Tight Hamstrings and Hip Flexors: Why They Can Lead to Low Back Pain
An aching lower back and poor posture may be a sign that your hamstrings are too tight.
It’s easy to overlook stiff hamstrings as a cause of low back pain, but when these muscles lose flexibility, they can affect other parts of the body, including your back.
Hamstrings are the muscles along the back of your thigh, running from the hip to the knee joint. They work when you stand up, climb stairs, or lower into a lunge.
Because this muscle group crosses two different joints, it can influence the condition of your knees, hips, and back. When your hamstrings are tight, everyday movement can feel harder, and pain in the knees, hips, and lower back may follow.
What Causes the Tightness
Tight hamstrings often do not work alone. You cannot fully stretch your hamstrings without also addressing your hip flexors. These two muscle groups are closely linked, and the flexibility of your hip flexors can affect how well your hamstrings can lengthen.
The hip flexors are made up of 5 different muscles, including the psoas muscles.
These muscles connect the lumbar spine to the thigh bone, called the femur. They help with forward flexion, hinging at the hips, and side-to-side movement.
When the hip flexors are stretched properly, it can also improve your hamstring stretch.
However, when the psoas muscles become tight, they can contribute to an anterior pelvis tilt. This posture places the pelvis in a tilted position, makes it harder to straighten your back, and can create added tension in the hamstrings.
Understanding the connection between tight hamstrings and tight hip flexors can help you support a healthier body, move better day to day, and work toward better athletic performance. It may also help with pain prevention and relief.
5 Stretches for Tight Hamstrings and Hip Flexors
1. Floor Hamstring Stretch
- Lie on your back on a mat with your arms at your sides and both legs straight.
- Raise your left leg up toward your body.
- Hold the leg with your hands just behind the knee.
- Gently draw the leg toward your chest until you feel the stretch in your hamstring.
2. Half Pigeon Stretch
- Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees.
- Bring your right leg forward.
- Rotate the lower leg so your right knee moves toward your right wrist and your right ankle comes behind your left wrist.
- Rest your right lower leg on the mat.
- If your hips are more open, your right shin may be nearly parallel to the short edge of the mat, with the foot just behind your left wrist.
- If your hip joint feels tighter, your shin may stay more on an angle, with the front ankle somewhere in front of your left hip and behind your left wrist.
- Pay attention to any discomfort in your right knee. If you have knee pain, try the Reclined Pigeon version instead.
- Extend your left leg back with the top of the foot resting on the mat.
- Place your hands on each side of your legs and rise onto your fingertips.
- As you inhale, lengthen your spine and reach the crown of your head upward.
- As you exhale, walk your hands forward and lower your forearms to the floor.
- Let your forehead move toward the floor and relax the back of your neck.
- After several slow breaths, place your hands on the mat in front of your front shin.
- Straighten your arms, lift your torso, and press back to tabletop.
- Repeat on the left side.
3. The World’s Greatest Stretch
- Begin in a high plank with your hands on the floor and your feet extended behind you.
- Keep your core and glutes engaged as you step your right foot forward next to your right hand.
- With control, lift your right hand up above your head while pressing your left hand into the floor.
- Feel your chest open and your shoulder blades squeeze together as your front thigh and back hamstring stretch.
- Tilt your head up and look toward your raised right hand.
- Hold for a few seconds, then return.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Alternate sides and repeat several times.
4. Hip Flexor Stretch
- Kneel on your affected leg and place your good leg in front with the knee bent.
- Keep the front foot flat on the floor.
- If you feel discomfort at the front of your knee, place a towel under it or do the stretch on a yoga mat.
- Keep your back straight and slowly press your hips forward.
- Stop when you feel a stretch in the upper thigh and hip of your back leg.
- Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat 2 to 4 times.
5. Glute Bridge
- Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor and your hands by your sides.
- Press your pelvis into the floor and lift your hips until your knees, glutes, and shoulders form a straight line.
- Avoid overextending your back, and squeeze your glutes as you lift.
- Hold at the top for 1 to 2 seconds, then lower back down.
- Complete 8 to 10 reps for a dynamic glute bridge.
- For a bridge hold, stay longer at the top and perform fewer reps.
A Simple Way to Move and Feel Better
When both the hamstrings and hip flexors are tight, your posture and movement can suffer. Stretching both areas can help reduce tension, support better alignment, and make everyday activities feel easier.
If you feel pain in your knee during Half Pigeon Stretch, try the Reclined Pigeon version of the pose.
Consult a healthcare professional before making changes.
