Hamstring Foam Roll

Foam rolling the hamstrings to loosen the muscle, increase blood flow and work out muscle knots. This is a great method of warm-up and recovery.

Primary Muscle Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle(s) None
Difficulty Beginner
Also known as Hamstring roll, Hamstring rolling
Equipment Foam roller

Hamstring Foam Roll Guide

Tight hamstrings are a common problem and it's a muscle that can be prone to bad tears, lead to lower back pain, poor posture or limit your sporting performance. 

However, the hamstring muscle is one of the easiest to workout with a foam roller by performing the Hamstring Roll exercise - a great foam rolling movement for loosening the hamstrings and working out any tight areas of muscle.

How to do the Hamstring Foam Roll

  1. Begin by sitting up, supporting your bodyweight with your hands and the foam roller under your hamstrings. Feet should be straight out in front, and back remains straight.  
  2. Slowly roll back and forth from glute to knee, pausing on any tight spots in the muscle until the pain goes away. 
  3. Move from side-to-side to work the entire hamstrings muscle. 

Note: As the hamstrings have a much bigger surface area than muscles like the calves, your bodyweight will be more distributed and the foam roller exercise less effective. To counter this, simply train one leg at a time, supporting one leg on top of another to emphasise one side. Repeat the exercise for the other leg. 

This technique can be used with most muscle groups to control the amount of pressure exerted on the muscle by the foam roller. 

Disclaimer

Always consult your GP before undertaking any form of weight loss, fitness or exercise.