You may think having flexible hamstrings is a badge of honor for outdoor athletes. And while you’re not exactly wrong (Don’t we all follow at least one yoga influencer who can casually drop into the splits?), not everyone needs to have Cirque du Soleil-level stretching abilities to succeed at their sport. However, if you’re starting to experience pain in your lower back, knees, and hips, experts say that it may be time to give the back of your legs a little extra love.
Your hamstrings are complex: They’re comprised of three large muscles in your thigh, stretching from your lower knee to your hip. “The hamstrings’ main function is to bend the knee and extend the hip, which is key for various everyday activities such as walking, running, and jumping,” says Alo Moves trainer Louis Chandler in Los Angeles. In other words, these mega-muscles support all of those triathlons, marathons, and hikes. And when they get stiff, all your everyday tasks—from walking to bending over—may become more difficult.
If you favor explosive workouts, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and sprinting, you’re…
