How Hamstrings Affect Your Yoga Practice and the Health of Your Body

For those of you who have attended my yoga classes, you know that I'm quite fond of guiding you through hamstring stretches. But have you ever wondered why? I'm certain I've mentioned some of the benefits, but I also recognize that sometimes, the information we hear quickly exits one ear without leaving a lasting impression in the brain. Let's delve a bit deeper into the world of hamstring muscles and review some of those advantages.

My mission is to empower you to enhance your health and overall well-being through the transformative practice of Therapeutic Yoga. I am dedicated to guiding individuals on the path of making yoga an integral part of their daily routines. This involves teaching simple yet powerful poses and brief sequences that, when practiced consistently, can yield remarkable positive changes in your life. You don't have to contort yourself into a pretzel to achieve a state of vibrant health and well-being.

Now, let's return to the subject of hamstrings.

The hamstrings are responsible for extending the hip and flexing the knee, but if they are excessively tight, they can't fulfill their roles effectively. Due to the substantial amount of connective tissue in the hamstrings, it takes time to enhance their flexibility. Static Stretching is arguably the best for achieving long-term flexibility, and the good news is that you only need to hold the stretch for about 60 seconds per area of the body, five times a week, to improve flexibility and range of motion. Recent studies have shown that weekly frequency is more important than stretching time within a single session—frequency over volume. Consistent practice is the key. Achieving flexible hamstrings requires a great deal of patience and regular practice. Performing a deep stretch like Supta Padangusthasana just once a week in a yoga class won't cut it; it's more beneficial to integrate it into your daily routine, perhaps once or even twice a day. The good news is that it only requires about five minutes of your daily time, something we all can spare, right?

In a yoga class, we engage in various types of asanas, which can generally be categorized into four groups: standing poses, inversions, twists, backbends, and forward bends. Different asanas demand strength and flexibility in various parts of the body. Hamstring strength is crucial in executing backbends, while hamstring flexibility is vital for mastering forward bends. This means that to perform these poses effectively and safely, you need both strong and flexible hamstrings, in addition to strength and flexibility in other parts of the body. It's important to note that we require a balance of both: flexibility and strength. Hamstrings that are overly flexible but lacking in strength can lead to hamstring origin strains or tears, resulting in discomfort during activities like sitting, stretching, or muscle use. Certainly, we want to avoid that.

Imbalanced hamstrings can result in a restricted range of motion and potentially lead to serious injuries. For instance, tight hamstrings can exert downward pressure on the sitting bones, potentially causing persistent low back pain. I consider this a crucial reason for daily hamstring stretching.

One of the fundamental messages in yoga is:

Preventing future pain is possible.

You just need to know how to do it.

So, how can you assess the condition of your hamstrings during your yoga practice? Two poses, Trikonasana and Adho Mukha Shvanasana, are excellent for feeling the effects of tight hamstrings in your body. In Trikonasana, tight hamstrings may cause compression on one side of the back while overstretching the other. In Adho Mukha Shvanasana on the other hand tight hamstrings pull on the sitting bones causing the back to round. If you do a forward bend like Janu Shirshansana and your hamstrings are tight, the sacrum tips backward creating a lot of strain on that area which in the long run can lead to injury.

It's worth noting that gender plays a role in hamstring flexibility. Women have a natural advantage in terms of flexibility due to the hormone relaxin, which is produced, particularly during pregnancy and childbirth, to facilitate pelvis opening. Relaxin loosens the pelvic ligaments and is also released during menstruation, making connective tissues more pliable. This makes menstruation an ideal time to practice hip openers. Not only do hip openers increase mobility but they also help alleviate menstrual cramps. On the other hand, men have higher levels of testosterone, which promotes muscle bulk and can lead to tighter hamstrings.

As you can see, our motivation for practicing yoga should go beyond achieving perfect poses; it should be about cultivating a healthier and more enjoyable life. Maintaining flexible and strong hamstrings allows you to navigate your daily activities with ease, and that's what truly matters. Fancy yoga poses can be an additional challenge that allows you to push your physical limits, but they shouldn't be the sole driving force behind your yoga practice.

If you'd like to learn how to keep your hamstrings (and your entire body) healthy, I invite you to join my Alignment-Based Hatha Yoga class at Mala Yoga in Thalwil on Fridays from 9:30-11:00 or book a private yoga session where we can tailor a practice to meet your specific needs.

Together, we will discover the true essence of yoga – a practice that not only fosters physical vitality but also nurtures your mental and emotional well-being. Through the art of Therapeutic Yoga, you'll embark on a journey towards a healthier, more balanced, and fulfilling life.

I warmly welcome you to a world where yoga is not just a class but a way of life! Private yoga classes can be conducted either online or in person.