Monday Stretching – Quads

After any workout, long and hard or quick and easy, don’t skip the stretching. What many don’t realize is how important stretching is for your body through increasing flexibility and ultimately helping to prevent injury. Stretching also helps with the proper execution of your exercises as it increases joint range of motion and crucial to warming up and cooling down on either side of exercise. 

Every Monday I will go over a few stretches that you can do after a workout to cool down and help your body recover. This week we are focusing on the lower body: 

Quad:

From your hip flexor stretch, it is easy to move into your quad stretch. Keeping your quads in good condition is very important because they are such a large muscle that is used with every exercise. Increasing flexibility in this muscle and properly stretching it to prevent injury will help you perform better in your workouts and activities. 

From your hip flexor stretch, sink back releasing some tension on the front of the left hip. When you have your balance reach back with your left hand and hold the top of your left foot or toes. Hold here for about 30-40 seconds. Don’t forget to breathe through these stretches, that will allow you to sink a little deeper. If you want to maintain that hip flexor stretch with the quad, continue to sink into the front left hip while keeping those hips level and inline with each other. 

Check back next Monday where I will share a hamstring stretch.