HELP W/ HAMSTRING issues

cari4jc1
cari4jc1 Posts: 233
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm frustrated with the consistent hamstring issues I've been having. I do Jillian Michaels DVDs at home with occasionally throwing in tae bo or p90x stuff, but mostly Jillian DVDs. For a couple months now my hamstrings have really been bothering me. Tightness and soreness just won't go away. I workout 5 days a week and don't feel like I overdo it at all. In fact I'd like to up my intensity in my workouts. I also just started jogging with a friend last week. The plan is to jog 2-3 times a week. I stretch during my warmups and cool downs. I take warm baths nightly which help a lot, but of course after the bath they go back to being tight again. What do I do?? How do I get the tightness/soreness to go away???

Replies

  • cari4jc1
    cari4jc1 Posts: 233
    Bumping
  • OwenEvan
    OwenEvan Posts: 34 Member
    I work out a lot and have recently started training for an ironman, so I have had my share of leg and knee injuries. I have had numerous cortisone shots and seen various doctors......With all that said the best treatment for my legs is ice, it is a little uncomfortable at first but the benefits are wonderful. Another thing that helps overall inflamation is cod liver oil supplements. Hope this helps......
  • Plates559
    Plates559 Posts: 869 Member
    Foam Rolling
    Elastic Band stretching.
    Bubble Baths
    Cold Showers.
  • letjog
    letjog Posts: 260 Member
    pay for a sports massage. they hurt, but aferwards you won't regret it and will wish you hadn't left it so long. you've probably got hamstrings full of knots!
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    I was doing Jillian DVDs for a couple months, then I decided to go back to ballet (after like 12 years). Needless to say, I had ZERO flexibility. Now, I have a little stretching routine that I do every day for 20-30 minutes in addition to Jillian or whatever other workout I'm doing and it REALLY helped prevent hamstring soreness/tightness and I'm seeing a lot of progress in my flexibility.

    For the routine, I warm up by dancing around my room (seriously!) to one song (3.5 minutes or so) and then I go through a sequence of stretches:

    1. Sit with one leg straight out in front of you, and the other leg bent with your foot up against the thigh of your straight leg. Point toe of straight leg, and reach out to foot and hold for 30 seconds. Switch. Now flex the foot. Switch. (You'll feel it differently in your hamstrings with pointed foot and flexed foot)
    2. Sit in pike position (both legs straight in front of you) with pointed toes and reach your toes. Hold for 30 seconds. Flex feet. Reach and hold 30.
    3. Spread your legs into as far of a V as you can without pain (but still feel a stretch). Point toes. Reach right foot, hold 30. Reach left foot, hold 30. Reach middle, hold 30.

    After this, I stand up with my legs together and reach down, then spread legs wider than hip distance and reach right side, left side, and middle. Then sometimes that's it, and sometimes I repeat everything. Do this as often as you can and try to push yourself a little further each day. It really has relieved all of my hamstring soreness and tightness.

    Good luck! :)
  • cari4jc1
    cari4jc1 Posts: 233
    Foam Rolling
    Elastic Band stretching.
    Bubble Baths
    Cold Showers.

    What is elastic band stretching? Also, I don't have a foam roller yet, but I thought about using my husbands bongo. (The bottom part of course.) Do you have someone else roll it on you or do you sit on it and kind of roll back and forth?
  • cari4jc1
    cari4jc1 Posts: 233
    I'll definitely look into the sports massage thing. Thank you!!

    I haven't used the ice thing yet so I will definitely try that too as well as doing some extra stretching.
  • jtslim42
    jtslim42 Posts: 240
    I agree with the sports massage if you have the money, and the pain tolerance. They are definitely worth it end the end. And always ICE afterwards.
  • cari4jc1
    cari4jc1 Posts: 233
    I was doing Jillian DVDs for a couple months, then I decided to go back to ballet (after like 12 years). Needless to say, I had ZERO flexibility. Now, I have a little stretching routine that I do every day for 20-30 minutes in addition to Jillian or whatever other workout I'm doing and it REALLY helped prevent hamstring soreness/tightness and I'm seeing a lot of progress in my flexibility.

    For the routine, I warm up by dancing around my room (seriously!) to one song (3.5 minutes or so) and then I go through a sequence of stretches:

    1. Sit with one leg straight out in front of you, and the other leg bent with your foot up against the thigh of your straight leg. Point toe of straight leg, and reach out to foot and hold for 30 seconds. Switch. Now flex the foot. Switch. (You'll feel it differently in your hamstrings with pointed foot and flexed foot)
    2. Sit in pike position (both legs straight in front of you) with pointed toes and reach your toes. Hold for 30 seconds. Flex feet. Reach and hold 30.
    3. Spread your legs into as far of a V as you can without pain (but still feel a stretch). Point toes. Reach right foot, hold 30. Reach left foot, hold 30. Reach middle, hold 30.

    After this, I stand up with my legs together and reach down, then spread legs wider than hip distance and reach right side, left side, and middle. Then sometimes that's it, and sometimes I repeat everything. Do this as often as you can and try to push yourself a little further each day. It really has relieved all of my hamstring soreness and tightness.

    Good luck! :)

    Thank you! I have a friend that also just recently went back to ballet. I did ballet as a kid. I'm very impressed with your decision. Way to go!

    Those stretches are my favs for my legs. It always feels good while I'm doing them. Hopefully it'll get better though.

    I just googled some sports massage in my area and it's not too expensive thankfully. On a scale of 1-10 how painful is it? Crying painful or grimace painful?
  • letjog
    letjog Posts: 260 Member
    Both. But if it's your first one they can do it more gently and you will just grimace as they push on the knots. The next day you'll be like...wow :-) Go for it!
  • cari4jc1
    cari4jc1 Posts: 233
    Both. But if it's your first one they can do it more gently and you will just grimace as they push on the knots. The next day you'll be like...wow :-) Go for it!

    Awesome! Thank you! :)

    I went for a run last night and was in tears later cause my hamstrings. Rest day for me today.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    I stretch during my warmups and cool downs.

    The best warm up is walking. You should not "stretch" before you run because stretching cold muscles can cause injury. Also, I agree with the ice. I use bags of frozen peas because they conform to your legs.

    Also, maybe buy a gentle yoga video to do on your rest days. Yoga has helped me stay injury free while running.
  • cari4jc1
    cari4jc1 Posts: 233
    I stretch during my warmups and cool downs.

    The best warm up is walking. You should not "stretch" before you run because stretching cold muscles can cause injury. Also, I agree with the ice. I use bags of frozen peas because they conform to your legs.

    Also, maybe buy a gentle yoga video to do on your rest days. Yoga has helped me stay injury free while running.

    Do you have any favs for yoga? I have Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown & the p90x yoga. I tried the p90x one a few weeks ago thinking that it might help, but it just over stretched me and made it worse.

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