Welcome to my blog. Today I want to talk on 5 reasons you may have tight hamstrings because this is the number 1 question I get asked as a yoga teacher. So let’s dive right in!
1. Repetitive Exercises
Do you go to the gym or play sport? Maybe you are working the hamstring in the same way too much. Working something over and over can actually cause a lot of strain on the muscles itself and actually cause it to tighten. To avoid this we want to add variety into our practice. Maybe add a little yoga before or after your gym session.
2. Sitting Too Long
In the modern world this one is pretty hard to avoid. We drive cars, we watch tv, we sit at desks, on planes at tables. There is a lot of sitting down. Now when we are sat down we are actually stretching the hamstring but all this lengthening with no strength behind it or active movement is causing the hamstring to become weak and we need a little movement for the body to work properly. So if you do sit down a to try to make sure you get up every 30 minutes and walk around the house or the office to help your body function the way it should.
3. Not Moving Enough
This goes into number 2 as well but make sure you move around, its fascinating watching kids. They jump out of bed and are already jumping about before you have even stepped out of bed. This is why they are so flexible and they don’t struggle to get up off the floor like most of us do. A great way to help this is to have a little dance in the morning. Put a song on and dance it out before you start your day, it also helps with getting your energy high and letting your endorphins flow for a better day ahead of you.
4. Dehydration
Not drinking enough leads to the body not functioning properly. For the muscles and the body to move it needs some lubrication so make sure you drink plenty of water especially after exercising.
5. Maybe Your Tight Somewhere Else
Sometimes it’s not even the hamstrings that are tight. It could be tight calves or a tight low back. The whole body is connected and it pulls on each other. Try working on the other parts of the body and see if that makes a difference. I bet it will! If you are interested in working on the different parts of the body, you can sign up to my FREE challenge below. We work through the different body parts to help your flexibility in your forward fold to help you get closer to your toes.
To watch a video on this – click the image below!
