Hamstring muscles run from your hip to just below your knee. Recovery exercises will strengthen and stretch your hamstring muscles, which bend your knee and help support your knee joint. Do rehabilitation exercises diligently to help speed your recovery and to achieve the best results.
Prone Knee Bends
Strengthen your hamstrings by doing prone, or laying down, knee bends. Lay face down on a comfortable surface. Keep your thighs on the surface as you bend your injured knee. Bend as far as possible. Hold this position for five seconds. Slowly return your leg to the original position. Relax for 10 seconds. Repeat this exercise five times.
Wall Stretch
Stretch your hamstring by doing a wall stretch. Lay on your back near a wall and place your injured leg up against the wall. Do not bend your knee. The closer your body is to the wall, the greater your stretch will be. Hold the stretch for one minute. Slowly slide your body away from the wall to place your leg flat on the floor. Rest for one minute. Repeat this exercise five times. Another way you can stretch your hamstring with a wall stretch is by lifting your injured leg away from the wall and towards your body. Make certain to keep your injured leg straight as you move it towards you.
Chair Pull
Hamstring recovery exercises need to include strengthening exercises. Doing a chair pull will satisfy this, states the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma. Find a chair or stool with wheels, such as an office chair. Sit upright in the chair. Adjust the chair height so that your feet touch the floor. Lift your uninjured leg off the floor and keep your injured leg on the floor. Start pulling yourself across the floor. As you move your chair forward, bend your knee. Bring the chair towards your foot. Make certain the foot on your injured leg does not slide on the floor. When you have bent your knee as far as possible, lift your injured leg and extend it in front of you. Pull yourself again. Keep repeating this pulling motion to slowly move yourself around the room. Pull yourself for two minutes. Relax for 30 seconds. Start doing this exercise on a linoleum surface. As you progress and become stronger, you can increase your intensity and difficulty by using a carpeted surface.
Sitting Hamstring Stretch
Increase your hamstring's flexibility by doing a sitting hamstring stretch. Sit upright on a flat surface. Bend your uninjured knee to place your leg to your side. Keep your injured leg as straight as possible, fully extended in front of you. Slowly bend forward from your hips. Keep your chin up and back straight. Make certain your toes are pointing upwards. As you increase your stretch, reach your hands toward your toes. Outstretch your hands. When you have bent as far as possible, hold the stretch for 20 seconds. Slowly return to the original sitting position. Relax for five seconds. Repeat this exercise five times.
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