Welcome to this video where we're going to take you through some hamstring strength exercises for
runners that you can do at home. So, hamstrings are important for that stability when you're running.
And means that you can efficiently work other muscles and so, it is an important
aspect of your exercises that I think you should be doing.
My name is Claire. I'm a Physiotherapist from PhysioFit Health.
If you haven't yet done any hamstring strength exercises or not overly
familiar with them. Then, just check out our video we've got for beginners and that will take you
through some of the more basic exercises. And then you can check out these ones when you're a little
bit more familiar. This is a great exercise to do for your hamstrings. It is quite challenging
to do and you might need somebody to help with you holding your feet. Or if you've got something just
to hook your feet underneath. And even with your knees you can have a rolled-up towel or something
on the knees if you need to just to make them a little bit more comfortable. So, I'll just fix here.
So, feet are fixed. You're on your knees and you're up nice and tall. Now, you're thinking about hinging
at the hips so, you keep hinging at the knee and you keep the hips nice and still. And then all
you're going to do is lean the body forwards as far as you feel you can do. You should feel the
back of the legs working and then return yourself back to your upright position. So, I would get you
breathing out as you lean the body forwards and then you're breathing in as you return back.
I'd get you doing your 6 - 8 or so repetitions so, try out. It is a challenge but
it is quite a good one to do for the hamstrings. This exercise you can do in standing, I'm going
to get you bending your knees and you're going to take all of your weight onto that right leg.
So, knee bent, all of that weight's on that right leg and you're going to move that left
leg just out to the side touching the toes to the floor so, you're kind of in your start position.
Now, think about your hips. Headlights on your hips are facing forwards. The movement
that you're wanting to do is rotate the body and the hips around to the side. And then return back
to your start position. So, knee on that right side stays facing forwards but the hips you're going to
hips and body you're going to rotate. And I think it's easy if you think about kind of foot tapping
behind the body and then returning forwards. So, I'd get you doing 8 - 10 repetitions and
then you're going to obviously do the other side. And it is a bit of a combo this one. Yes, it's going to
get your hamstrings because you're in standing but it's also gonna get some of that stability around
the hips and the pelvis. So, combination one but a very good one to do. This exercise you're going
to do in standing, it's the combination one of hamstrings and it's going to work
these muscles at the side of the legs. But I'd get you, using a band so, we've got a grey band which
is fairly strong. It's going to give us stability but it's also going to work the muscles in a
slightly different way. So, you're going to loop the band under your right foot. Put it on tension
and see if you can just hold the band around the chest area. So, elbows are kind of out to the side
and then you're setting up with your knee bent. So, that right knee bent. All of that weight is
on that right leg and the left leg is out to the side. And then your movement is, you're going to
sweep that leg out to the side. The hips are going to come around
and you can even get the body twisting a little bit and then returning back to your start position.
The important thing is to just double check that knee on that the right side
stays facing forwards but the body and the hips can kind of twist and rotate. So, try it out.
You're going to do 8 - 10 repetitions and then you're going to repeat on the other side.
Those are your hamstring strength exercises that you can check out. They're really good for
runners. Now, don't forget that flexibility is really important and that's your kind of
foundation and building blocks. And then what you're doing with these exercises is building
on those foundations because they're going into more your strength and in endurance which will
help with your running. If you really want to focus more on that flexibility, we have an
8-week deep squat challenge. You can sign up for in the details below. It takes you eight weeks.
Each week, you just run through different exercises for the different joints of the leg.
And you come out with a lovely workout that will help that deep squat and ultimately lay
the foundations of flexibility which can then help you with your running. So, sign up!