The legs in focus. More precisely: the thigh stretch. Here you will find the best exercises for stretching the thigh muscles.
Today we give the legs a little more attention. Because they absolutely deserve it. Especially on the Thigh stretch many amateur athletes do without.
That being said, it's so important to do stretching exercises for your thighs on a regular basis - whether you play sports or not.
Our thighs have a central position and important function in the body. Did you know that many Knee pain actually originate from the thigh?
But back pain can also have its cause in the thigh.
Problems and pain in the lumbar region may occur because of a shortened anterior thigh muscle.
With exercises that stretch your thighs, you can get rid of all these problems and prevent future discomfort.
Today I want to show you what to look for when stretching your legs, which exercises are particularly suitable and which mistakes you should avoid.
Table of contents
Why stretch the thighs?
People who run a lot often have the problem that the muscle at the front of the thigh - the quadriceps - is more pronounced than that at the back. In cyclists, the leg flexors are usually more strongly trained.
And in people who don't exercise at all, both muscle strands are shortened.
But no matter what is the case with you. The bottom line is that it all leads to muscular imbalance. So tension within the muscles and connective tissue. It's similar with the hips and the adductors.
This can cause pain and make you more susceptible to injury. But it can also lead to lower back pain. Or cause knee pain sooner or later.
By loosening the muscles and connective tissue, you can release the tension. The elasticity of the muscle improves, you become more flexible overall.
What you can do about it are Exercises, which Thigh stretch. You can counteract the problem with this before it even really occurs and causes pain.
What happens if you do not stretch the thighs regularly
Not stretching your thighs at all can lead to cramps, torn fibers or strains. Such injuries occur especially often in the rear thigh muscle.
And this is really very uncomfortable and painful. It is very difficult to spare the legs in everyday life. That's why such an injury can last quite a long time.
By the way, the pain is not in the muscle. It's in the fascial tissue. Fascia gluewhen we use muscles too much or too unilaterally.
This is known especially from the Neck and shoulders. But you can also risk it in the legs. But it does not have to be. Because very simple Stretching exercises for thighs help against it.
When you do stretching exercises for the thighs, more nutrients, such as proteins, minerals or carbohydrates reach the muscles. Here they provide fast regeneration and energy.
Building the leg muscles
And now a little anatomy. The thigh is supported by the femur. The knee joint connects it to the lower leg. The connecting piece to the trunk is the hip joint.
The muscles in the thigh can be divided into three areas:
- The anterior thigh muscle - also extensor or leg extensor
- The rear thigh muscles for bending the leg - also called flexors or flexor
- And the adductors - the inner side of the thigh.
When and how you should stretch the legs
Don't stretch your thighs right after strength training or when you've just used them heavily. And also not the day after. Your muscle fibers are then damaged and need time to recover.
The best exercises to stretch the thighs are a Part of your warm up. 3-5 minutes stretching is ideal before exercise.
If you don't do sports and don't plan to do much sports, then you can always stretch your thighs.
When you warm up the muscles drop Exercises to stretch the thigh, lighter. The muscles feel supple and you can really go into the stretch.
A really great exercise to warm up is the jumping jack or just light running on the stand. A quick walk around the block can also be part of the warm up.
If you use stretching instead of warm up, it is important that you do not overdo it. You don't want to strain the muscle too much. If you include thigh stretching in the warm up, hold the exercise for a maximum of 15 seconds.
As a lightener
And then there is the option of thigh stretching as a loosening up. This will help you with tight or hard thigh muscles. This can come from a hard workout, too much sitting, or just not enough exercise.
Do 3-4 exercises, each for 20-30 seconds. Go gently into stretching.
Improve mobility
If you want your legs to become more flexible by stretching your thighs, you need to stretch for at least 45 seconds.
However, you should not risk too much of a good thing. Do the stretching exercises for the legs for a maximum of 3 minutes. Otherwise you risk micro injuries of the fascia.
This doesn't mean that you should stretch very little. You can go as far as you feel pain. The important thing is to hold the tension and not give in too quickly.
If you want to improve your mobility, you have to think long-term. Unfortunately, nothing works overnight.
For those who have little time, I can recommend this video. From minute 2 and 26 seconds the exercises start, the rest you can just skip.
In addition to these exercises, I would like to show you my favorite stretching exercises. You will find in the compiled workout stretching exercises that I like the most and that work best for me.
It's best to do a mix of the video and the We Go Wild exercises. This way you get the most out of the stretching session for your legs.
The best exercises for stretching thighs
Here you will find a mix of exercises for your thigh muscles. Namely, some for the front of the leg, so the leg extensor, the rear thigh muscles and the adductors.
But what I can say about myself: It really does get better with time. When I first started stretching, it was terribly difficult. I realized how immobile I was - scary! 😅
I usually work out at home myself. The fitness platform Gymondo is great for that. You sign up once and can then choose from 60 programs and 570 workouts. All you need is a workout mat and a little space in your living room.
There is a wide range of yoga sessions or stretching-only sessions.
You can do abs, legs, butt one day and legs and arms the next. Just put together whatever you feel like doing. With less than 8 euros per month and unlimited access to the workouts, the investment will soon pay off.
But now let's look at my favorite exercises in detail.
Stretch the anterior thigh muscle
Stretching exercise for: Leg extension
The classic among the Stretching exercises for the thighsl. This exercise probably knows everyone. It is simple and at the same time very effective. You also train your sense of balance.
- 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.
Dog looking down as thigh stretching exercise
Stretching exercise for: the leg flexors
In yoga, too, you'll find plenty of exercises that can stretch your thighs.
- You start in an upright stance with your legs slightly open.
- Bend over in front. Place the palms on the mat.
- Stretch your butt in the air and your legs and arms through. Make sure your back is straight.
Those who are very good, come to the floor with their heels. Beginners probably will not be able to do this. But that does not matter. With increasing thigh stretching mobility becomes better :)
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Thigh stretch by touching toes
Stretching exercise for: Leg flexors
- Sit on the exercise mat and stretch your legs.
- Reach with your fingers to the tips of your toes or as far as you can.
- Hold the tension and try to improve the stretching pain by breathing.
As you can see, I also have problems with this stretching exercise. Now we just can't give up and keep stretching.
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Thigh stretch with wall
Stretching exercise for: Leg flexors
Now it gets a little more relaxed. What you need for this exercise is either a wall, a door or a cabinet.
- Lie down facing the wall. Important: Your buttocks touch the wall. The soles of your feet point upward.
- Try to press your legs as close to the wall as possible. Tilt the tips of your toes towards you as far as you can to further enhance the stretching exercise.
Stretch the thighs with resistance band
Stretching exercise for: All muscles in the thigh
With this one exercise, you can stretch all the muscles in your thigh well.
- Lie on your back and stretch your legs.
- Thread the ribbon around one leg and pull it towards you with your hands.
- The leg is stretched throughout.
- Now move the leg as far as you can sideways to the right and left. Then lower it again and repeat the exercise once more before you change the leg.
Important: Perform this exercise slowly.
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Hands to the floor as a stretching exercise
Stretching exercise for: Inner thigh and leg flexors
In this stretching exercise, you will stretch the inner and back muscles in the thigh.
- Go as far into the straddle as is still comfortable for you.
- Try to get as far as possible with your fingers to your toes.
- Stretch sometimes right, sometimes left and sometimes in the middle. Always nicely alternating. Without straightening up fully.
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Side lunge to stretch the thigh
Stretching exercise for: Adductors
The inner thigh muscles can also be stretched with simple exercises. This will help you to have a more stable stance.
- You start in the straddle. Then bend your upper body to the right side.
- Lower your buttocks to the level of the right knee. The tips of your toes point forward.
- Hold the stretch for 15 seconds and then switch sides.
Make sure that the back is straight. By the way, we have dedicated a separate article to the adductors. The result is the article "13 effective exercises for the inner thighs„.
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Exercise for the front thigh muscles
Stretching exercise for: Leg extension
- 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.
Stretching thighs while lying down
Stretching exercise for: Leg extension
- Lie down 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.
Stretching exercise for the whole body
And finally, something for yogis and those who are already very mobile. You stretch your shoulders, strengthen your back and stretch your front thigh muscles.
- 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.
Stretch the thighs with Samson Stretch
Stretching exercise for: Leg extension
- First do a lunge. However, rest the back knee on the mat.
- Push the back leg as far back as you can.
- The front leg is bent.
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What do shortened thighs have to do with back pain?
Very often, the cause of pain is not even directly at the point of pain. This can be observed in the back. Often, pain in the lower back comes from the thigh. More precisely, from shortened muscles in the thigh.
Many doctors often do not recognize this connection and prescribe pills or injections
It is not uncommon for the leg extensor - the front muscle on the thigh - to be shortened. In fact, it happens many times. One reason for this is that we spend a lot of time sitting.
When sitting, the legs are bent. This means that we do not exercise the thigh muscle. If it is not used or trained with exercises that stretch the thigh, it shortens.
Our back must then compensate for this shortening. Because this is the only way we can have an upright posture. But since this is not actually the task of the back, it is overloaded and begins to hurt. Now the fasciae also stick together and the vicious circle is perfect.
If you sit a lot, you need to stretch your front thigh and groin in particular. In addition to the exercises that I have already presented to you, this can be achieved wonderfully with special Fascia rollers exercises.
Why do you get knee pain from a shortened leg extensor?
Very many runners and athletes know the phenomenon. The day after training, the knee pulls. If this then disappears relatively quickly, you don't have to worry.
It becomes problematic when the pain is always there. Here, too, the thigh muscles can be the trigger.
The cause is high pressure on hard and shortened anterior leg muscles. The leg extensor transfers the pressure to the knee.
If you haven't done thigh stretching exercises beforehand, you should start now at the latest. Because if you don't stretch for a long time, you can even risk inflammation in the knee.
So you need to start building and stretching the muscle. The best way to do this is first with a Fascia roller and then stretch with thighs.
How to stretch tense thighs
Do you know the problem with 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. It is quite normal there.
But if you have permanently tense and hard thighs, you should not let it stand. Because 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 is also said to be negatively influenced by this and overall the legs hurt - sometimes even with every step.
If you suffer from hard muscles, thigh stretching exercises won't help you much. They will irritate the muscles even more. It will get worse rather than better.
In such a case, start with the fascia roller and then start doing exercises in small steps. A masseur can also help you to loosen the thigh muscles.
Our conclusion
Thigh stretches should be a regular part of your routine. The easiest way to do this is to incorporate thigh stretches into your warm up or cool down. This way you can prevent back and knee pain and prevent your muscles from shortening.
Even or especially if you don't do sports, you should stretch your body regularly. Loosen the fascia with exercises, massage rollers, massages and of course stretching. You will quickly notice that you feel much better.
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