Skip navigation

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19485.htm

Hamstring stretch

Hamstring stretch

Overview

Extend one leg in front of you with the foot flexed. Bend your other knee and lean back slightly. Your pelvis should be tilted forward. Keep your upper body upright as you hold the stretch for 10 to 20 seconds, then switch sides.

You should feel the stretch up the back of your extended leg (all the way up your calf and thigh).

NOTE: Your supporting leg may get tired, as you have to balance your weight on it.

Review Date 7/25/2022

Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.