5 Best Yoga Exercises for Tight Hamstrings

Tight hamstrings are a common problem, especially for people who sit at a desk all day. You don't need to hit the gym or try fancy exercises to relieve your hamstrings of pain.

If you're looking to stretch your hip flexors and release tension in your hamstrings and glutes (and maybe improve your posture), try out a few yoga exercises.

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Yoga Exercises for Tight Hamstrings

Here's a look at five such exercises:

#1 Child's Pose

It's done as follows:

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
• Bend your knees, and bring them back towards your torso till they rest on the floor with the soles of your feet facing up.
• Lean forward from your hips, lowering your chest toward the floor.
• Place folded arms beneath you for extra support, if desired. Hold for 30 seconds to one minute, breathing deeply throughout.

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#2 Cobra Pose

The cobra pose is a great way to increase your range of motion and stretch the hamstrings.

It's done as follows:

• Lie flat on your stomach, with both hands flat on the floor by your shoulders.
• Your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees and pointed towards each other as if you are making a triangle shape with them against the floor.
• Push into those elbows as if they were pushing against someone’s chest while simultaneously raising up off of the ground (or mat).
• You can hold this position for 5-10 breaths before releasing back down to rest.

That will provide an intense stretch through the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.

It's important to keep your spine in a neutral position throughout this exercise, so don't let it flex or extend too much during any phase of the pose.

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#3 Forward Fold

To do this exercise:

• Stand on your mat with your legs extended and toes pointed.
• Raise arms above your head, and interlace your fingers. Bend forward from the hips, keeping a straight spine (do not lean back).
• Let your arms come down to rest on the floor behind you, if desired, or keep them up as you fold over further into your asana (yoga pose).
• Hold for 10-20 seconds before slowly returning to an upright position, with your hands in prayer position at the heart center, or lower your arms slowly down to your sides as you breathe deeply for 5-10 breaths.

This is a modification of this pose where the feet are together instead of apart but still hip-width apart so that the knees don’t go beyond the toes on either side.

Make sure that the hips stay square towards the front edge of the mat, which means even though the knees may be slightly bent, don't tilt them outwards towards each other too much. Ensure they're parallel throughout the entire duration of the exercise, as safe alignment is key.

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#4 Seated Forward Fold

To perform this exercise, follow these steps:

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
• Bend forward, and rest your hands on the floor.
• Keep your spine straight and head in line with your spine.
• Keep your knees bent, and feet flat on the floor.
• Hold for 30 seconds to a minute.

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#5 Reverse Table Top Stretch

Here's how to do a reverse table-top stretch:

• Lie on your back with your legs in the air, and reach your arms above your head to rest on the floor. Get into a bridge position, and make sure your palms are facing inward.
• Lift your hips up towards the ceiling, keeping them parallel to the floor at all times.
• Hold for 30 seconds, and lower down slowly back to the ground before repeating three more times for a total of four repetitions per set.

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Takeaway

To surmise, yoga is a great way to stretch the hamstrings. The aforementioned exercises are a good place to start if you're new to yoga or just want some simple stretches that can fit into any routine.

If you're afraid of hurting yourself while trying these poses out, remember that it's normal for some muscles and joints to hurt when they're stretched beyond their usual range of motion.

You should only feel discomfort during the stretch itself (usually around three seconds) before the muscles relax again once they return to their original position.