💙 Share with a friend who’s struggling with a sore back right now
You probably don’t want to hear this, but I’d be a bad friend if I didn’t tell you… stretching your hamstrings isn’t going to fix your back pain.
I know it’s tempting.
I’ve heard the theory too—your tight hamstrings are pulling on your back and making it sore.
But in my 19 years as a physio, after treating hundreds (if not thousands) of people with back pain, hamstring stretches are RARELY an exercise I prescribe.
For most women, their lower back is achy and stiff because they:
1️⃣ Sit too much and don’t get enough variety of movement throughout the day.
2️⃣ Lack strength in their core, glutes, and the muscles that stabilise their pelvis (yes, sometimes their hamstrings are actually weak!).
3️⃣ Have limited mobility in their hips and/or mid-back—again, often due to too much sitting.
So when I treat women struggling with a stiff, sore back, I figure out what’s actually contributing to *their* pain and help them address it in the simplest way possible.
That usually means a combination of:
✅ Strength training to build support where they need it
✅ Mobility drills specific to their body
✅ Getting more movement variety into their daily routine
✅ Optimising how they do the things they do most (like carrying a baby or sitting at a desk)
If you’ve stretched your hamstrings ’til the cows come home with no relief, it’s time to try something else.