Happy Hammies

Located behind the thigh, the hamstring muscle is blamed for a myriad of postural limitations.  Let's take a look at the hamstring muscle and try to call a truce.

First, the hamstring muscle is actually three different muscles; the biceps femoris, semimembranosus and semitendinosus muscles.  That's a mouthful!

These three muscles all start in the same place on the body, the sitting bones.  They travel down the back of the thigh and take their own paths about 2/3 of the way down the thigh.  At that point they part ways; the Semimembranosus and the semitendinosus break towards the inside of the leg and attach below the knee to the tibia.  The biceps femoris turns towards the outside of the leg and attaches to the fibula.  (The biceps femoris also includes an extra piece, called the short head, that begins much lower on the thigh bone and attaches with the long head on the fibula).


Stretching these muscles if they are tight is a challenge because they cross two main joints, the hip and knee.  To completely stretch the hamstring muscle, the knee should be straight as the torso folds over the legs.  It is the bulk of the torso meeting the bulk of the legs that defines the fullest stretch possible on any given body.  Of course the tightness of these muscles prevents most of us from feeling that edge.

As you can see in my photo, my knees are slightly bent.  I have developed that reaction to forward bends since injuring my hamstring muscle.  Even though my teacher hates that, I know I am just protecting my muscles.

The safest way to work on stretching (or lengthening) these muscles is the hasta padangusthasana sequence we often do lying on our back.  Pixie here is doing a respectable padangusthasana, bringing that elevated leg well beyond 90 degrees.  For the actual person, however, just getting to 90 degrees can be a challenge.  Using a strap can help.  Having the pelvis supported on the floor also helps.

Make no mistake, stretching these muscles is challenging and needs to be done safely.  These stretches have the potential for aggravating existing herniated or bulging spinal discs, especially in the lumbar spine.

If you are challenged by tight hamstrings, I recommend the following:

1. Supta padangusthasana every day, using a strap or belt to hold the foot, keeping the leg straight.
2. Try to relax in the stretch, specifically in the back of the leg.  Contract the front of the leg to assist.
3. Be patient.
4. Allow the benefits of your consistent practice to accumulate over at least six months before expecting clear results.
5. Feel the stretch only in the fat part, or belly, of the muscle.  If you feel the stretch near the sitting bone, behind or to the sides of the knee, back off the stretch.  That is not muscle tissue.

Guess what we're working on this week.