The diver is a standing hamstring exercise done on one leg. You tip your body forward from the hip with both arms reaching ahead, like a swimmer about to dive, while the other leg lifts out behind you into a T shape. It works the back of the thigh (hamstrings) and the buttock of the standing leg through a long range, and it tests your balance too.

How to do the diver hamstring exercise

Stand tall on a non-slip floor. Step one foot a little behind the other, both feet pointing forward, so only the toes of the back foot touch down.
Put a soft bend in the front knee and keep that same small bend all the way through. This is the leg you are working.
Bend forward from the hip of the front leg and reach both arms straight ahead. At the same time, lift the back leg off the floor behind you.
Keep going until your arms, trunk and back leg make a long line roughly level with the floor, as in the video. The back leg stays straight, your back stays straight and both hips stay level.
Hold there for about 3 seconds, then bring the back leg down and return to standing with control.
Finish your reps on one leg, then switch.

What you should feel

A stretch and a working feeling at the back of the standing thigh, with the buttock working too. Your foot and ankle make lots of small corrections to keep you steady.

Common mistakes

Rounding the back to reach further forward.
Letting the hip of the lifted leg twist open toward the ceiling.
Locking the standing knee straight.
Dropping into the position fast and wobbling.

How often

Many programs start with 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 10 on each leg, holding the forward position for about 3 seconds, often every other day. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

A sudden sharp pain, pop or snap at the back of your thigh. Stop straight away. If you then get large bruising spreading down the back of the thigh, a gap or dip you can feel, a stiff-legged walk, or clear weakness when you bend the knee, get assessed the same day at urgent care or an emergency department, as the tendon may have pulled away from the bone near the buttock.
Lower back pain, or tingling, numbness or pain running down the leg.
You feel dizzy or lose your balance. If you faint while exercising, call emergency services, even if you feel fine again quickly.

From the clinic

The voice guide describes an easier start: both feet stay on the floor in a split stance and only the trunk and arms tip forward. If standing on one leg feels shaky, begin there, or keep the back toes touching the floor and rest one hand on a chair back. Build up your single leg stance alongside it. In some hamstring strain programs the lifted knee stays bent to about a right angle instead of straight, and your physio will tell you which to use. The single leg deadlift uses a similar hip hinge, with the arms hanging down rather than reaching forward.

After a recent hamstring strain, ask your physio when to add this, because the thigh is stretched and working at the same time. Go only as far as feels like a stretch, never a pull. If you have osteoporosis, check with your physio how far forward you should bend. If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try this exercise. Some operations limit this kind of work for the first months, so the timing depends on your surgery.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Diver hamstring exercise