Improve Back Health by Lengthening Shortened Hamstrings

In response to Monday's post on movements that counteract slouching, a number of people asked what to do about intermittent back pain.

In my experience, an oft-overlooked key to resolving and preventing recurrent back pain is to lengthen our hamstrings, the group of 3 ropey muscles that travel from the base of our pelvis to the back of our knee region.

When our hamstrings are short from years of prolonged sitting and lack of stretching, they create a downward pulling force on our pelvis, which leads to compensatory changes in the spine that can cause back pain.

Here are additional ways of lengthening shortened hamstrings: