Tight hamstring muscles place increased stress on the low back, which often causes or aggravates conditions that lead to low back injuries and chronic lower back pain.
The “hamstrings” are a group of three different muscles located in the back of the thigh. They originate at the base of the pelvis and run down the thigh and attach just below the knee. This muscle group helps to bend the knee and extend the hip.
Since most of our daily activities do not lengthen the hamstrings to keep them flexible, tightness often develops and consequently specific stretching exercises are needed to keep them healthy and flexible.
Prevent Bending and Lifting Injuries to the Low Back
Workplace athletes need to understand that tight hamstrings limit motion in the pelvis when bending and lifting. If the pelvis can’t pivot forward due to tight hamstrings, the motion gets transferred and increases the stress and strain on the low back.
Yes, tight hamstrings can be a primary cause of bending and lifting injuries to the lower back!
Maintaining good hamstring flexibility is an important injury prevention strategy for workplace athletes. Stretching the hamstrings increases the overall flexibility the legs and low back and reduces risk of lifting injuries. With increased flexibility, workplace athletes will also find that their movements will be more efficient and less energy will be spent because they are not working against the resistance of tight muscles.
Here’s a great stretch to improve hamstring flexibility:
Lay on back. Place a towel around your foot as shown. Gently and slowly pull your leg forward with knee straight until you feel a gentle pull in the back of your thigh and knee. Hold this stretch for 20 seconds, then relax and repeat the stretch two more times. Repeat this for the other leg. Perform this stretching routine two times per day for maximum effectiveness.
Things to remember:
- Be careful to stretch slowly and with lower intensity until your body gets used to the stretches.
- Keep breathing at a normal rate while performing stretches.
- Gently pull on muscles and hold, do not bounce the stretch.
- Stretches should feel good and never hurt when performing! If you feel pain during a stretch, loosen to a point where you feel only a gentle pull.
More Injury Prevention Tips and Information
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