Too much flexibility can mean greater risk of injury. Your body needs more muscle strength to provide stability and active stretching can be a safer option.
When flexibility isn’t a good thing
Yoga@work stretch for the thighs or quadriceps [video]
Stretches for the quadriceps (quads) or thigh muscles are becoming more common in my classes. In part because these big muscles are so essential for running, cycling and tramping. When they get a good workout, we often feel the soreness
Stretching the leg muscles (cyclists this one’s for you)
Several friends are riding the Tour Aotearoa, 3,000km of cycling from Cape Reinga to Bluff in 30 days or less. As their training rides have increased, so have the niggles of chronically tight muscles. The large muscles of the legs
Intense stretch for the thighs
Stretches for the quadriceps or thigh muscles are a common request in my classes. They easily get tight from tramping, cycling and running. When they are tight they’re also a major contributor to knee pain and can also affect hip
Stretching the inner thighs or groin
The last few weeks I’ve focused on the muscles at the front of the thighs, but what about the muscles in your inner thighs. These muscles are responsible generally for adducting or pulling/squeezing your legs together. That’s why they get
Release the hips by stretching the thighs
Here are five different ways to stretch your quadriceps or thigh muscles. I’ve included tips for micro movements that can help deepen the stretch.
Stretching thighs and hamstrings with wide leg forward fold
Wide leg standing poses are excellent for stretching your inner thighs and groin. When you fold forward, you can also stretch your hamstrings. Adding this twist variation, can change the feeling of the stretch in your legs and hips, and
Crescent lunge for leap day (stretch thighs)
It’s the 29th of February leap day in a leap year! I tried to think what pose in yoga is most like leaping through the air – and thought of crescent lunge! Particularly if you focus on your back leg.
Finding a thigh or quadriceps stretch in lunges
Sometimes it’s easier to find the quadriceps or thigh stretch in a lunge with the back knee down. Start from standing with your feet hip-width apart. Step your left foot back to a lunge keeping the front knee over the
Basic lunge 101
Every yoga class I’ve taught has had a few, if not several lunges in them. The lunge is a simple and easy way to stretch several muscles in your legs including the thigh and groin muscles including the psoas. There