Hamstring Strain/Tear Intermediate Exercise Programme
Aim to perform this programme a minimum of once per day unless prescribed otherwise. As with any new exercise, start slowly (repetitions as able) and build up as you are able within the guidelines below.
Pain should not exceed 3/10 whilst completing this exercise programme.
1. Bridge in lying
- Lie on your back on the floor or bed with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet on the floor and your arms down by your side.
- Push your heels down into the floor to gently lift your hips upwards. Lift as high as you feel comfortable but no higher than a straight line between hips, knees and shoulders.
- If you feel discomfort, then try squeezing your tummy and bum muscles before starting the lift.
- Hold at the top for 5 seconds.
- Push up as far as you feel comfortable, and pain and stiffness allow.
2. Bodyweight squats
- Stand with your feet hip width apart and your arms across your chest.
- Sit back as if you are sitting into a chair.
- At the same time your head should move forwards to keep your balance.
- As you do this aim to keep your back straight.
- Go down as far as you feel comfortable or until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
- Come back up to standing and repeat.
3. Single leg toe touch
- Perform this exercise standing on the affected leg and have a wall/stable object nearby to assist with balance.
- Shift your weight on to the affected leg and ‘hover’ the other leg off the floor.
- Bend forward from the hip to move towards touching your toes.
- At the same time, the trailing leg should stay straight and will travel backwards to act as a counterbalance whilst keeping your spine straight.
- As you get close to touching your toes, you should feel a pull in the hamstrings and buttock of the standing leg.
- Squeeze the buttock muscles to reverse the movement and return to standing.
- To progress, hold a small amount of weight in the opposite hand to the leading leg and gradually increase this as strength develops.
We recommend consulting a musculoskeletal physiotherapist to ensure exercises are best suited to your recovery. If you are carrying out an exercise regime without consulting a healthcare professional, you do so at your own risk. If you have any concerns whilst completing these exercises, please contact a healthcare professional.
More Plans
Early rehabilitation is individualised depending on risk factors for future injury, how the initial injury occurred, and which hamstring muscle was injured. All this information will guide rehabilitation selection (4,13).
Rehabilitation in the early stages will consist of the self-management strategies explained above. Lower load eccentric (muscle lengthens as it is put under tension) exercises should be started as soon as possible and a gradual introduction to low intensity jogging is also recommended. Starting eccentric exercises early allows for muscle lengthening addressing a potential risk factor for future injury (1,13). During the early phase of rehabilitation, it is ok to exercise with some pain, ideally less than 3 out of 10 on an individual’s self-perceived pain scale.
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During the advanced stages of rehabilitation plan, you should be building towards and achieving a near full levels of fitness. In sport this translates to upwards of 90-95% of your maximum sprinting ability as well as the ability to quickly change direction, accelerate, and decelerate.
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