Hamstrings
This is the group of muscles that we find get tight due to a sedentary lifestyle and working at the computer for long periods of time! “Ham” from the Old English “ham or hom” meaning hollow or bend at the knee. “String” refers to tendons. The tendons of a pig’s hamstring muscle can be used to suspend ham during curing, which explains the origin of the muscle’s name
The location:
Posterior thigh (behind the thigh) made of a large group of muscles. Often called the biceps of the lower body. Hamstrings are the string like tendons felt on either side of the back of the knee. They all insert on the tibia and fibula of the lower leg and insert on the femur (thigh bone)
The muscle group’s made up of THREE muscles with FOUR attachments:
- Semitendinosus
- Semimembranosus
- Biceps femoris (which has two heads…long and short head)
Sometimes the adductor magnus is considered a part of the hamstring muscle group.
Muscle group function:
- Knee flexion
- Hip extension
- Rotate thigh
- Used for walking, running, jumping, and for other activities such as squats
Benefits:
When the hamstrings are weak, it disrupts the muscular balance of your body, which can cause pain and injuries to your knees, hips, and lower back. Strengthening these muscles can help your posture (the bridge is a good exercise for this). Your anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs) rely on the hamstrings to help stabilise your knees, so strengthening the hamstrings can lower your risk of injury!
