1. Do a Proper Warmup
Before you engage in any fitness activity, especially any endurance event, it is smart to do an adequate warmup. If you chose not to, you might be setting yourself up for a trip to the athletic trainer’s office to get your led wrapped up and elevated. Try to do a dynamic warmup that is sport-specific (which means one that pertains to the event in which you are about to participate). It is important to warm up the hamstrings, because they will be more flexible and less apt to tighten up and pull when you are engaged in activity.
2. Dog It
I’m not referring to being lazy; I’m talking about a specific yoga pose called Downward-Facing Dog. It's great for strengthening the hamstrings and reducing the chances of pulling one when you can least afford it. You perform the position by getting on all fours, lifting your tail in the air and shifting your weight back on your heels. Your body should be in an inverted V shape. Try this several times a day for 30 to 60 seconds each time.
3. Push the Pace, But Don’t Overdo It
If you have a slightly strained or sore hamstring, do yourself a favor and let it heal. There is no need to rush into high-intensity action prematurely. Be smart about the condition of your hammies, and honor the fact that they want to recover before you hammer them again in an all-out sprint. It could cost you months of healing, as opposed to a couple of weeks.
4. Know That Symmetry Loves Company
If you are looking to preserve your hamstring muscles, try to achieve symmetry. Work the front and back of your legs evenly (to be more specific, this would mean the quads and hamstrings). The more evenly developed your legs are, the more resistant they will be to hamstring pulls. It is not uncommon for people to overcompensate by going too heavy on the quad exercises and not paying enough attention to the back side of the legs. This is a big mistake. Whenever you work your legs, make sure to balance out your workouts by including the hamstrings. Lunges are a great exercise, even if they are necessary evils: You love them and hate them at the same time. But that counts as balance too, right?
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