There are two important muscles on the calf, one is called gastrocnemius, which is what we usually call calf. This muscle mainly helps us stand, walk and jump; The other muscle is soleus muscle, which is deep in the calf. Can visually lengthen the calf. Generally speaking, gastrocnemius muscle is more developed than soleus muscle, so visually, the calf will protrude and the leg will be thick. At this time, if you do some stretching exercises and exercise soleus muscles, the two muscles will be balanced and your legs will be thin. After exercise, insist on doing comprehensive stretching exercise to stimulate the blood circulation around.
How to fully stretch leg muscles?
1, supporting lunge
About 30 cm away from the wall, stand with your legs apart and your arms apart, close to the wall; The front legs are bent into a high lunge, the rear legs are straight and the feet are forward; The hind legs are pressed straight or the knees are bent forward, and the heels do not leave the ground; Feel the calf muscles stretch, and hold 15~30 seconds; Legs exchanged.
2, piriformis muscle extension
Lie flat with your back on the mat, bend your knees and step on the mat completely. Keep the sole of the left foot on the mat, retract the bent right leg, and rest the right ankle on the outside of the left knee, so that the two legs cross to form the number "4". Hold your left thigh with both hands and gently and slowly pull it up, and you will feel that your hip muscles are fully stretched. /kloc-After 0/5-20 seconds, exchange legs and repeat the above actions.
3. Stretch quadriceps femoris
Stand with your back straight, your shoulders extended backwards, your abdomen tightened and your pelvis leaned forward. Stand with your legs together, with your right knee bent backward, your right heel close to your hip, grab your right ankle or sole, and shift your center of gravity to your left leg (at this time, you can use a wall or chair back to keep balance), and slowly let your feet close to your coccyx to avoid arching. After holding 15 to 20 seconds, return to the starting stance and repeat this stretching action with the other leg.
4. Sitting stretching
Sit up straight, knees bent, feet opposite, knees pressed down until you feel the inner thigh stretched. Be careful not to lean forward.
5, hamstring muscle extension
Keep a semi-squat posture, straighten your right leg forward, straighten your right knee, and land your right foot. Keep your right knee straight, your back straight, and lean forward in the direction of your right leg straight so that your chest is aligned with your knee. Similarly, after holding 15 to 20 seconds, return to the starting position and repeat this stretching action with the other leg. This will help to fully stretch the muscles at the back of the thigh.
Precautions to avoid thick legs when running
Leg muscles can be divided into fast muscle fibers and slow muscle fibers. Running too fast, plus some explosive force and weight-bearing training, will make the fast muscle fibers accumulate and make the calf look thick.
In aerobic running, the muscle expansion rate will not exceed 20%. Therefore, in daily running, calf muscles become developed and will not exceed this ratio. In order to make legs beautiful and avoid thick legs, girls should pay special attention to the following points when running:
1. Warm up before running and stretch your leg muscles as fully as possible for about 5 minutes.
2, try to run at a uniform speed, slow down, avoid running for a short time, in order to increase the explosive power of the legs. Generally, keep running for 30~50 minutes, and keep the heart rate at 120~ 170 times per minute.
3. After running, in addition to the static stretching of the legs for 5-20 minutes, you can also punch and beat the calf muscles with your fist and massage with a stick or finger to eliminate lactic acid accumulation after running. ?