Improving and working on the flexibility of the legs and body will help us prevent muscle injuries when we train. Many times we tend to focus our attention on gaining muscle mass. However, it is important to increase the flexibility of the body, as not doing so could increase the possibility of injury. As we get older we lose flexibility, but there are ways to fight against it.
How to gain flexibility in the legs? Very easy. Below we propose a few leg flexibility exercises that will be very useful for your purpose.
Stretching plan to gain flexibility in legs
Before going on to talk about the exercises, we must highlight the importance of a good stretching plan. Warming up when starting sports prevents injuries, so it is essential to incorporate it into the routine.
On the other hand, if you really want to gain flexibility in your legs, you have to be constant. It will be useless to stretch a lot in one day if you spend more than a week without continuing the exercises. That is why you have to be disciplined and always set aside time to perform these leg flexibility exercises.
Also, it is not helpful to hold the movements for only five seconds. Try holding them for 20-30 seconds to see a real evolution in leg flexibility.
Finally, and we are now talking about the exercises, we have to recommend that you go to a professional. If you don’t see yourself capable of doing the exercises by yourself and you see that you can hurt yourself, don’t give up on your goal. There are sports professionals who can make sure you get every move right.
5 leg flexibility exercises
Now yes, given the importance of increasing the flexibility of your extremities, we will detail these leg flexibility exercises.
1. Scissors
For this exercise you have to lie on your back. Then lift one of your legs, always keeping it straight. Grab it while raising your trunk up and bring it closer to you. When you lower one leg, raise the other, but try not to touch the ground at any time.
2. Stretch Quadriceps and knees
The first thing is to look for a chair or any other object that you have at hand and can help you maintain your balance. Then bend one of your legs back and take the foot with one of your hands, keeping it more or less at the height of your buttocks. Pull it until you notice that the heel rubs against the gluteus, here you should be noticing how the quadriceps are stretched. When you’re done, move on to stretching the other leg.
This stretch, as you have seen, helps you increase flexibility in both the quadriceps and the knees.
3. Hurdle Stretch
It is called that because you can do it standing up and leaning on a fence. However, it is an exercise that you can also do sitting on the floor, using the usual mat. Choose the option that is most comfortable for you and proceed to make these movements.
Leave one leg behind and stretch the other forward, without bending the knee. The next step is to throw your body forward, from the hips. The goal is for your abdomen to be as close to the knee as possible. You should also reach for the foot with your hands, stretching it towards you. Continue with the other leg when you’re done.
If you are a beginner, it is easy to tend to bend the knee. Try to avoid it and go as far as you can. Surely every day you can go a little further.
4. Calf stretch
This is a fairly comprehensive exercise that helps you increase leg flexibility. Also, it’s not too difficult, so it’s perfect if you’re just starting out.
To do it you need to be leaning against a wall or wall. Standing, bring one leg forward and form a 90-degree angle while keeping the other leg fully extended. Then you will have to support your hands on the wall and bring the legs that are behind you further and further back, until you feel the pressure on the calves. All you have to do is keep your back straight, a 90-degree angle with one leg, and stretch the other more and more without taking your foot off the ground. As we said in the previous exercise, don’t worry if you can’t force a lot at first. You just have to be constant to notice the evolution.
5. Stretch for hamstrings
Let’s finish your training routine with a hamstring exercise. This way you will increase elasticity and you will be able to eliminate that annoying feeling of stiffness.
You have to stand up and put your legs straight. Then you go down, always keeping your back straight, without bending your knees. The goal is to touch your feet with your hands, but go as far as you can and try to go a little further each day. Do this movement first forward and then to the sides?
Final conclusions
These have been some leg flexibility exercises that you can do to improve elasticity. Today there are many sedentary jobs that are not the best for our physical condition. The stiffness ends up taking over us at the end of the day after spending eight hours sitting down. That’s why it’s important to do what you can to increase flexibility. These 12 stretches to do in the office can be a good help. Also, always keep in mind that being flexible helps to suffer fewer injuries.
As you can see, the leg flexibility exercises that we have proposed are not very difficult. You just have to be patient and strive to achieve a better result every day. We are sure that you will get it.
