Semitendinosus Stretch: Effective Stretching Routine For Flexibility And Posture

The semitendinosus muscle is one of the three hamstring muscles, located in the back of your thigh. This muscle is the nearest muscle to the midline of your body. (medial side)

Semitendinosus’s primary function is:

• Hip extension
• Knee flexion

Additionally, this muscle helps with internally rotating your thigh, together with popliteus and semimembranosus (the other hamstring muscle).

Let me show you how to perform semitendinosus stretch with simple, yet effective stretching exercises that target this muscle.

* Here are a few stretching tools for hamstrings you can use to improve your stretching results.

Semitendinous Stretch: Daily Stretching Routine

1. Dynamic Semitendinosus Stretch

Begin in a standing position. Place one foot on a chair and rotate your leg outward (toes pointing away from your body’s midline). Keep the knee slightly bent. Lean forward slightly with your upper body and then extend your knee. Repeat this movement 10 times.

2. Standing Passive Semitendinosus Stretch

Begin in a standing position. Place one foot on a chair and rotate your leg outward (toes pointing away from your body’s midline). Keep your knee slightly bent. Lean forward with your upper body and extend your knee. Hold this position for 30s.

3. Supine Passive Stemitendinosus Stretch With Stretching Strip

Lie down on your back. Bend your knee as much as you can, and attach a stretching strip to the ball of your foot. Then, extend your knee and rotate your knee outward while gently pulling your foot towards your body with the stretching strip. Hold for 30s.

4. PNF Contract-Relax Stretch

Starting position: Standing with one foot on a chair. Keep your foot rotated outward and your knee slightly bent. Place your hands on the back of your head.

Stretch: Extend your knee and lean forward with your upper body. Hold this position 15s.

Contract: Apply downward pressure with your heel while contracting your hamstrings muscles and remaining in the same position for 6 seconds.

Repeat the whole process five times.

Benefits of Stretching Semitendinosus Muscle

• Increase knee flexibility – Stretching semitendinous muscle can help you improve knee extension and internal rotation.
• Reduce the risk of muscle strains in hamstring muscles.
• Lower chances of rotating your pelvis into posterior pelvic tilt. Tight hamstrings muscle can lead to rotating your pelvis backward into posterior pelvic tilt. Stretching semitendinosus muscle can help you keep your pelvis in a neutral position.
• You will be able to touch your toes from the standing position more easily.

Helpful Tips When Stretching Semitendinosus 

• Don’t bounce into a stretch.
• Focus on holding your toes pointing away from your body during stretches for semitendinosus.
• Stop stretching if you feel pain during exercising.
• Perform these stretches in order as presented for maximal effect.
• You don’t have to hold a static stretch for more than 30s.

Check out these articles about stretching equipment for home use and best books on flexibility and stretching.