Sports news frequently contains reports of hamstring injuries. If you find it difficult to ‘touch your toes’ it is probably at least in part due to tight hamstrings. Releasing the tension will make you feel more supple.

Horse riders in particular will benefit from this exercise because when they are in the saddle, the knee is constantly bent. Keeping the hamstrings in this shortened state for long periods of time can lead to habitual tension.

The hamstrings are a group of three muscles which share the job of bending the knee and pushing us forward as we walk or run. The exercise is repeated with the leg in three different positions - each position targets a different muscle from the group.