This article talks in detail about how to do leg stretching at home, starting from zero level and gradually leading to advanced options. Recommendations are also given for those who want to sit on the splits, as well as achieve the elimination of muscle cramps in the legs.
How to work with stretching legs?
A simple stretching of the legs at home, designed to relieve stiffness in the muscles, improve blood circulation and increase body performance, is based on three stages:
- Quadriceps traction: muscles of the anterior thigh.
- Extension of the back surfaces of the legs, the stiffness of which significantly affects the lumbar spine.
- Stretching of the muscles of the gluteal zone, the spasm of which can block the sacrum and cause back pain, pinch the sciatic nerve and provoke the development of arthrosis of the hip joints.
For those who want to achieve gymnastic flexibility in the legs, this circle of influence expands, connecting the muscles of the internal surfaces, the deep pelvic muscles and the iliopsoas muscle, which are often ignored in working with the legs.
How to do basic stretching?
For the primary leg stretching, the following exercises are used:
- Standing on one leg, bend the second heel to the buttock, supporting the foot with your hand, while it is better to hold the second hand on a wall or chair for stability. It is important in this exercise to direct the pubic bone up to the navel, and keep the line of the knees close so that the thigh muscles are more stretched. With this method, the hip quadriceps are well stretched.
- Standing to take a small step forward with one foot, putting it on the heel, and pull the toe towards you. At the same time, the leg bends at the back of the knee, the pelvis is pulled back, the spine is perfectly straightened in a line. Gradually try to bend your torso to the straight leg, controlling the straight line of the back and stretching the biceps of the thigh (back surface).
Stretching with a belt for the elderly
Stretching the legs for pensioners is also important, because with its help the movement of lymph is stimulated, which is blocked with a decrease in physical activity, causing stagnation and stiffness of the body. Given that older people are mostly completely inflexible, they can use a belt to stretch while lying down in order to adhere to the correct positions.
- Extension of the back surface of the legs: lying on your back, raise one leg up and hooking the belt on the sole of the foot, straighten the leg, helping with your hands. The back of the head, lower back and shoulder blades should be pressed firmly to the floor.
- From the previous position, take the leg to the side, keeping the pelvis level, without rotating it behind the designated leg. Using the strap, maintain the necessary tension and fix the pose for at least 3-4 minutes on each side.
Near the wall
How to do leg stretching at home if the room has very little free space? A full-fledged lesson is possible even with only two meters against the wall, and exercises can also be done at the table, sofa and even the windowsill. Keeping the line of the pelvis above the supporting leg, put the second leg on the wall at an affordable level, but not below the waist line. Try to keep your knees straight. When exhaling, bend your ribs to the thigh, while holding your head high, that is, again controlling the straight line of the spine. Then, when you inhale, return to the starting position and turn sideways to the wall, without losing balance and straight knees. In the exhale, bend to the supporting leg according to the same principle.
When these dynamic movements are well mastered and the slope is deep, you should stay at the extreme point for 1 minute, breathing freely. To make the situation deeper, you should raise the foot on the wall even higher, and with your supporting foot approach the wall.
Work with a group of gluteal muscles
Stretching the legs is ineffective without stretching the buttocks and the group of the sublingual muscles (piriform, twin, etc.): to work with them, you can use several provisions from the practice of yoga, which have repeatedly proved their effectiveness:
- Supta Parivritta Garudasana: using a simplified version of this pose, you can perfectly stretch not only the buttocks, but also the oblique muscles of the torso. Take the position, as in the photo, and try not to tear off the line of the shoulders from the floor.
- The simplified pose of the Pigeon will help to deeply work out the small muscles of the pelvis and will open the hips deeper, preparing them for longitudinal twine.
Stretch for longitudinal twine: basic level
After the first exercises for traction have been worked out, one can proceed to deeper options leading to longitudinal twine or Hanumanasana, as the yogis call this position. Now stretching the legs for beginners is to increase the elasticity of muscles and tendons, which is achieved by the following exercises:
- Horseman or Ashwa Sanchalasana Pose: It is ideal for stretching the front of the thigh. Starting position: a wide lunge forward, the knee of the hind leg is located on the floor, and the knee in front is bent at an angle of 90 or 80 degrees. To begin with, you should try to lower the pelvis lower to the floor, without rounding the line of the spine, but rather, trying to bend slightly, touching the tips of the fingers of the floor.
- From the previous position, move, moving the pelvis back and straightening the leg in front, while leaning on the knee of the supporting leg, which now stands at an angle of 90 degrees. Keeping a straight line of the spine, try to lean forward, touching the thigh of the straight leg with your chest.
Initially, it is better to do these two positions in a leisurely dynamics, moving forward to inhale in lunges and exhaling backward, leaning toward the leg. When the amplitude of the movement becomes satisfactory, you can stop in each position for at least 2–3 minutes, breathing deeply through the nose and monitoring the correct functioning of the body. The third position for stretching the hips will be Upavishtha Konasana, in which it is necessary to sit on the floor with straight legs spread apart to an accessible level. If you can’t straighten your spine, it’s best to bend your knees a little. The essence is the same: with a straight spine, try to fold forward, maintaining a position of at least one minute per cycle.
Advanced level
If the exercises for stretching the muscles of the legs from the basic level are easy and do not cause the slightest discomfort, you can proceed to the next step:
- Ardha Vamadevasana: the starting position is the Horseman's posture, in which the back of the leg bends at the knee and is pulled with the heel to the buttock. It is important not to round the back, push the pelvis forward + down + pubic up and wide open the chest, holding your head high.
- Paschimottanasana: sitting on the floor with straight legs and spine, fold forward so that the lower ribs lie freely on the hips, as close to the knees as possible. In no case do not round the back and do not pull your arms by the legs - the position is achieved by working with the torso and pelvis.
When these two positions are mastered perfectly, you can try to sit in the splits, supporting yourself with your hands on the sides of the legs in front (not on one side). At the same time, carefully monitor the position of the pelvis: it should not roll sideways or rotate, distorting the entire position.
Stretch Cross Twine for Beginners
For the development of transverse twine, it is necessary to work out the hips and hip joints in all planes. How to stretch the legs if the adductors of the hips are completely enslaved and the inguinal zone leaves much to be desired? The first thing that is better to master is the pose of the Frog or Manducasan. It looks like this: sitting on the floor between the heels, spread to the sides of the thigh so that the toes touch behind the pelvis, lean forward, turning around in the hip joints and making sure that the back always remains extremely straight with a slight deflection in the lumbar. Crotch try not to tear off the floor. In the future, the torso will lie freely on the floor, but before that we fix the available version for at least three minutes, breathing deeply and trying to relax with the whole body.
When the “frog” is mastered, we proceed to the complicated variation, which is indicated in the photo. It is important to ensure that the knee angle is 90 degrees, and the knees themselves are in line with the hip joints.
Samakonasana
Subsequent stretching of the legs is to achieve one line from one foot to another. The most convenient thing about this is to use the wall again as a means at hand. Turning your back to the wall, come close and spread your legs to the side to the maximum permissible position, placing your feet on the inner rib and additionally resting on your hands, which are placed as close as possible to the line of legs. At the same time, press the pelvis and the back surface of the hips tightly against the wall and make sure that this contact is constantly maintained.
Bend your elbows, simulating a normal push-up, and bend your chest to the floor, making sure that the spine is straight, and the legs are in good tone, and return to the original. Do up to ten such repetitions, gradually moving the feet further apart, and then fix the deepest position and stay in it for at least 30 seconds, gradually increasing the time spent in the pose.
Recommendations from experienced teachers
Before starting a stretching, it’s very important to warm up the body with dynamic movements, any cardio load: running, jumping rope, tendon-joint gymnastics or aerobics. This will prepare the body for further stress and relieve muscles and tendons from overload and injuries.
All exercises for stretching the legs should be done for at least 3-4 sets, gradually adding the depth of stretching and breathing deeply in ultimate forms, giving relaxation to the muscles and mind. Full breathing will also protect against painful pains that occur on the second or third day after intensive training in those who breathed superficially, preventing oxygen from burning decay products from intense muscle work. Also, after completing the lesson, rest for five minutes lying on your back so that the body recovers.