Make the Hamstrings Strong, Not Long

In the yoga world, forward folding is practically an obsession. We stand with our legs together and bend forward, we separate our feet and bend forward, we stand on one leg and bend forward, we sit and bend forward...you get the idea.

Rounded spine

Flat spine

When we bend forward, the backside of the body gets long. This generally includes the hamstrings and the back of the spine. In recent decades, due largely to the influences of demonstration (which encourages straight lines) and contortion, the spine has become flatter and flatter. This means that we often concentrate all the pressure of forward folds in the hamstrings, creating a jackknife look with straight legs and flat back, folded neatly at the hips (pictured left below).

While this looks quite impressive, it is not good for the body. In our culture, we generally already have weak hamstrings, so stretching them to such a degree serves no functional purpose. Instead, we are better served by strengthening the hamstrings, which will balance the hip joints and have profound effects on the abdomen and low back. ​

LOW BACK
Let's begin with the lower back. Most people have tightness there from sitting so much and from looking at computer screens and phones. The low back is reciprocally related to the hamstrings via the pelvis, meaning that the condition of one will generally be opposite of the other. So relaxed hamstrings make for an engaged low back; engaged hamstrings relax the low back. The more length we encourage in the hamstrings---by stretching them---the more shortness and tightness we are encouraging the in the low back. 

If we want to release tightness in the low back, it serves us to tighten and strengthen the hamstrings instead of stretch them.

ABDOMEN
The abdominal muscles, located as they are diagonally across the pelvis from the hamstrings, tend to share the hamstrings' condition. So when the hamstrings are long and weak, the abdomen is long and weak too. This is the condition that we most often find ourselves in.

(Thanks to Danny Kennedy Fitness)

​But most of us know that we need to strengthen our abdomen to support the spine and release the low back. The same can be said for the hamstrings: strengthening them will stabilize the pelvis and support the spine.

HIP FLEXORS
The muscles in the front of the hips, called the hip flexors, are another well-known area of tightness in the body. Their tightness is exacerbated by the amount of sitting we do. This tightness creates length in the hamstrings, because the two muscle groups are reciprocally related, i.e. the condition of one group is generally the opposite of the other.

It is well-known that we need to lengthen the hip flexors to relieve hip and spinal issues. Because the hip flexors are reciprocal to the hamstrings, length (stretching) in the hamstrings will lead to more shortness/tightness in the hip flexors, which is undesirable. Another reason why the hamstrings should be strong, not long.

Bridge Posture

Jastiasana, Stick Posture

STRENGTHEN THE HAMSTRINGS
Hopefully you can see that strong hamstrings will help to alleviate many common problems in the pelvis and spine, and that over-stretched hamstrings will exacerbate frequent pains and imbalances. So, how do we strengthen the hamstrings?

​Squatting exercises and postures like Chair Posture go a long way to strengthening the hamstrings and glutes. They also integrate the hips with the abdomen, which is great. See the link on the right (Understanding Chair Posture) if you have questions about how to do Chair Posture.

Another great way to strengthen the hamstrings is by tipping the body forward halfway, as in Balancing Stick, pictured at the top of this article. Balancing stick is done on one leg, but you can also do the exercise on both legs by standing on two feet and bending forward halfway. Don't go past halfway, since we're not trying to stretch the hamstrings. 

​Two great strengthening postures can be done lying on the back: Bridge Posture and Jastiasana, both pictured above. Lie on your back and lift your hips in the air. You will need strength in the back of your hips, and this strength will help to release your hip flexors.