Shortened leg muscles? Stretch your thighs now!

Stretch front of thigh

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Want to stretch your thighs? Here you'll find great exercises to stretch your front thighs. Get started now!

The thighs are stressed in one way or another in almost every sport. But unfortunately, many athletes neglect stretching the front of the thighs.

At the same time, it is so important to do regular stretching exercises for the thighs.

The thigh has a central position and important functions in the human body.

Did you know that knee pain and back pain can be traced to a shortening of the anterior thigh?

Why you should stretch the thighs

People who walk or sit a lot often have the problem that the muscle at the front of the thigh is stronger or weaker than the one at the back.

This leads to muscular imbalance. In other words, tension within the muscles and connective tissue.

This imbalance can cause pain and make you more susceptible to injury. But also pain in the knee or back are sooner or later effects of it.

What helps against it? Stretch the front of the thigh! This way you can counteract the problem before it even really appears and causes pain.

Stretching loosens tension in the muscles and connective tissue. The muscle becomes more elastic and you improve your mobility.

Cramps, fiber tears or strains are prevented.

Why a shortened anterior thigh can cause pain

The fact that the anterior muscle of the thigh is shortened is not uncommon. In fact, it happens very often. One reason is that we spend a lot of time sitting.

When sitting, the legs are bent. The thigh muscles are not used. And if they are not used or trained through exercises to stretch the front of the thigh, they shorten.

These shortenings then have to be compensated for by our backs. Because this is the only way we can have an upright posture. Actually, this is not the task of the back. It is overloaded and begins to hurt. This also causes the fasciae to stick together.

However, a shortened front of the thigh can not only become a problem for the back. The knee can also suffer.

Very many runners and athletes know the phenomenon. The day after training, the knee pulls. If, that then disappears relatively quickly, there is no need to worry.

It only becomes problematic if the pain persists. The trigger for this can be the thigh muscles.

The cause of knee pain is high pressure on hard or shortened anterior leg muscles. The front of the thigh transmits the pressure to the knee.

At the latest then, you should start stretching the front of your thigh. Because if you don't stretch for a long time, you can risk inflammation in the knee.

How to stretch a tight front of the thighs

You have hard and tense thighs? It is often said that this is quite normal for athletes and you should not worry about it. This is also true if it is the case directly after training. There it is quite normal.

But if your thighs are permanently tense and hard, you should not leave it. Hard thighs bring some disadvantages with them.

Those who have tense thigh muscles are more susceptible to injuries. The transport of substances through the lymphatic vessels can also be negatively affected.

If you suffer from hard muscles, the exercises for the front of the thighs unfortunately can't help you. They irritate the muscles additionally and it gets worse rather than better.

What you can do about it? Training with the fascia roller is much more effective. This way you make the fascia and muscles loose and supple again. Light sporting activities such as cycling can also help.

If you want, you can watch this video with Viktor that I found on Youtube. Here you will find a lot of additional info about the front of your thighs and a few simple exercises.

The best exercises for stretching the front of the thighs

Stretching exercises for the front of the thighs should not be done directly after strength training or when you have just put a lot of strain on the thighs.

And not even the day after. Your muscle fibers are damaged and need time to regenerate.

It's best to incorporate the exercises into your warm up. At best, a session lasts 15 minutes. Allow about 3-5 minutes for each stretching exercise.

Stretch the front of the thigh: Tighten heel while standing

Tighten heel - stretch legs

  • Stand upright on the mat. Raise your left leg and bend it backwards.
  • Reach your left hand to your leg and pull it towards your butt.
  • The thighs are always parallel to each other. And the upper body is upright.

If you have a good sense of balance, you can grasp the foot with both hands.

Lunge as a stretching exercise

Deep lunge - stretch front of thighs

  • Do a lunge first.
  • Rest the back knee on the mat.
  • Push the back leg as far back as you can.
  • The front leg is bent.
  • Hold the position.

Exercise for the front thigh muscles

Stretch front of thigh

  • Begins with a normal lunge. Only this time you rest the knee on the mat.
  • Grasp the right leg and pull it towards the buttocks with the right hand.
  • Tilt your upper body forward a little so that you don't go into a hollow back.

Tighten stretched leg

Stretch front of thigh

  • Lie on your back for this.
  • Now slowly bring the stretched leg upwards in a controlled manner.
  • The lower back and the other leg remain on the floor.

Tip: You can also use a theraband to help you. Wrap it around your foot and pull your leg towards you.

Stretching the front of the thigh while lying down

Tighten leg while lying - stretching exercise

  • Lie sideways on the mat. Support your head with your left hand.
  • Angle the right leg and pull it towards the buttocks with the right hand.
  • Important: The thighs are always parallel to each other.

Kneel and lay backwards

Thigh front stretch exercise

  • Kneel on the mat.
  • Your feet are flat on the floor and your toes point backwards.
  • Lean your upper body backwards.
  • At best, you can lay all the way on the ground.
  • Your knees remain in contact with the floor.
  • Hold the stretch.

Stretching exercise for the front of the thighs

Stretching exercise back of thigh

  • Lie down on your stomach.
  • Angle your legs and try to grasp them with your hands.
  • To do this, straighten the upper body and lift the thighs off the floor.

Our conclusion

Stretching has many positive effects on the body. If you stretch the front of your thighs regularly, you can avoid shortening and prevent back and knee pain.

It is important that you listen to yourself during stretching and pay attention to what feels good and what does not. You should feel a pleasant tug. The stretching exercises should never hurt.

Therefore, make sure that you stretch gently and carefully and take enough time.

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