Any athlete or person who is active is going to need to do thigh stretches regularly to feel good and stay healthy. The quad is a large muscle, and it plays a considerable role when running. Quads get beat up all day from doing heavy squats and running. Then they get tight from sitting down all day and then they create problems in your back and your hips. Thigh stretches will go a long way in keeping you healthy if you do it right with consistency.
Symptoms of Tight Thigh Muscles
- Tight Hips
- Back Pain
- Heavy Legs
- The trouble with knee flexion
- Knee pain
- Jumpers knee
- Pain when flexing thigh
Overall Tips for Better Stretching
- Stretch after activity or after a warm shower
- Breathe into your belly not your chest
- 5 seconds inhale through the nose and 3 seconds exhale through the mouth
- Picture muscles lengthening in mind
- Imagne that your body is so loose that it is melting away
Thigh Stretches – Hip Stretch
The hip stretch is one of the most important stretches that any person can do in modern society. The reason is that we spend too much time sitting down. When our hips get tight, it creates tight quads, and tension in the lower back area and almost always leads to a worse injury.
You should aim to do this stretch at least once a day or anytime you have been sitting for more than an hour. Doing this stretch can improve your gut health, mood and so much more because we were just not meant to be scrunched from sitting all day.
Keys to Doing Stretch Correct
- Extend arm with a flat palm for fascial reasons
- Flex glut muscle of hip being stretched to help push hips forward
- Keep neck in line with spine
Thigh Stretches – Quad Lean Back
This is a great thigh stretch because it opens up the quads, hips, abs, and chest all at the same time. The entire front of the body is connected facially so a tight chest can play a role in the hips function and you may not even realize it. The idea of just stretching one muscle at a time is not the best way to do things. No muscle works in isolation, they all work together like push and pull and yin and yang.
Keys to Doing Stretch Correct
- Push hips forward
- Let your feet lie flat, so you work on your ankle mobility as well
- Keep your neck in line with your spine
Thigh Stretches – Groin Rock
The groin and the thigh have muscle that is blended meaning these muscles play a role in the health of each other. The cool thing about this stretch is that you can change places that it hits by rocking back and forth gently. The more you go forward, the more it hits the groin and hips and the more you rock back, the more it hits the groin and glutes.
Keys to Doing Stretch Correct
- Relax as much as possible
- Rock at a slow pace to begin
Thigh Stretches #4 – Front Line Stretch
If you are experiencing spinal pain, this is an excellent stretch to avoid since it puts the spine in a hyperextended position. The great thing about this stretch is it stretches the fascia line from head to toe. When you finish with this thigh stretch, you will quickly realize how much more effective this stretch is compared to the thigh stretches many people do.
Keys to Doing Stretch Correct
- Add this stretch to your daily routine
- Be careful not to hyperextend your back too much
- If you can’t grab your ankles due to a lack of flexibility, don’t force it
- You should even feel your biceps stretch
Thigh Stretches – Quad Stretch
Here is the bread and butter quad and hip stretch. It is by far one of the best ways to get the most out of a quad stretch. The reason it works so well is that it is stretching the hip at the same time. The quads and the hip work together so if one is not healthy they both will suffer.
Keys to Doing Stretch Correct
- Be careful not to put the knee in a dangerous position
- Keep hips forward
- Never arch your back
- Stretch should be done daily
Assisted Stretching for Thigh Stretches
Some people do not like to stretch on their own. You may need to get some assisted stretching to meet your flexibility goals. Assisted stretching is when a certified practitioner who has taken additional courses like fascial stretching to help people stretch.
The great thing about getting help with stretching is that it becomes much more therapeutic because you do not have to do the work to put yourself in the correct positions. All you have to do is lay back and relax. By doing this, you allow for your muscles to be lengthened more.
How to Find a Healthcare Provider
9INE POINT Health is an excellent start for looking for healthcare providers because you can look for the type of providers you want by skill set. Let’s say you want to find the best chiropractor that also does assist stretching local to you, 9INE POINT Health can show you the best options by 9INE POINT Number. The 9INE POINT Number ranks health care providers out of 100 based on key metrics you care about when choosing a healthcare provider.
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
