Hamstrings are a group of muscles that run along the back of the thighs. The hamstrings are the largest muscles in the body and run down the entire thigh from the sit bones to the knees. There is a danger that the hamstrings can be overstretched. This causes tearing in the muscle and can take months to heal.
There are certain asanas that can help you safely increase flexibility in the hamstrings. If you have tight hamstrings and want to stretch them, try happy baby, extended side angle, reclined big toe pose, standing and wide legged forward bends, triangle and revolved triangle, half moon pose, and seated and wide legged seated forward bends.
To improve flexibility in the hamstrings and avoid injury, it is a good idea to stretch lightly before class begins. This warms up the muscles and can help prevent strain when you are using these muscles later in class. Once class begins, breathe, stretch slowly and relax into the stretch. It is important to never push your body. Pay attention to the cues of the body and gently stretch, but stop if you feel any pain to prevent injury.
You want to stretch the hamstrings, but not over stretch them. If you push to hard in any of these poses, you risk a hamstring injury. The hamstrings are the longest muscles in the body and you will know if you have strained the muscles.
Often, people think that stretching is the best way to reduce pain. While gentle stretching is beneficial for many injuries, it is not the best idea for hamstring injuries. In some cases, stretching will make the problem worse, cause more damage and take longer to heal.
The healing time depends on the severity of the strain. If the injury is significant, it can take months for the muscles to heal themselves. The most important thing you can do to help the hamstrings heal is to rest. Avoid stretching the hamstrings immediately after the injury.