How to Avoid Hamstring Muscle Pulls

The hamstring is a group of three muscles than run down the back of the leg. These muscles bend the leg at the knee and power the body during running or sprinting. When the hamstring is pulled, it means muscle fibers have been torn either fully or partially. There are many ways to prevent hamstring pulls.

Instructions

  1. Steps

    • 1

      Warm up prior to exercising. Warming up your body is important to prepare it for strenuous activity while reducing the likelihood of muscle strains. Warming up increases your body temperature, making your muscles more elastic and increasing your range of motion, according to Fitness Health 101. To properly warm up your hamstrings, perform a slow jog for a few minutes, stretch gently with forward bends, and do high-knees, pulling your knees up as high as you can with legs bent. Ease into your workout gradually once you are warmed up.

    • 2

      Lift weights regularly to strengthen hamstrings because stronger hamstrings are less susceptible to injury. Most people who perform a lot of lower-body moves tend to have stronger quadriceps, the muscles on the front of the leg. This can cause a muscular imbalance and lead to injury. Perform a hamstring exercise for every quadriceps-strengthening exercise to help prevent injury. For example, after performing a set of squats, perform a set of hamstring curls on the leg curl machine.

    • 3

      One of the most common causes of hamstring pulls is inflexibility. Regular stretching, before and after a workout, is essential to preventing injury. It reduces muscle tension, increases range of motion and energy and increases blood circulation to muscles, according to Fitness Health 101. To stretch your hamstrings, sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Slowly bend over, reaching your fingertips to your toes until you feel a gentle stretch down the backs of your legs. Hold the stretch for a few moments while breathing deeply. Avoid bouncing or jerking and never stretch to the point of pain. This stretch should feel good.

    • 4

      Stay hydrated. Performing exercise while dehydrated can increase chances of injury and muscle soreness, according to a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training. Training during dehydration can cause skeletal muscle damage and lead to connective tissue damage. Dehydration also increases the risk of DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness, reducing athletic performance and increasing the risk of further injury. Drink water throughout the day, and increase your water intake before, during, and after strenuous workouts to prevent dehydration.