Tone those hamstrings for strength and nice-looking thighs

The glute bridge is the simplest of exercises. Not only does it work your hamstrings, but it also works your glutes (buttocks), back and thigh muscles. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet hip-distance apart. Keep your toes relaxed, not gripped. Lift your butt off the floor and bring it down. To step it up, lift your toes off the floor (i.e. balance on your heels) and do the exercise. — 123rf.com

In my last column, I talked about stretching tight hamstring muscles to alleviate lower back and hip pain.

Today, I’ll focus on strengthening them to make them stronger and (maybe) aesthetically pleasing.

Many are still confused over the differences between stretching and strengthening.

To stretch a muscle involves slowly lengthening the muscle to build flexibility and increase range of motion at the joint.

The goal is to see how far you can move a certain body part.

To strengthen a muscle means to repeatedly contract a muscle until it becomes tired.

By doing this, you can build the size of the muscle so that you can move the body part with more force.

You usually hold a stretched position for about 30 seconds during such exercises, while strengthening exercises are done a few times in a row (called repetitions) and in cycles (known as sets).

When it comes to hamstrings, ensuring they are well-conditioned can help shrug off common hamstring injuries, reduce muscle imbalances, and build overall leg strength.

Plus, toned hamstrings are a sight to behold, both in men and women, especially at the beach.

American gymnast Simone Biles has one of the best developed hamstrings in the sport. — AFP

To achieve this, strengthening and stretching exercises must be done together.

According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, intense stretching of a specific muscle group post-workout can significantly increase lean muscle mass in as little as 28 days.

Researchers from the University of Tampa in the United States, concluded that stretching a muscle for about 30 seconds after reaching failure during a workout, could potentially double muscle growth when compared to the control group over a period of five weeks.

Failure during a workout is the point where you can no longer perform the exercise properly.

So, once you try some of the hamstring strengthening exercises here, immediately stretch out the muscles to see if it makes a difference.

Choose two of the exercises and do them two or three times a week.

Perform 12 repetitions for each exercise and do three sets in a row.

It should take you less than 15 minutes to complete them.

Go on and put your hammies to the test! It’s only for a month to see the difference.

Revathi Murugappan is a certified fitness trainer who tries to battle gravity and continues to dance to express herself artistically and nourish her soul. For more information, email [e-mail]. The information contained in this column is for general educational purposes only. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.