Leg Stretches for Flexibility: 7 Stretches for Your Lower Body

Everybody can profit from improving their flexibility, however neglecting your decrease physique is a good way to ask ache and stiffness into your life. One of the apparent indicators that tight muscle mass may very well be inflicting points, says Andrew Peak, CPT, corrective train specialist and founding father of Garage Gym Greatness, is issue doing on a regular basis actions because of stiffness, akin to squatting down or choosing objects off of the ground.

“Tight leg muscle mass can even result in poor posture and alignment, which is commonly noticeable throughout standing or strolling,” he says. This could result in hip, knee, and lower back pain.

One other signal of diminished flexibility? “Recurring discomfort or stiffness within the legs, particularly after durations of inactivity or following train,” he says.

You don’t must make stretching your prime health precedence, however you do must stretch frequently—significantly your decrease physique—to reap the advantages. If you wish to actually increase your flexibility, you’ll be able to stretch day-after-day to see the quickest enchancment. However at minimal, the American College of Sports Medicine says you must stretch a minimum of two to a few days per week.

6 stretching advantages

These are simply among the expert-backed causes you must add the beneath leg stretches to your health routine.

1. Improves vary of movement and suppleness

A daily stretching routine helps your physique transfer with ease. “Stretching helps preserve the muscle mass extra versatile and maintains the traditional range of motion within the joint which is important for every day practical exercise,” says Karly Mendez, human efficiency specialist with Memorial Hermann’s Rockets Sports Medicine Institute.

2. Improves athletic efficiency and reduces accidents

Research¹ has discovered that stretching can enhance your muscle energy and agility, in addition to forestall accidents. A joint with full vary of movement capabilities prefer it ought to—which implies the muscle mass are stronger and more healthy. For finest outcomes, consultants say to carry out dynamic stretching (lively stretches that take your joint by means of the complete vary of movement) earlier than athletic actions, and passive stretching (holding a stretch for a time frame) after train or athletic actions.

3. Will increase blood circulation

“Stretching the legs helps enhance blood circulation to the muscle mass, which helps nourish the muscle mass and allows your muscle mass to work most effectively and successfully,” says Mendez. Due to the enhanced blood flow², doing leg stretches for flexibility might assist your muscle mass get better extra effectively after train.

4. Decreases again ache

Tight muscle mass could cause ache and stiffness in your again. They don’t permit your backbone to maneuver prefer it ought to, which will increase your threat of accidents and muscle spasms. A 2023 study³ discovered that stretching introduced quick and long-term ache aid for individuals who had continual low again ache.

5. Improves posture

Tightness in your leg muscle mass can have an effect on each sitting and standing posture. Your lumbar backbone has a pure slight curve. In case your hamstring muscles are tight⁴, it could rotate your pelvis again which might flatten that pure curve, resulting in a hunched over posture. Muscle tightness in your hip flexors (typically from sitting all day) can pull the pelvis ahead and lead to poor posture and finally again ache.

6. Alleviates stress

Feeling anxious? A 2013 study⁵ discovered a stretching program helped scale back nervousness, stress, and ache. It additionally helps increase your temper. Researchers stated that static stretching prompts the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you calm down by decreasing how a lot cortisol your physique releases.

7 leg stretches for flexibility

These stretches enhance flexibility in all the main muscle mass in your decrease physique and are static stretches, which implies it’s finest to do these after exercising or after a warmup.

“Contemplate a lightweight stroll, bike, or jog for about 5 minutes earlier than going right into a stretch,” Mendez says. Whereas stretching, you’ll really feel pulling or have delicate discomfort, however you must by no means really feel sharp ache. Cease the stretch for those who really feel this. “Don’t bounce whereas stretching, and be constant along with your stretching,” says Mendez.

1. The World’s Best Stretch

Mendez places the “World’s Greatest Stretch” on the prime of her listing—and for good purpose. This stretch, which is actually a lunge with a spinal twist, obtained this nickname as it’s a fabulous strategy to stretch all the main muscle teams in your physique. This stretch is each static and dynamic, so it’s an excellent transfer to begin your stretching routine. It’s going to enhance flexibility in your hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, quads, and calves. It additionally opens up and stretches your chest, arms, and backbone.

1. Begin within the excessive plank place, along with your fingers shoulder-width aside and your legs straight behind you. Your physique needs to be in a straight line.
2. Step your proper foot ahead so you might be in a runner’s lunge place.
3. Maintain your foot outdoors of your fingers.
4. Twisting your torso, attain your proper arm up towards the ceiling. Maintain your left arm on the bottom. You have to be your proper hand.
5. Maintain for 10 seconds.
6. Place each fingers again on the bottom and step your proper leg again so you might be within the plank beginning place.
7. Step your left foot ahead in a runner’s lunge, protecting your foot outdoors of your fingers.
8. Twist and attain your left hand up towards the ceiling.
9. Maintain 10 seconds.
10. Repeat 5 occasions on either side.

2. Hip 90-90 Stretch

The hip 90-90 stretch is a superb strategy to enhance mobility within the hips, because it will increase flexibility with each inner rotation and exterior rotation. It stretches all of the muscle mass round your hip, together with abductors, adductors, glutes, hip flexors, and piriformis.

1. Sit on the ground and bend one leg in entrance, along with your knee at a 90-degree angle. Your knee and ankle needs to be resting on the bottom.
2. Place your different leg to the aspect, bending that additionally to a 90-degree angle with that knee and ankle on the bottom.
3. Each knees needs to be pointing in the identical route.
4. In case your knees can’t comfortably relaxation on the bottom, place a yoga block or rolled-up towel beneath the hip of your entrance leg to assist help.
5. Maintain your again straight and your weight evenly distributed on each hips.
6. Maintain for 60 seconds.
7. Rotate your legs the opposite manner, so the leg that was in entrance is now within the again, and vice versa.
8. Maintain for 60 seconds. Repeat for two to five reps on either side.

3. Pigeon Pose Stretch

It is a nice stretch to do for those who sit all day. “I really like the pigeon stretch to develop hip flexibility and mobility,” says Peak. This hip-opening transfer stretches your hip flexors, glutes, piriformis, and groin.

1. Begin in a downward dog place.
2. Carry your proper leg up behind you towards the ceiling, after which transfer it ahead till your proper knee is bent in entrance.
3. Whereas your proper knee is bent in entrance, your left leg needs to be straight behind you.
4. The highest of your left foot needs to be resting on the bottom. Maintain your pelvis straight forward.
5. Preserving your backbone straight and arms in entrance for assist, maintain this place for 30 to 60 seconds.
6. Carry your legs again into the downward canine place, and repeat the sequence on the opposite aspect.
7. Repeat 3 to 4 occasions on either side.

4. Piriformis Stretch

You probably have sciatica or glute ache, the figure four stretch might help present aid. This train stretches the piriformis muscle in your glute.

1. Lie on the ground with each knees bent and your ft flat on the ground.
2. Cross your leg in order that the foot of 1 leg is resting on the knee of the opposite.
3. Seize your thigh (slightly below your knee) and pull your knees towards your chest, feeling a stretch in your buttock.
4. Maintain for 30 seconds.
5. Repeat on the opposite aspect.
6. Repeat 3 to five occasions on either side.

5. Foldover Stretch

This leg stretch will increase flexibility in your hamstrings, hips, and calves. It additionally gives a pleasant light stretch in your decrease again.

1. Stand along with your ft hip-width aside and your fingers at your sides.
2. Fold ahead at your hips, as you attain in direction of the bottom.
3. Your legs needs to be straight and your calves ought to keep on the bottom.
4. Don’t lock your knees – it’s okay if they’ve a slight bend.
5. Attempt to contact the ground along with your fingertips. In the event you can’t contact the ground, bend your knees or use a yoga block beneath your fingers till your flexibility improves.
6. Maintain for 30-60 seconds.
7. Slowly roll again as much as standing.
8. Repeat 3-5 occasions.

6. Standing Quad Stretch

This transfer stretches your quadriceps muscle, which is the big muscle on the entrance of your thigh.

1. Arise straight, with one hand holding onto a chair or different secure floor for assist.
2. Stand in your proper foot and maintain your left ankle or shin by bending your leg behind you.
3. Pull your bent leg into your glutes, specializing in protecting it straight and never twisting it.
4. You’ll really feel a stretch alongside the entrance of your thigh.
5. Maintain for 30 seconds.
6. Repeat on the opposite aspect.
7. Repeat 5 to 10 occasions on either side.

7. Toes On Wall Stretch

This stretch not solely improves flexibility in your calf muscle but in addition the plantar fascia beneath your foot. This stretch is useful if in case you have plantar fasciitis.

1. Stand and place your fingers on the wall.
2. Place your proper toes in opposition to the wall and your left leg again.
3. Preserving the heel of your left leg down, lean into the wall, feeling the stretch beneath your foot in your proper aspect—and a stretch alongside the calf in your left leg.
4. Maintain for 30 seconds.
5. Repeat on the opposite aspect.
6. Repeat 3 to five occasions on either side.

FAQ

What causes tight leg muscle mass?

Experts⁶ say that some individuals are simply genetically predisposed to having tighter muscle mass than others. Different elements additionally play a task, together with a sedentary way of life.

“Sitting down on the workplace for prolonged durations is a main offender of tight leg muscle mass,” says Peak. “Common stretching and taking little walks within the day might help with this.”

One other issue is overuse or not warming up correctly. “High-intensity workouts within the fitness center or at work can result in tight legs. CrossFitters complain about this a good bit because of the high-intensity, ‘squat-centric’ exercises,” says Peak.

When is the perfect time to stretch?

“It’s helpful to stretch each earlier than your exercise and after your exercise,” says Mendez. “Dynamic stretching is finest earlier than a exercise, whereas static stretching is finest post-workout or throughout your cooldown.”

“Dynamic stretches are extra activity-based actions to assist scale back stiffness and enhance velocity and agility throughout your exercise, whereas static stretching includes no motion and are carried out holding a stretch for about 15 to 60 seconds,” she says.