Want to hear something crazy? In 2019, researchers took a bunch of recreational athletes who complained of chronically “tight” hamstrings and asked them to reach down and try to touch their toes. Some of them struggled to get their hands past their knees, but a significant number could touch the floor or even put their palms on the ground. The research showed that range of motion does not correlate with feelings of tightness (study). Crazy right? This means that when our muscles feel tight, it doesn’t mean they are objectively shortened. Tightness might just be a feeling. So, if a muscle isn’t mechanically tight, why do our hamstrings feel so tight when we’ve been running a lot of miles?
Muscle tightness is the signal not the problem
Sometimes on the wall of a gym you’ll see a quote like “pain is just weakness leaving the body.” This might get you fired up to pump some iron, but scientifically it isn’t exactly true. If it were about runners’ hamstrings, a more accurate version would read “pain is just your hamstring politely telling your brain that it’s overworked.” More true – less inspiring.
As runners we need to understand this because almost every running injury is an overuse injury. We train too much, run too hard, or don’t give ourselves enough time in between workouts and our body starts to ache. Our muscles start to feel tight. The muscle hasn’t changed length. You haven’t lost flexibility. The feeling of “tightness” is the body’s way of communicating (from the muscle to the brain) that your training load has EXCEEDED your training capacity. It wants to tell you that if you keep going in this direction you might end up with a full blown injury.
Does stretching work for tight hamstrings?
In a word, nope. Even though your hamstring might feel tight, you almost certainly do not have a range of motion problem. Try this out. Stand up on one leg and mime the motion of a running stride with the other. Most likely, you will feel the muscle work, but not feel it enter a stretched position. Remember, we have to put our legs in some pretty dramatic postures (a very high heel for example) to feel a stretch in our hamstring. Tightness is just not the issue, so attempting to make the muscle longer won’t solve it.
So, what’s the best cure for tight hamstrings?
If we increase the muscle’s capacity to tolerate load, then we can prevent the feeling of tightness from showing up in the first place! Simply put, we have to make our hamstrings stronger. We also need to improve the strength and activity of the muscles which support the hamstring. Your hammies shouldn’t have go into battle alone.
Here are a few exercises you can try to strengthen your hamstrings. If you give them a shot two to three times per week, you should start to see improvements in your hamstring tightness. Research suggests that athletes who strength train also gain more flexibility than those who just stretch (study) although this hasn’t been studied specifically in runners.
Note: be cautious whenever you try a new hamstring exercise. Start with less reps and pay attention to your range of motion. The hamstring can get very sore so it’s important to introduce these exercises gradually. When it comes to the hammies, patience is a virtue.
The best exercises for runners with tight hamstrings
Exercise 1: Eccentric Bridge
Why it works: eccentric exercises (those that work the muscle as it lengthens) drive better outcomes in athletes with hamstring issues (study). You can use a pair of socks or a hand towel to slide your heels along the floor.
Exercise 2: SL RDL
Why it works: if one hamstring gets “tighter” than the other, it’s always a good idea to incorporate some single leg work. You can also add a weight in the opposite hand, but be careful with your range of motion here. If you go too low too soon, you might end up with wicked sore hammies and no additional strength benefit.
Exercise 3: Lateral Walks with Band Around Forefoot
Why it works: this exercise trains the hip muscles. When they are strong, the hamstrings have to do less, which should help stop them from barking!
If you’d like to try these exercises as part of a custom injury prevention program, try the Recover Athletics app for free right here!
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