If you suffer from regular backache but can’t seem to find any relief from back stretches, the root of the problem could lie elsewhere.
According to yoga instructor Imogen Smith, tight hamstrings could be the culprit.
“When your hamstrings are tight, they can pull the pelvis down and under, and create a posterior tilt to the pelvis,” says Smith. This change in pelvis position puts extra stress on the spine.
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Lower-back pain is a common complaint from Smith’s new clients at MoreYoga. Once she delves into a client’s “lifestyle and movement patterns” outside of the yoga studio, she builds a picture of the cause of the back pain.
“Prolonged sitting is a big one, as hamstrings stay in a shortened position for hours,” says Smith. She finds runners and gym-goers are especially prone, too, due to “repetitive training without lengthening the hamstrings.”
And she has one simple test to check if it is indeed the hamstrings that are the problem. “If people find that their lower-back pain fades or lessens through a forward fold with bent knees, then tight hamstring problems are likely related to the problem.”
Smith suggests three moves that can help release tension in your hamstrings. You can use them as standalone poses or as a sequence.
Yoga poses for tight hamstrings
The three moves that Smith recommends are:
- Ragdoll/standing forward fold (uttanasana)
- Seated head-to-knee pose (janu sirsasana)
- Reclined hand-to-big-toe pose (supta padanghusthasana)
“I actually do ragdoll pose every single day, multiple times a day, as I find it provides instant relief to my back whenever I feel like I need it,” says Smith. “If I had one yoga pose I would recommend doing every day it would be ragdoll.
“However, a combination of these three moves will mean you are getting a good stretch through the hamstrings as well as the lower back—and release tension you might be holding in these areas.
“I think this is a nice sequence to do as a lunch break reset or a wind-down routine in the evening. I recommend doing it at least two or three times a week.”
1. Ragdoll/standing forward fold (uttanasana)
Time: 30-60sec
- Stand upright with your feet close together.
- Inhale as you lengthen through your spine.
- Exhale as you hinge at your hips to fold forward, drawing your chest toward your thighs. Bend your knees as much as you need.
- Let your head hang.
- For ragdoll: clasp your hands around opposite elbows and rock or sway your torso from side to side.
“Ragdoll allows you to passively lengthen your hamstrings,” says Smith. “As it is a forward fold with knees bent, and you allow your torso to hang, you’re not actively pulling on your hamstrings—gravity does the work for you. As your spine drapes and relaxes there is a decompression through the spine too.”
2. Seated head-to-knee pose (janu sirsasana)
Time: 30-60sec each side
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you or on a folded blanket to raise your hips for extra comfort.
- Bend your right knee and rest your right foot on the inside of your left thigh.
- Place both hands around your left leg, with a soft bend in your left knee and flex your left foot.
- Inhale as you lengthen through your spine and lift your chest.
- Exhale as you fold forward over your left leg, leading with your chest.
- Relax your head and neck and stay here for around five breaths.
- Gently roll your spine back up to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
Teacher tip: Use your inhalation to find more length in your spine, and each exhalation to fold a little deeper.
“Head-to-knee pose allows you to target one leg at a time and focus deeply on a single leg’s hamstrings, meaning you can level out imbalances a little better, and adjust intensity more precisely,” explains Smith. “When using your breath to lengthen your spine rather than rounding your back, you also decompress your lower back and spine area.”
3. Reclined hand-to-big-toe pose (supta padanghusthasana)
Time: 30-60sec each side
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Bring your right knee into your chest, then extend your right leg up, flexing your foot, to stretch your right hamstring.
- Clasp your hands anywhere along the back of your right leg.
- Keep both shoulders flat on the floor.
- Gently flex your right foot toward you each time you exhale.
- Stay for about six breaths, then repeat on the other side.
Teacher tip: Extend through your left leg to deepen the stretch.
“This pose isolates your hamstrings without straining your lower back,” explains Smith. “As you are lying on your back, this can also help with nervous system regulation.”
Having been a regular practitioner of yoga for over eight years, Imogen Smith completed her Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) in London across 18 months between 2021-2023. Yoga has had a profound impact on Imogen’s mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing, and she is passionate about sharing the practice so that others can reap similar benefits. Since completing her YTT, Imogen teaches various styles of yoga—such as vinyasa, power, hatha and yin—at multiple yoga studios (including MoreYoga) and gyms across central and West London.