This stretch works the muscles at the back of the thigh (hamstrings) while you lie on your back, so your lower back stays supported. It is a gentle option when your hamstrings feel stiff.

How to do the supine hamstring stretch

Lie on your back with your legs straight. Loop a strap or towel around the arch of one foot and bend that knee.
Hold the strap in one hand, keeping that arm straight. Rest your other hand on the thigh of the same leg to keep it steady.
Breathe out and slowly straighten the knee, lifting with the strap, until you feel a stretch at the back of the thigh.
Keep the other leg straight on the floor. If your lower back is uncomfortable, bend that knee with the foot flat.
Hold, breathe slowly, then bend the knee, lower the leg and swap sides.

What you should feel

A steady pulling feeling at the back of the thigh. It should ease a little as you hold.

Common mistakes

Pulling hard enough to cause pain. Stretching should feel strong but comfortable.
Lifting your head and shoulders off the floor.
Bouncing the leg.

How often

A common dose is a 20 to 30 second hold, repeated 2 to 4 times each side, on most days. Your physio may adjust it.

Stop and check with your physio if

You feel tingling, burning or pain running down the leg. That may be coming from a nerve rather than a stretching muscle.
You get pain in your lower back.
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.

From the clinic

Feel it more behind the knee or in the calf? Bend the knee slightly and the stretch usually moves back into the thigh.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try this exercise. Lifting the straight leg bends the hip a long way, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations. After a recent hamstring tear, ask your physio before you start. If you are pregnant and past the first three months, check with your physio before exercising flat on your back.

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.

Supine hamstring stretch