If you have a hamstring tear, you can do yoga nearly every day. You need to find the right yoga poses to strengthen and lengthen your hamstring and prevent further tearing and injury. The hamstring is the muscle connected to the tendons behind the knee. It is the antagonist to the quadriceps and is responsible for flexing the knee. Find yoga poses that allow you to gently relax into stretching the hamstring and others that will help build more stability in the knee and the quads to help support your torn hamstring.
Setu Bhandasana (Bridge Pose)
Traditionally, Bridge Pose is a backbend that helps lengthen the front of the chest and make the spine more flexible and strong. In Bridge Pose, you lie on your back, knee bent and heels close to your glutes. From here, plant your shoulders and palms into the ground and lift your hips as high as possible. With a torn hamstring, you will place a block under your lower back so you are not using your hamstrings as much and can breathe and relax into the pose easier. This type of stretching is termed passive static stretching, a way in which the muscle is lengthened by relaxing into it rather than actively stretching it.
Chair Twist
Using a chair when doing yoga is a great way to help take pressure off your torn hamstring and still get the benefits of a pose. Twists and rotations are extremely beneficial for your spine, especially to help make your lower back more flexible. Since your lower back is directly connected to your hamstrings, a more open lumbar spine allows your hamstrings to lengthen easier. Start sitting in a chair. Place a yoga block under your feet to help relax your hamstrings. Inhale and lengthen your spine tall. On the exhale, twist your torso to the right, placing your hands either on the corner of the back of the chair or across to the right side of the seat. Inhale to the center and repeat to the left as you exhale.
Chaturanga Dandasana (Plank Pose)
In Plank Pose, you are able to actively strengthen the entire body. Plank Pose begins on all fours, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under the hips. Walk your hands forward, shifting your hips forward so your spine is in one long line. Stay here with the knees on your ma or for more intensity, lift your knees up and just have your palms and the balls of your feet down. Engage your abdominals, externally rotate your shoulders and engage your quadriceps to keep you strong and stable while you hold Plank Pose and breathe calmly.
Urdhva Mukha Savanasana (Upward Facing Dog)
Upward Facing Dog is another backbend, but is a bit more active for the legs. This is another way to help make your lower back more flexible and your gluteal muscles more strong. Many times, a torn hamstring is a result of tight glutes or a tight lower back. Begin lying on your belly with your hands flat under your shoulders. With your feet hip-width distance apart and feet flat, begin to contract your quadriceps and glutes. As you inhale, lift your upper body, hips and legs off the ground. Your hips should be a few inches above the ground and your shoulder blades should be squeezing together behind you as just your palms and the tops of your feet touch the ground.
References
- "Key Muscles of Yoga: Scientific Keys Volume I;" Ray Long; 2006
- "Yoga Anatomy"; Leslie Kaminoff; 2007
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