Hamstrings affect multiple parts of your body.

If you’re wondering, are my hamstrings tight, there are some simple tests.

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You know how itsnever lupus?

woman sweating in the gym

assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles

With aches and pains in your body, sometimes it can feel like its always hamstrings.

It could all be because of the hammies.

Together, shortness and stiffness is known as tightness.

Woman walking on a treadmill at the gym.

But thats not all.

So how do you know if you have tight hamstrings?

There are a couple of simple tests.

Full body female athlete in sportswear using rowing machine during fitness workout in gym.

Sound like a tall order?

Thats probably because your hamstrings are tight!

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assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles

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Straighten your knees into full extension.

Healthy female training in the gym, performing a hip thrust.

What to do for tight hamstrings

Whats the verdict?

If so, there are ways to loosen those bad boys up.

Fietzer says heating them is the first key to relieving tightness.

A young black woman doing post-run stretches in the park on the road amidst green grass and trees.

Your hamstring stretches will be a lot more effective if you use a heating pad before going into stretching.

She also recommends adynamic stretching routineover a static one.

That is, pairing moves like hamstring extensions with the act of leg swinging or walking.

Static stretching can be effective, but dynamic stretching is better, Fietzer says.

Dont let your daily miles tighten up your hammies.

Exercises likestaggered deadlifts,single leg deadlifts, andRomanian deadliftsare great examples of this.

And of course, an ounce of prevention goes a long way.

That, of course, requires strengthening your abs and back muscles.

Who knew keeping your hammies flexy required so many moving parts?

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