It Takes More Than Stretching for Runners To Relieve Pain in Their Hamstrings

Try these different methods to relieve pain in tight or sore hamstrings after or before a run.

Steve Williams, of Carmel, Indiana, center, races to the finish line to complete the half-marathon course in a time of 1:18:07. Runners compete in the 17th Annual Indianapolis Monumental Marathon Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, which begins and ends near the Indiana Statehouse in downtown Indianapolis. The 26.2-mile course, known for its flat, fast route, winds throughout the city. / Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When someone is feeling pain or soreness in a body part, such as the hamstrings, it is natural to believe that stretching things out can help relieve some of it. There are certainly important benefits to stretching, but it isn’t always the best remedy.

Tightness in the hamstrings can arise from them being overstretched already. So, doing more exercises could do more damage than good.

There are a few common causes that will lead to hamstrings feeling tight and sore. Most often, it is pelvic misalignment which can be caused by the strength ratio in the quadriceps and hamstrings being out of balance.

Over-lengthened hamstring muscles combined with tightness put incredible stress on the hamstrings. This becomes a bigger stressor when running, as the motion of swinging the leg forward extends the muscle further, putting more stress and increasing the risk of injury.

Pay attention to warning signs, such as pain, as serious injury could occur if ignored. Part of the problem can also be muscle weakness, which is the third common cause.

The glutes play a major role in this.

“The hamstrings work as a secondary ‘booster’ for hip extension [when the leg swings behind you], but are not the main movers. If the gluteus maximus becomes fatigued, or the hamstring ‘co-activates’ with the gluteus maximus, the hamstrings may also undergo excessive strain,” explained John Vasudevan, M.D., associate professor of clinical physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Pennsylvania and co-director of the Penn Medicine Running and Endurance Sports Program, via Suan Paul of Runners World.

How can you avoid these issues and relieve the tightness and soreness? There are several exercises that will help get that done.

Regularly doing a standing quad stretch where you roll your quads and hip flexors will help keep flexibility up and soreness down. Warming up your spine with some cat-cow yoga that will help stretch and open up the lower back.

Core muscles are key to having strong hamstrings. Exercises such as planks are smart to incorporate into your routine as they will help strengthen your abdominals. 

Single-leg glute bridges will help you find any imbalances. Put an emphasis on full range of motion to see what areas need a little more attention to ensure injuries don’t occur.

Gentle hamstring stretches are recommended, extending one leg up in the air, with your foot flexed, with a soft pulling of the toes toward your forehead as you are in a lying down position. This stretch can help improve hip extension when running, and fixing mobility-related issues.

Icing the area after any physical activity for 15-20 minutes and wearing compression shorts can certainly help. Some different training methods, such as using the stair climber or swimming, can be added to your routine to target the area but with a little less stress.

Massage therapy and physical therapy can also help in healing and restoration. Circulation, healing and restoration can be achieved by those methods.