Leg stretching exercises

We have prepared 21 leg stretching exercises for you, which are suitable for both beginners and experienced athletes.

Types of stretching exercises

Exercises for stretching the muscles of the legs can be divided into several types:

When to stretch your muscles: before, during, after exercise?

Jacob Wilson, a sports physiologist at Florida State University, believes stretching is a must before class. However, this should not be a static form, you need to perform a dynamic warm-up. And after classes - stretching to calm the body, bring the pulse back to normal (book "Cardio or Strength" by Alex Hutchinson).

Citing the same source, it can be seen that Jason Winchester, a scientist at Louisiana State University, is confident that do not stretch before strength exercises... But stretching after training is a must. If such exercises are planned, it is good if enough time passes before the main strength. You can also do them on non-workout days, such as in the morning or before bed.

It is also a good idea to pull the working muscles between sets in strength exercises. Not for long, literally 10-15 seconds.

Warm up before stretching

Experiments on rats at the University of Michigan showed that muscles must be warmed up before stretching, otherwise they are severely injured. Experts advise doing a warm-up before stretching - jogging, cycling to warm up (book "Cardio or Strength" by Alex Hutchinson).

How and how long to stretch?

Ideally, stretching your legs should take 10-15 minutes. On average, stretching lasts about 10-20 minutes. Before starting it, you should restore the pulse.

Exercises for the front of the thigh

In this section, we'll look at the basic movements for stretching the front of the thigh (quadriceps).

Lying Quadriceps Stretch

1. Lie face down on the mat.
2. Raise your head, take your hand back and wrap it around the ankle of the same name.
3. Pull your foot towards your buttock while keeping your thigh flat on the floor.
4. Do the same with the other leg.

You can also use a rubber shock absorber or a skipping rope here:

© Mihai Blanaru - stock.adobe.com

Stretching the quadriceps on one knee

1. Kneel down on one knee, as if in a lunge.
2. Place your hand on your front leg. With your other hand, grab the toe of your other leg and pull it towards your buttock. Try to tighten your gluteal muscles.
3. Do the same with the other leg.

© Kzenon - stock.adobe.com

Deep lunge

1. Lunge deeply forward. The hind leg should be straight.
2. Move the body forward, and rest your hands on the floor on both sides of the front leg.
3. The leg, laid back, bends so that the knee reaches the floor. Stretch forward with your knee and you will feel the quadriceps of that leg stretch.
4. Now repeat with the other leg.

© Syda Productions - stock.adobe.com

Exercises for the back of the thigh

Exercises to stretch the back of the thigh can be performed using additional equipment. And also lying, standing or sitting.

Stretching the back of the thigh with an expander

1. Lie on your back with your legs extended.
2. On the foot of one leg, throw a rope, expander or rope, lift it as high as possible and pull it towards you. The second leg is straight and does not come off the floor.
3. Do the same with the other leg.

Standing stretch

1. Stand up straight and place your hands on your belt.
2. Step forward and tilt your body almost parallel to the floor. The back should remain straight. Stretch forward without lifting your feet off the floor.
3. If you slightly bend the back leg at the knee, the lower part of the back of the thigh will be strained, if the leg is straight, its upper part will strain.
4. Change legs and repeat the movement.

Tilt to the feet

1. Sit on your buttocks and straighten your legs in front of you.
2. Bend over to your feet and place your hands on either side of your legs as far away as possible. You can grab your feet with your hands and slowly stretch forward.

© DragonImages - stock.adobe.com

Tilt to one leg

1. Sit as in the previous exercise, but extend only one leg in front of you. The second should be bent at the knee and rest your foot on the thigh of a straightened leg.
2. Grasp the foot of the outstretched leg with your hands, bend forward and pull the toe towards you. Try not to round your back. Repeat with the other leg.

© Bojan - stock.adobe.com

Standing bends

1. Stand with your feet wider than your shoulders (the width depends on your stretch).
2. Tilt your body down, keeping your back straight. At the end point, you need to rest your palms on the floor. The socks point forward, as do the fingers.

© fizkes - stock.adobe.com

Longitudinal twine

1. If stretching allows you, sit in a longitudinal split.
2. The arms should be placed on the sides and the body weight should be transferred to them. No need to swing your hips and shoulders to the sides.
3. Change legs and repeat.

© Vitaly Sova - stock.adobe.com

Exercises for the inner thigh

Exercises to stretch the inner thigh are done while lying or sitting. It's worth trying each option and choosing the ones that give you the best feel for the stretch in your target muscle group.

Deep squat

1. You need to sit on a counter, exercise machine, doorframe, or any other comfortable surface so that you can grab it with your hands when squatting.
2. Place your feet wider than your shoulders, and turn your knees and toes outward. Holding onto the support, slowly lower yourself into a deep seat so that your thighs touch the calf muscles. The squat is performed with a straight back and without an inclination of the body.

"Butterfly by the wall"

1. Sit on the floor on your buttocks. Keep your back straight. If this is difficult for you, sit with a support against the wall.
2. Bend your legs and press your feet together. Now, keeping your back straight, lower your knees to the floor. But do not press on them with your hands.

© stanislav_uvarov - stock.adobe.com

"Frog"

1. Lie on your stomach, then place your forearm support.
2. Spread your knees to the sides and bend your legs at a 90 degree angle. At the same time, the socks look to the sides. Try to lower your pelvis as low as possible to the floor. If you can put the basin down completely, great.

"Frog with a straight leg"

1. The position is similar to the previous exercise, only one leg is now extended. Again, try to lower the pelvis to the floor.
2. Repeat with the other leg.

Forward fold

1. Sit on the floor on your buttocks and spread your legs as wide as possible to the sides. The socks look up.
2. Lean forward with your arms extended and palms on the floor. Try to lower your belly as close to the floor as possible. Don't bend your knees.

© Syda Productions - stock.adobe.com

Transverse twine

1. If stretching allows you, spread your legs to the sides in a lateral split.
2. Do not take your pelvis back, it should be level with your knees and feet. With a good stretch, you can lean forward and lean on your forearms. If it is difficult for you to do this, rest your palms. Aim to pull your pelvis towards the floor.

© Amelia Fox - stock.adobe.com

Stretching next to a wall

1. Lie on your back so that your pelvis is flush with the wall, and your legs are perpendicular to the floor.
2. Spread your legs and let them drop to the sides with your weight. The socks point down.
3. Try to stay in this position for a few minutes.

Exercises for the outer thigh

Even untrained people can do the exercise near the wall. And what is done while standing requires some preparation. But on the other hand, the press is stretched at the same time.

Abduction of the hip against the wall

1. Stand against the wall with your right side. Place your right palm on it.
2. Place your right leg behind your left and squat down. The leg brought back should slide on the floor to the left without bending at the knee. Keep the body straight.
3. Turn the other side to the wall and repeat.

Standing stretch

1. Place your left leg behind your right in front. The right hand is on the belt, the left hand is freely lowered down.
2. Lean to the side of your lowered hand. You can also bend over with your arms raised above your head.
3. Repeat for the other leg.

Calf exercises

These are simple exercises that can be done without stretching enough.

Stretching against the wall

1. Stand facing the wall at a distance of a small step, rest against it with the toe of your right foot and palms, put the other leg a step back. The feet are pressed to the floor and do not come off throughout the exercise.
2. Lean forward so that the knee of your right leg rests against the wall. At the same time, the left remains straight, it is her lower leg that is stretched.
3. Repeat the movement for the other leg.

Heel wall stretch

1. Stand in a position similar to the previous exercise, only now put the toe of your right foot on the wall and lean on the heel. Both legs are straight.
2. Bring your body forward while bending your right leg.
3. Change legs and repeat the exercise.

Stretching the front of the lower leg

1. Sit on your buttocks with your legs straight.
2. We bend one leg at the knee, put the foot on the thigh of the other leg and pull it to the pelvis, helping with the hand. Pull the sock towards you.
3. Do the same with the other leg.

Are there any contraindications for stretching?

Despite a good purpose, stretching is contraindicated. Possible reasons:

• serious back problems;
• significant bruises of the limbs;
• microcracks in the bones;
• incomprehensible and constant pain in the lumbar spine;
• sore hip joints;
• high blood pressure.

Stretching for pregnant women should be done with caution. But here everything is individual, there are no direct contraindications.

Conclusion

Do not neglect the complex for stretching the muscles. This is necessary and helps the body to cope with stress and relax muscles.

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