Hamstring Stretches

by Nathan
(Modesto, CA, USA)

Hi,

First of all, thanks for putting all the info you have online!

I was looking online to find some good hamstring stretches because out of everything, that seems to be what holds me back, especially when I tried yoga for the first time with a friend. I tried all of the stretches you have on the hamstring section for 60-90 seconds each and felt a lot more relaxed/limber overall afterwards, it was great! :) Then this morning I'm all stiff again haha. My question though is, how long/how often should I do the stretches to make some truly significant, longterm improvements to my hamstring flexibility?

Thanks,
Nathan

Tom Says:

Hi Nathan,


I know that the day after I do yoga I am often tighter than when I first started, especially if it was a difficult yoga session.

I think your question can vary so much from person to person. Some people gain flexibility incredibly fast, while others are not so lucky.

If you are looking for the absolute best improvements in your flexibility over time, you should stretch every day for at least 10-15 minutes.

You don't have to hold the stretches for a long amount of time (30s - 60s is good), but it is important that you do them frequently.

I think at the very least you should get good improvements from 3-4 stretching sessions per week. But as always, experiment and see what works best for your body.

All the best
Tom