Mobility and stretches
Seated hamstring stretch
- Kit
- No kit
- Works
- hamstrings
- Also
- calves · glutes · lower back
The seated hamstring stretch is a floor drill where you sit with one leg extended and fold forward over it to lengthen the back of the thigh. It suits anyone whose hamstrings feel tight from sitting or running, and it works as a slow warm-up entry or a cool-down after squats, hinges and lower body work. Done gently, it also teaches you to hinge from the hips rather than round the spine.
Form
How to do seated hamstring stretch
- 1Sit on the floor with one leg straight out in front, foot relaxed or lightly flexed, and bend the other knee so that sole rests against the inside of the straight thigh.
- 2Sit tall first: press your sitting bones down, lift through the crown of your head and place your hands on the floor beside the extended leg.
- 3Breathe in, then exhale as you tip forward from the hips, reaching your chest toward the extended knee until you feel a broad pull along the back of the thigh.
- 4Hold at a mild stretch and keep breathing slowly through the nose, easing a little deeper on each exhale rather than forcing the position.
- 5Inhale and rise back up with a flat back, hands helping you out of the fold, then swap legs so you do both sides.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Rounding the upper back and reaching with the head to touch the toes.
Fix: Lead with the chest and hinge at the hips, accepting a much shorter reach in exchange for a straighter spine.
Locking the knee hard and bouncing in and out of the stretch.
Fix: Leave a soft bend in the knee and hold still, letting the tissue give way gradually instead of pulsing.
Holding the breath because the stretch is intense.
Fix: Back off until you can breathe slowly and evenly, which is the depth where the muscle will actually release.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions
Put it in a workout
None of the fixed workouts uses it. Pick a workout for your kit, or start today's session on /gym.