The 4 Best Hamstring Exercises

Had a hamstring tear before? Or two? 

Ever wondered why you get them again and again?


Hamstring tears (or strains) are one of the most prevalent injuries in sports. More importantly however, they also have a high rate of recurrence. 
About 30% of people who suffer a hamstring tear will have a re-tear in the first year of return to sport, with subsequent tears often being worse. 
Hamstrings tears are most commonly seen in sports like soccer, basketball, football and sprinting.The hamstring muscles help to bend our knees and extend our hips backwards. 

The importance of proper rehabilitation of a hamstring tear is to obtain adequate strength to return to the demands of sport and prevent a re-tear.
The exercises in this video demonstrate just some of the progressions that are useful in hamstring tear rehabilitation. 
- Heel slide
- Tummy lying knee bend/leg lift
- Single leg eccentric bridge
- Slide back lunge
The exercises you do for rehab depend on your grade on injury/tear and what stage of your rehab you’re up to. 


Heel slide

• Slide your heel towards your bottom and then extend your leg back out. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions

 
Tummy lying knee bend/leg lift

• Lie on your tummy and start by bending your knee to 90 degrees, then lift the thigh up, keeping your hips in contact with the floor. Straighten your knee out and then lower back down

 
Single leg eccentric bridge

• Push to lift your hips towards the sky (body is in line with legs). Raise your good leg, and lower down slowly on your injured leg

 
Slide back lunge

• Standing by a door handle or some support, slide your good leg back slowly. Keep your back straight and your injured knee slightly bent. Push back up and repeat. Useful tip: wear socks on the sliding back foot