hamstrings help with maintaining a standing position with knees slightly bent, as well as limiting how far we can bend over without bending the knees.

Lastly, this group of muscles helps with our posture by assisting to straighten out the lower curvature of the spine.

Stretch #6 - Hamstring Stretch

You will be lying down for this stretch so use an exercise mat to be comfortable.
  1. Lie down on your back with your knees stretched out in front of you.
  2. Bend your right knee up slowly and grab the back of your thigh just below the knee and pull it towards your chest.
  3. Relax your arms a bit until the knee is pointing straight up towards the ceiling. This is your starting position.
  4. Now straighten your right leg up to the ceiling and hold for 10 to 15 seconds.
  5. Bend your knee to return to the starting position. Hold for a few seconds.
  6. Repeat the stretch again for 10 to 15 seconds by straightening the leg again. Do one more repetition.
  7. Repeat for the other leg.
If you can't fully straighten your knee, just go as far as you feel comfortable. With each rep, try to deepen the stretch a bit more.

Watch the video below to ensure you are doing the this move correctly. 


Not all mobile devices will display the video correctly. If you are not seeing the full video (or it's not displaying at all), click here to view the hamstring stretch on youtube.

« Previous Next  »




Additional Articles

Lower Body Dumbbell Exercises
Strengthen your legs, hips and glutes with these exercises. Using dumbbell weights allows you to easily pick the right resistance for your strength training workout.

Exercise Tips
If you are just getting started on your weekly workouts, then be sure to check out these tips. You want to get the most from your exercises, so make sure you start out right.

Target Heart Rate Calculator
This free online tool will help you find your target heart rate for exercising. Working out within your range can give you the most from your calorie burn.