One simple exercise to help your hamstrings

The other week I wrote about Tongala recruit Brock McLean's hamstring injury, as well as some of the things that increase the risk of local footballers doing a 'hammy' when they run out on the weekend.

I mentioned that we typically see hamstring injuries happening during the eccentric phase of a hamstring contraction. This is when the muscles lengthen as they contract to slow down our body.

This could be just before our foot hits the ground when we sprint as they contract to slow our lower leg, or when they slow our body down when we do the splits, or when our trunk gets bent forward after a push in the back.

With some fancy equipment it is possible to test how strong players are at eccentrically contracting their hamstrings. It is no surprise that those who are weaker are more likely to see their hammies fail in the coming weeks.

While local clubs don't have access to this equipment, that does not really matter. Getting their entire playing list stronger with one simple exercise will massively reduce the number of hamstring injuries they will see this season.

The 'Nordic hamstring lower' has repeatedly been shown to reduce hamstring injuries by up to 70 per cent.

A kneeling player simply lowers himself to the ground as slowly as possible while a teammate holds his feet. This motion requires your hamstrings to eccentrically contract really hard and, when done over a few weeks, results in them getting much stronger. Two sets of five reps, performed once a week, is all you need to do to get the benefits.

So why not add this exercise into your warm down after training on a Tuesday night? A word of warning, though: the first time you do them can result in soreness for a few days, so it might pay to ease into them the first couple of times you do them.