Each muscle in your body has an opposite, and together they move your body in different and complementary ways. Your bicep flexes your arm but it's your triceps that extends it back out. The same is true for your legs. Your hamstrings and quads work together to provide lower leg flexion and extension. When one part of this pair gets tight, you lose your range of motion, which can increase your risk of injury and negatively impact your exercise or sports performance. Perform some flexibility exercises to keep your hamstrings and quads in good working order.
Wall Stretch
Your hamstrings are not one muscle but a group of three muscles that run along the back of your thigh. You have many options for stretching your hamstrings, including the hamstring wall stretch. The Mayo Clinic suggests using this stretch to increase your hamstring flexibility. Lie with your left side next to the corner of a wall. Lift your left leg, and with a slight knee bend, place it on the wall. Extend your leg until your feel a stretch in your hamstring and then hold that position for 30 seconds. After stretching one leg, switch to your other side and repeat.
Front Leg Kick
The wall stretch is a static stretch; you hold one position throughout the stretch. You can also stretch your hamstring with more active movements, such as the front leg kick. The front leg kick stretches your hamstrings for just a brief moment, but you repeat this brief stretch multiple times in a row. From a standing position, extend your arms directly out in front of you. Keep your legs straight and walk forward while trying to swing your leg up to kick your hand. Only kick up as high as is comfortable. As you perform this exercise, you'll increase your range of motion and be able to get your legs up higher. Begin with a total of 20 kicks.
Heel to Butt
You probably know the standard standing quad stretch where you lift your leg and pull your heel toward your butt. This stretch works, but it's easy to rotate your hips and lose the right form. Physical therapist and yoga instructor Julie Gudmestad suggests in an article in Yoga Journal performing the stretch while on the floor in a prone position. Lie on your stomach and bring one heel back toward your butt. Grab your foot with your hand on the same side and use it to help to pull your heel toward the outside of your hip until you feel a comfortable stretch. Make sure to keep your hips on the floor. Hold for about a minute and then switch legs.
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