Your hamstrings are the group of muscles that run along the back of your thigh, from just under your buttock down to just below the back of your knee.

More specifically:

  • They start on the bony part of your pelvis that you sit on (the ischial tuberosity, under the buttocks).
  • They travel down the back of your thigh (posterior thigh).
  • Their tendons attach just below the knee on the bones of your lower leg (tibia and fibula).

A quick way to feel them:

  • Stand and slightly bend your knee, then press the back of your thigh midway between your butt and your knee – that tight band you feel when you bend is part of your hamstrings.