The Effect of Warm-up and Stretching on Hamstring Flexibility

INTERVENTION: (1) Aerobic warm‐up of the lower limbs. Aerobic exercise involved 5 minutes of static jogging to an intensity where "a little breathlessness" was experienced. (2) Static stretching of the hamstrings . Static stretching involved the participant placing their leg on an elevated surface with their knee extended and their ankle plantarflexed. Participants were then instructed to lean forward from the hip, with their spine in neutral until a stretch was felt in the posterior thigh. This position was held for 30 seconds, and then repeated 3 times. This was all done in one session on one day for half of the participants. The participants in this group then switched (crossover study) to the dynamic stretching intervention described below. The second session was completed within 3‐14 days. CONDITION: Hamstring Injury PRIMARY OUTCOME: Short‐term hamstring flexibility: ; Hamstring flexibility was determined by passive knee extension range of motion in supine, with the hip flexed to 90 degrees. A myrin goniometer, placed on the lateral shin, was used to calculate this range of motion. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Medium‐term hamstring flexibility: ; Hamstring flexibility was determined by passive knee extension range of motion in supine, with the hip flexed to 90 degrees. A myrin goniometer, placed on the lateral shin, was used to calculate this range of motion. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Hamstring strain within the last year, but not within the last month Unilateral decrease in hamstring flexibility (of at least 5 degrees during passive knee extension)