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| Hi Guys...
My hamstrings seem to be constantly tight and sore! And not seeming to get any better. I has some body work done last week, and my MT was amused (for lack of a better word) about how much tension and tightness was stored in them. He did some stuff that felt good and recommended that I micro-bend my knees for a while to help them.
I am trying to take his advice (it's hard!) and am massaging them myself. However, I'd like to know if any of you have dealt with hamstrings that just wouldn't "give it up." I feel like I am hitting my first (of probably many to come) plateau. I feel like I should be advancing faster, but they are holding me back. It changes from day to day...one day the let me put my hands on the floor and feel great, but the next 3 days they seem to mock me.
What's going on with them? I'm trying to take it easy and keep them happy and loved...but I'd like to know more about what might be going on with them. Why are they causing me so much frustration.
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| Well, assuming you aren't somehow injured which may be the case considering that you are "constantly tight and sore," then you should consider that it takes a long time to over come and change the length of your muscles. Be patient.
Many yogis injure their hamstrings or the attachments due to excessive stretching. The deep forward bend is one of the quintessential yoga poses along with lotus and headstand. People get themselves literally bent out of shape trying to perfect these poses far too quickly. I recommend backing off until the pain subsides and then starting up again....SLOWLY.
Body work and massage are good. Trying different types of stretching is a another way to go about it. Yoga is mostly static stretching. You can warm up with some gentle dynamic stretching such as leg swings and kicks. You can also investigate PNF techniques. You can also gain lots of strength and flexibility by doing Romanian Deadlifts off blocks. You can also try doing hyper extensions on the glute ham machine and reverse hyper extensions on a reverse hyper deck or swiss ball or from headstand. Sometimes stepping off your mat and trying something else will help you on your mat.
Again be careful that you don't stretch your lower back too much. Good form will keep the stretch in your hams and not in your back which could lead to injury e.g. a herniated disc. I have a lower back injury so now I have to pay special attention to how I bend.
Consider that you might be imbalanced in your muscles and need to strengthen your quads, hip flexors and abs as well. Everything is connected and you should explore the relationship that these muscles have to your hams. Weak abs lead to poor forward bending! Also consider that your calves, glutes and lower back might also be tight. Or conversely they might be loose and helping you compensate in your stretching and relieving stress from your hams.
A simple question like why are my Hams tight? Is not so easily answered. It's best to find a yoga teacher or body worker or physical therapist or anatomist or gymnastics coach to help you see what exactly is going on and prescribe you a course of action to take.
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| Thanks Keith--I needed the same pick me up advice--30 years of jogging and military formation is not easy to overcome evn with two years of steady practice--but, we keep a working at it. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Julie Gudmestad, who writes the anatomy column in Yoga Journal says that if you could see what hamstring fibers look like you would understand why they are sooooo resistant to stretching. Apparently they are very thick and sort of glommed together (And there is another reason I am not ever going to be a physio - cadaver dissection!  ) and really, really strong. Often we do injure the ligaments or attachments because they will "give" easier than the muscle. She suggests hamstring stretches be held for 2 minutes to START and longer to actually get them to start moving. A good bodyworker can be a huge help. Rolfing or Hellerwork can get much deeper than massage and also dealwith all the other little imbalances, if you can afford it. |
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| The lines between injury and soreness seem really blurry to me. I don't consider myself injured as I don't feel pain in my daily life. My hamstrings are causing me more frustration as I as able to warm them up and bend forward to touch my toes in class, but the rest of the day its a challenge. Its been my understanding that I need to breakdown those thick fibers as tourist mentioned to make them more loose. I have no idea where that information comes from, though. Yoga Guy, where do you make the distinction between the two?
Under the same prinicple, I would have thought that my hamstrings would start loosening up and it would be easier to do the forward bends, etc, but it seems that its not. However, that's based on my judgement, which isn't necessarily accurate as I am always pushing myself a little further. I'm still a beginner, so I still have a long way to go. And of course, I push myself (or my teacher does an adjustment) and which makes me sore again, and so there is this cycle that seems endless.
I wish I could afford a session with the bodyworker every week, but that's just not in the budget. It would be nice to be able to sit down with someone and really figure out what's going with my body. With yoga being so new still, I'm sure my body is still adjusting....maybe even rebelling a bit. |
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| tigrsunam - 2005-04-05 8:46 PM
The lines between injury and soreness seem really blurry to me. I don't consider myself injured as I don't feel pain in my daily life. My hamstrings are causing me more frustration as I as able to warm them up and bend forward to touch my toes in class, but the rest of the day its a challenge. Its been my understanding that I need to breakdown those thick fibers as tourist mentioned to make them more loose. I have no idea where that information comes from, though. Yoga Guy, where do you make the distinction between the two?
Under the same prinicple, I would have thought that my hamstrings would start loosening up and it would be easier to do the forward bends, etc, but it seems that its not. However, that's based on my judgement, which isn't necessarily accurate as I am always pushing myself a little further. I'm still a beginner, so I still have a long way to go. And of course, I push myself (or my teacher does an adjustment) and which makes me sore again, and so there is this cycle that seems endless.
I wish I could afford a session with the bodyworker every week, but that's just not in the budget. It would be nice to be able to sit down with someone and really figure out what's going with my body. With yoga being so new still, I'm sure my body is still adjusting....maybe even rebelling a bit.
Like I said, give it time. If you are sore all the time, then give it a rest. Warm baths and massages are a good idea. As tourist said, the connective tissues are what are most easily damaged. If you feel pain near your sit bones or behind your knees, then it is a good sign that you've damaged the tendons. If you feel pain in the belly of the muscle you may have strained them or they could just be "good sore". Although, a chronic condition is a bad sign. So take it easy. Frustration is a wasted emotion.
Frustration will lead you to injury as you keep pushing your body further and further before it is ready.
As I said before everything is connected. As you rest your hams give your abs a deep workout. Strengthen the agonist (abs, quads and hip flexor) muscles and they will help stretch the antagonist (hams) muscles. If you focus on the hamstrings too much you will lose sight of the big picture. Balance your body.
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| Ah. Patience, Another value to be learned in yoga.
My soreness is in the center of the the back of the legs...so I am glad to hear your accessment that its a "good sore." I will take your advice, Yoga Guy, and just give it time working on the other areas. Obviously, the hamstrings are on my mind because I can feel the soreness throughout the day.
Thanks! |
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| tigrsunam - 2005-04-05 10:20 PM
Ah. Patience, Another value to be learned in yoga.
My soreness is in the center of the the back of the legs...so I am glad to hear your accessment that its a "good sore." I will take your advice, Yoga Guy, and just give it time working on the other areas. Obviously, the hamstrings are on my mind because I can feel the soreness throughout the day.
Thanks!
There is "good sore" and there is muscle strain. It's harder to tell the difference. If it's chronic, back off for a few days and see how you feel. If it's a good sore it will feel good when it's warmed up and your hams will still be strong. If it's a muscle strain it will also feel good when warmed up, but you will probably hurt more while using your hams and you will probably lose some strength. You have to rest a couple of days to let them relax and you'll be better able to tell. Once you pull a hamstring it takes a long time to heal. So rest it now before it's too late.
I have tight hamstrings too. And I'll work at them for weeks at a time. Then I'll be in a class and the teacher will move us into bound triangle. I can't do bound triangle--never could. Of course, when I'm really warm and my hamstrings feel really lose, I THINK I can do bound triangle. I've pulled my hamstring twice with that same darn pose. Third time's the charm, right? Wrong!
You might have to figure it out for yourself or you can take the fast track and listen to someone who has lots of injuries. 
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| I took a restorative class the other day where we focused on the hamstrings and the "energy line" that they run along (at least that's what the instructor said). It felt good. Definetly found some tight spots along the way I worked on. Then took a few days off. This morning I practiced again (Ashtanga) and they were still tight and are probably going to he sore tomorrow. I mentioned to my teacher that they were tight and he's backed off giving me those DEEP forward bend adjustments. As I get warmed up they definetly are easier to work with, but still a little tender. Its hard to tell!
There also seems to two different types of soreness going on. First in the middle of the back of my legs. The second in more the inner upper...which seems to be more intense of a sensation. Its not pain, but its doesn't tickle. I feel it most those widelegged forward bends (sanskrit name?).
How can you tell what that line is between pushing further into the pose so you can get better and overextending and causing your body harm? |
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| Do your hamstrings feel constantly tight, and like they are getting tighter all the time when doing Ashtanga?
I've found that othe types of yoga benefit sensitive hamstrings. Holding poses like Chair and ragdoll to warm up seem to help a lot. the long hold before commending heavier activity really helps. You might want to try Iyengar, or Anusara who seem to do better with this type of thing.
If I'm really cramped in exactly the place you describe the best type of Yoga is Bikram. |
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| MrD, I am addicted to Ashtanga right now. I like that their is a set series that everyone goes through. Its interesting that the same series affects people differently. It is hard on my hamstrings, but everything else is just cool and fun to me. And my arms/shoulders are looking better everyday!
While I don't think I will be going to a Bikram class, I think the idea of diversifying my practice will help. My studio offers Forrest Yoga classes and I might start frequenting them more. I also go to a restorative class that is taught by an Iyengar yogi. I've never seen an Ansura ...is it called by another name possibly?
AM |
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| tigrsunam - 2005-04-13 12:22 PM
MrD, I am addicted to Ashtanga right now. I like that their is a set series that everyone goes through. Its interesting that the same series affects people differently. It is hard on my hamstrings, but everything else is just cool and fun to me. And my arms/shoulders are looking better everyday!
While I don't think I will be going to a Bikram class, I think the idea of diversifying my practice will help. My studio offers Forrest Yoga classes and I might start frequenting them more. I also go to a restorative class that is taught by an Iyengar yogi. I've never seen an Ansura ...is it called by another name possibly?
AM
I had a workshop wtih Anna Forrest last year. Boy, if I had a chance I would attend Forrest Yoga a lot. Her yoga is essentially Ashtanga based, but has huge modifications. It won't be a set series, but will do the same moves. Anna is especially concerned with avoiding and treating injuries. She has a real gift. If I were a teachers hers Certification would certainly be one I would like to do. Try a class or two, then see what the instructor can offer after she's had a chance to observe you a few times.
Restorative classes help me, but I have to make sure that I'm warmed up well before I do into the class.
Edited by MrD 2005-04-13 1:49 PM
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| Tiger, I've been doing Ashtanga for about 9 months and the one thing I've noticed (besides looking more like a linebacker) is how my hips have actually gotten tighter. I injured my hamstring attachment by not paying attention and pushing too hard, and it took 3 months to heal.As far as Anusara, you probably won't hear about it by anyother name. There aren't that many teachers, so you might have trouble finding a class - I live in Miami and I only know of 4 local Anusara teachers. Try WWW.Anusara.com to find a teacher local to you. I've been going to Anusara classes about 4 to 6 times a month and I definitely go deeper in uttanasana than in Ashtanga class. I honestly love it. One thing that surprises me is the amount of men in the classes - more than Ashtanga, even!Try it, you might like itMelissa |
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| MrD - 2005-04-13 1:46 PM
I had a workshop wtih Anna Forrest last year. Boy, if I had a chance I would attend Forrest Yoga a lot. Her yoga is essentially Ashtanga based, but has huge modifications. It won't be a set series, but will do the same moves. Anna is especially concerned with avoiding and treating injuries. She has a real gift. If I were a teachers hers Certification would certainly be one I would like to do. Try a class or two, then see what the instructor can offer after she's had a chance to observe you a few times.
Restorative classes help me, but I have to make sure that I'm warmed up well before I do into the class.
Corrected spelling. 
I had a workshop wtih Anna Forrest last year. Boy, if I had a chance I would attend Forrest Yoga a lot. Her yoga is essentially Ashtanga based, but has huge modifications. It won't be a set series, but will do the same moves. Anna is especially concerned with avoiding and treating injuries. She has a real gift. If I were a teacher her Certification course would certainly be one I would like to take. Try a class or two, then see what the instructor can offer after she's had a chance to observe you a few times.
Restorative classes help me, but I have to make sure that I'm warmed up well before I go into the class.
Edited by MrD 2005-04-13 5:57 PM
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Stubborn Hamstrings
