Exercise library
Mobility and Stretching
Standing hamstring stretch
How to do it
- 1Stand facing a low step or sturdy support and place one heel on it with the knee straight or slightly soft.
- 2Keep your chest up and a gentle arch in your low back, then hinge forward slightly from your hips.
- 3Lean until you feel a comfortable stretch along the back of your thigh, avoiding bouncing or forcing the position.
- 4Hold for the prescribed time while breathing, then return to standing and repeat on the other leg.
Why this exercise
Think of the standing variant as a mobility-friendly version of the seated stretch. Same goal, but easier to get into and easier to keep a neutral spine, and you can do it quickly on almost any raised surface.
Make it easier
- Lower the height of the support
- Softer knee (slight knee bend)
- Shorter holds
Make it harder
- Slightly higher support
- Longer holds
- Add a gentle hip hinge (not rounding) to target the hamstrings, not your discs