How Strong Are Your Hamstrings?

by | May 19, 2016 | Fitness

Muscle strength is a good predictor of injury risk. But how strong are your hamstrings?

Want to know how strong your hamstrings really are? Take this DIY test – it only takes 10 seconds.

10-Second test

How far you can hop on one leg in
 a single jump – or rather, how far you can’t – is a strong predictor of your hamstring-injury risk, says a new study in the European Journal of Sport Science.

The jury’s still out on the optimal length, but physiotherapist Samantha Nupen says that comparing one leg to the other is 
a good benchmark. “You should jump equal distances on each leg,” she says.

Whatever your results, your odds of getting hurt dip an extra 12 percent for every added centimetre you jump.

Strong hammies are crucial for speedy movements and healthy knees, so strengthen them with the glute bridge and curl: lying on your back with knees bent, slowly push a stability ball towards and away from you with your feet.

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