It’s summer, which means you probably haven’t seen the inside of a gym very often over the past couple of months. That’s not to say you’re ditching workouts, but you’re more likely to be found running paths, climbing mountains, and swimming laps than shredding tread inside.
Whatever your workout du jour, your legs might be feeling extra tight and your hammies sore as hell. What gives? “Sometimes tightness in the back of your legs isn’t actually due to an overuse of the leg muscles, but the fact that your hamstrings are not experiencing a full range of motion,” says Bret Gornik, a trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp in Chicago. And when your hammies are tight, it can also cause pain in your calves and hip flexors.
RELATED: How You Can Avoid Nagging Hamstring Injuries
Ignoring that feeling until it goes away won’t fix the problem, though—it may even make the soreness worse. “You want to exercise to work safely through the pain. Getting blood flow to the area can increase mobility so it’s important to actively warm up,” Gorik says. Which is exactly why you should try this routine which includes stretches, and cardio and strength moves, so you don’t have to miss your next sweat sesh.
Lunge and Twist
Targets: legs, butt, core
How to do it: Lunge forward with your right knee, bending both knees 90 degrees. Twist your upper body to the right so your torso faces directly to the right. (This is done in two separate motions, lunge then twist, not simultaneously.) Switch sides and repeat. Continue for 45 seconds, alternating sides.
Hamstring Stretch
Targets: back, core, legs, calves
How to do it: Lie on your back and bring one leg toward your chest. Pull your leg toward your body until you can feel a good stretch in your hamstring. Return your leg to the ground. Continue for 45 seconds, alternating sides.
RELATED: CrossFit for Runners: Knee-Up
Jumping Jack
Targets: total body
How to do it: For one minute, do jumping jacks. Keep a slight bend in your knees, and when your arms go up, your legs go out. Find a pace that feels comfortable to continue for a full 30 seconds. (Find more great ways to stay strong with the IronStrength Workout.)
Weighted Punches
Targets: back, arms, core
How to do it: Either opt to lie on an exercise ball; or stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, knees bent slightly. Raise your arms into a fighting position in front of your chest (hands fisted and elbows bent). Punch left fist forward by extending left arm straight out in front of you. As you punch forward with left hand, twist your torso (core) to the right. Then switch sides quickly and punch with your right hand. (Whichever way you twist, punch with the opposite hand.) Mix up the height and angles of your punches and continue for 30 seconds. (To make this harder: Grab light dumbbells, one to three pounds, to hold as you punch.)
Biceps Curl to Shoulder Press
Targets: arms, shoulders
How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, back straight and chest up. Hold a dumbbell of choice in each hand at your sides, palms facing in. Bend both elbows to curl the weights toward your shoulders. Without returning to start position, open arms out to your sides, keeping elbows close to your sides (palms face forward now), then extend both hands overhead to straighten arms, almost tapping ends of dumbbells together at the top. Bend elbows to bring arms back to goalpost position then reverse biceps curl back to start. Continue for 10 reps. (To add an extra challenge, lunge forward as you complete the bicep curls.)
CATERPILLAR WALK-OUT TO PUSH-UP
Targets: shoulders, arms, core
How to do it: Start standing then bend your knees slightly and hinge at the waist, placing both palms on the floor. Walk your hands out to a high plank position (hands under shoulders) and do one pushup. Bend your knees again slightly and walk your hands back to your toes. Stand up and repeat.
The article This 6-Move Routine Is Perfect For When Your Hamstrings Are Insanely Tight originally appeared on Women’s Health.
