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Hamstring - Quads

As your performing these stretches on the floor, it may be wise to lay on a towel, especially if your a little sweaty. These stretches are designed to ease the tension in your hamstring (back of upper leg) muscles and also your powerful quadricep muscles, those at the front of your thighs.

Its important that you have given your body a chance to recover from your workout, so that both your heart rate and breathing have returned to a comfortable level. If your unable to hold a conversation, then spend a few minutes performing a very low level aerobic exercise, such as walking, taken in deep breathes to help bring down your heart rate and breathing rate to normal levels.

Stretching whilst your body is still trying to recover will result in your muscles not being able to stretch correctly.
 

Easy Lying Straight, Leg to Chest

1. Lie comfortably on your back, concentrating on keeping both your head and buttocks in contact with the floor.
2. Slowly extend one leg upward, grasping it with both hands, either around the calf, the hamstrings, or a combination of both.
3. Aim to pull your leg toward your chest, keeping it straight. When the tension builds up in your hamstrings, relax the stretch a little by contracting your quadriceps on the same leg.
4. If necessary, use a towel wrapped around your foot, in order to keep your head on the floor.

Easy Stretch Lying

1. Lie on your side, aiming to keep both the knees and the inside of your thighs together.

2. Extend the lower leg out straight, keeping the top leg bent, and one hand grasping the foot.

3. Exhale, pulling the foot toward your buttock while you slowly push your pelvis forward.

4. Use a towel wrapped around your foot if you can't reach your foot comfortably.



Now move onto the next page to learn how to perform the inner thigh (adductor muscles) stretch and those of your outer thigh (glutes).

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