Runners, in particular, are known for having awful hamstring flexibility. Ask the average runner to bend down from the hips and touch their toes without bending their knees or back and you’ll find that most don’t even come close. If you don’t want to rely on taking a daily yoga or Pilates class, there are some steps that you can take to increase flexibility and contraction to aid in keeping your legs injury-free.

 

Most runners are quad-dominant. When there is a large disparity in strength between the quads and hamstrings, hamstring strains are more common. If a runner takes the steps to make their form more efficient, as discussed in previous posts, the hamstrings are more easily recruited into the running form and the strength gap is narrowed. As these muscles are used more or if there is an injury, scar tissue develops and will remain until it is broken up. Scar tissue is not healthy muscle tissue and does not stretch or contract very well. Stretching scar tissue will not break it up and can actually result in more scar tissue. Foam rolling regularly, spending about 20 seconds rolling up and down each major muscle group, is something that everyone in the world, regardless of age, should do. It can be used for almost every major muscle group such as the calves, hamstrings, quads, hips, IT Band, and back. Other tools, such as the “peanut” (two lacrosse balls taped together), can be used for arms, back neck, and other deeper muscles. Once scar tissue is broken up, healthy muscle tissue can grow back allowing for better muscle stretching and contraction. A foam roll and a peanut cost about $30 to buy/make, and will save you thousands throughout your life in copays and sport doctor expenses.

 

To test your hamstring flexibility and perhaps determine how much scar tissue you may have built up throughout the years, try this simple test:

• Kneel on the ground and extend one leg in front of you with your heel down and toes flexed up.

• Lunge forward so that you are now resting your upper body on the thigh of the previously extended leg.

• Make sure that the front leg’s shin is vertical. (you may need to scoot your foot forward)

• Keeping your chest and thigh connected, rock back so that you begin to stretch your front leg’s hamstring.

• Notice where you feel the stretch; is it closer to your knee, in the middle of the muscle, or up near the hips?

• If it is anywhere but in the middle of the muscle, foam roll and roll on a “peanut” on a chair with a hard surface. Find any tight spots in the hamstring and let the muscle relax over the foam roll/peanut. Go all the way up and down the full length of the muscle until the tight spots don’t seem as tight.

• Rinse and Repeat until the stretch is felt in the middle of the hamstring, halfway between the knee and hip. You should have more flexibility after a few cycles. Repeat twice a week until desired results are met.