Stretching increases your flexibility, improves your range of motion and can even prevent injuries. Whether your chosen mode of exercise is a taxing leg workout such as running or your everyday activities include several trips up and down the stairs, add a daily leg stretching routine to your fitness plan to keep your legs limber. As always, check with your doctor prior to embarking on any exercise routine.
Stretching Guidelines
While stretching is beneficial, improper stretching is not helpful and can even be dangerous. Follow these guidelines when stretching your legs. The best place for a stretching routine is at the end of your daily workout when your muscles are thoroughly warmed up. At bare minimum, perform a five- to 10-minute cardiovascular warm-up before stretching your legs. Do static or stationary leg stretches, stretching until you feel a gentle pull in your muscle and holding each stretching position for 30 seconds. Never reach to the point you feel pain, and do not bounce while stretching.
Hips
At the top of your legs are your hips, which contain your gluteal muscles and your adductors. First, lying flat on your back, stretch your glutes. Keeping your right leg straight, bend your left leg and turn your left knee toward the ground on the outside of your right hip. Place your right hand on the outside of left knee, gently pressing your knee closer to the ground. Keep your left arm stretched out on the ground and try to keep both shoulders on the ground. Repeat this same stretch on the other side. Next, sit up straight and straddle your legs with your knees pointing up to stretch your adductors. Keeping your legs straight and flat on the ground and your torso straight, bend forward from the hips, lowering your chest toward the ground between your legs. Do not allow your knees to roll forward.
Thighs
Your quadriceps and hamstrings are located in your thighs. Stretch your quadriceps by lying face-down on the ground. Bend your left leg and grab the top of your left foot with your left hand. Pull your foot in toward your rear, feeling a stretch in the front of your thigh. Switch sides and stretch your right quadriceps muscle. Roll over and sit up with both legs extended straight out in front of you to stretch your hamstrings. Relax your feet and keep your straight legs against the ground. With your back straight, bend forward from your hips, reaching toward your feet. Do not worry about touching your toes or getting your nose to touch your knees. Instead, concentrate on feeling a stretch in the back of your thighs.
Calves
There are two muscles that make up your calves: your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. To stretch them, sit on the ground with your left leg straight and your right leg bent. Place your right foot on the inside of your left knee. Wrap a towel around the bottom of your left foot. Using the towel, gently pull your toes toward your body, stretching your gastrocnemius muscle, the bigger muscle. To stretch your soleus muscle, the smaller muscle underneath your gastrocnemius, perform the same stretch with a bent knee to target the deeper muscle fibers. Do both of these stretches on your right leg, too.
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