Hamstrings: Why They’re Tight (and What to Do About It)

- Ana Kokaurova. Certified Advanced Rolfer®. VASIE® Pilates Instructor Trainer. 

Tight hamstrings are one of the most common complaints I hear—but what if your hamstrings aren’t the problem, but the solution your body has come up with to protect you?

In this post, I’ll show you:
✅ How to test your own hamstring range the right way
✅ Why hamstrings often tighten for a reason
✅ What kinds of exercises actually help (and what doesn’t)
✅ How to reset your nervous system to create lasting flexibility

✅ First: What’s the Ideal Range of Motion?

The proper range of motion at the hip joint is 90–110°. That’s not a guess—it’s supported by research and biomechanics. If your leg lifts higher than that, you may actually have too much flexibility—which usually means less stability in your pelvis and low back.

🧪 Self-Test:

     1. Lie on your back.

     2. Keep a neutral curve in your low back (don't flatten it)

     3.  Slowly lift one leg straight up.

   If you get close to 90° without your low back moving, you’re doing well. If your leg goes way past that—or  doesn’t even come close—read on.

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❗️Why Tight Hamstrings Might Be a Good Thing

Hamstrings often tighten to protect something else—especially if:

 You’ve had low back pain or injury

You have a posterior pelvic tilt

 Your hip flexors are weak or deconditioned

 Your glutes are underactive

 Your pelvis is unstable

In these cases, your hamstrings are acting like guard dogs. They’re holding on tight to create a sense of stability.

🧠 Why Passive Stretching Doesn’t Work

Stretching alone often makes things worse—or just doesn't work—because:

• Muscles work in pairs. To lengthen one, the opposite must shorten.

• If the nervous system doesn’t feel safe, your body won’t let go.

• Passive stretching offers short-term gains, but the tension usually returns.

So instead of pulling harder on your hamstrings…
Train the opposing muscles—and give your brain new input.

🔁 Agonist/Antagonist: Your New Flexibility Strategy

Let’s say you’re doing scissors in class. Your back leg (hamstrings) feels stiff and tight. But what’s actually making that stretch possible?
➡️ Your quads (on the front of the leg) are doing the work.

By using your quads to lift the leg, you’re training your nervous system to allow the hamstrings to release.

This is the core principle behind lasting flexibility—and a foundation of the VASIE® Pilates method.

🔄 Try This: Active Hip Flexor & Quad Activation

Step 1: Sit on a hard, lifted surface (like a yoga block or low bench).
This places your pelvis in a better position.

Step 2: Keep a slight lumbar curve and bend your knees.

Step 3: Slowly drag one heel in, keeping your pelvis stable.
➡️ Don't let your low back move.
➡️ You should feel your hip flexors working.

Repeat 5–7x on each side.

This exercise activates the muscles that help your hamstrings release without yanking on them.

✨ Lower Hamstring Release: Quad-Led Scissor Stretch

Level 1: Hold behind your thigh and straighten the leg slowly.
Let the quad do the work. Breathe.

Level 2: Without using your hands, activate your quad to straighten the leg.
You’ll feel the stretch in the hamstrings—without pulling.

$2 for 20 days.

TONED-in-20  

 ⏳Lose Abs Inches

🍑Tone Glutes +Arms

🧠Focus Your Mind

VIEW OFFER

Take the challenge love the results 

 $2 for 20 days 

🔍 Why You Might Not Be Getting Results from Stretching

If you’ve been stretching for months and your hamstrings haven’t budged, there may be underlying causes:

• A posterior pelvis that keeps the hamstrings short

• Weak or tight glutes pulling on the leg chain

• Old injuries or instability in the spine or sacrum

• Lack of activation in the hip flexors or deep core

In these cases, the solution isn’t a better hamstring stretch—it’s a better system reset.

🧪 The Science: Pilates Improves Hamstring Flexibility

A 12-week study¹ found that just 1–2 Pilates sessions per week led to:

• Significant hamstring flexibility gains

• Better abdominal endurance

• Improved upper body strength

This matches what I’ve seen over 25+ years teaching VASIE: it’s not the stretch—it’s the neuromuscular conversationbetween muscles that makes the change.

📚 Link to the study

💡 Final Thought: Don’t Stretch Harder. Stretch Smarter.

Tight hamstrings are usually a symptom, not the root problem.
If you want real flexibility, train your:

• Quads and hip flexors to activate

• Glutes to stabilize the pelvis

• Core to support the spine

• And your nervous system to allow change

This is what makes the VASIE® method different—and why our clients often say:
"I feel longer, stronger, and more balanced—without even stretching that much."

Want to go deeper?
Join our online program or in-person classes to experience this system firsthand.

Because flexibility isn’t about pulling harder—
It’s about restoring harmony.