Yoga Hamstring Stretches: 10 Best Yoga Poses for Hamstring Flexibility

Research shows that yoga can legit improve hamstring flexibility. Try these 10 yoga poses to stretch out those hammies and start feeling your best.

Whether you’re an athlete trying to bring your A-game or a desk job baddie trying to avoid aches and pains, tight hamstrings can really get in your way.

Tight hammies can increase your risk of a hamstring injury and contribute to muscular imbalances that cause low back and knee pain. Ugh.

But the good news is that a bunch of research has shown that stretching can improve hamstring flexibility. And if you practice yoga or are an aspiring yogi, you’ll love to hear that a 2020 study found that yoga can improve hamstring flexibility and improve function in everyday activities and athletic performance.

Sounds fab. So what yoga poses are the best of the best for stretching out those hamstrings? Here are our top 10 faves.

We’re going to take a look at the following athlete-approved poses, which’ll get you looser than your sh*tty jeans after sitting down for 20 minutes:

Ahh, old reliable. Downward dog is a basic yoga pose that's pretty dang easy to do. It’ll give your hamstrings and calves a nice stretch and even strengthen your upper body too.

Y’know when you’re watching the Olympics, and the sprinters are warming up with those big, slightly silly-looking kicks before they get into the blocks? That's essentially what you’re doing here, except you’re going to be lying down, and looking heckin’ cool. Awesome for hamstrings, calves, and your lower back.

Another great pose for beginners, this pose is deceptively awesome. It's proof that you can get a good stretch on your hamstrings, groin, and hips, while also loosening up your shoulders — all without folding yourself into a pretzel.

This pose does exactly what the name suggests — you’re basically folding yourself in half. And while that might sound slightly terrifying, there's no need to worry — this is a beginner-friendly pose that’ll stretch your hamstrings and calves.

We’re folding over again… except we’re taking it up a notch. Be prepared to headbutt the floor, so doing this on a yoga mat or carpeted area is definitely a smart move.

This one is basically a Spiderman pose (no, not the upside-down kiss — sorry). Great for hamstrings (obvi), but also your hips and back, and it's particularly nifty if you’re someone who sits at a desk for long periods of time.

This one gets those hamstrings, hips, and lower back working. Nice and straightforward, and makes you look like a pro athlete without any of the work (and sadly, without any of the wages, cry).

The last two poses might take a little time to work up to, plus an instructor to guide you through them. But if you already have some yoga experience, you might be able to dive right into ’em.

You might be thinking: "Sleeping? I can do that!"

Well, it's not quite that straightforward, as you’ll need to keep yourself pretty balanced in order to get the most out of a pose that’ll work your hamstring, thighs, and calves. But you’ll look super chill doing it.

Ahh, the majestic heron. While you might not look quite as regal as our avian friends when you’re doing this pose, you’ll be working your hamstrings, calves, and quads. And do herons get that while they’re fishing? No, they do not, so jump on this and feel superior.

You’re most likely to encounter hamstring probs if you do fast-paced sports which involve a lot of running or kicking, such as football, soccer, or track.

If you watch professional soccer, it can seem like at least one player per match pulls up with a tight hamstring, such is the pressure of all that sprinting and kicking. But you can also get tight hamstrings from moving too slowly, such as if you sit at a desk all day. Yup, it feels like we just can't win.

But that tight feeling is caused by the hamstring itself shortening — and that's why stretching is so important. Stretching those ‘strings helps to return them back toward their proper length, meaning that you can resume walking or running as you did before.

Plus, doing stretching exercises every day helps to prevent the hamstrings from shortening in the first place. And when the symptoms of tight hamstrings include:

… it's definitely something you want to avoid if you can.

A 2019 study found that instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (two common physical therapy methods for improving flexibility) are more effective at improving hamstring flexibility than static stretching alone.

So if you’re an athlete (or just love to exercise) and you’ve got super tight hammies, you might want to hit up a health professional to see if physical therapy is the move for you. A PT can help create a plan to regain your flexibility and prevent injury.

Tight hamstrings can be a nightmare for anyone who does sports, or even if you’re just innocently sitting at your desk. But consistent stretching and yoga can be an effective way to get that flexibility right back.

There are a number of really simple poses that won't have you folding yourself up into knots, which can really help out those hams — and even better, they’ll give your calves, hips, and back a good stretch too.

Give them a try, and you’ll be back to being the sports superstar you are in no time.