After any leg or aerobic exercise, if the hamstring muscle at the back of the thigh is not properly stretched, the back of the thigh will feel very tight when walking or standing, and it is easy to cause hamstring strain when continuing other exercises.

Stand up, take a big step forward with your left leg, with your heels on the ground and your toes up. Bend your right knee so that your thighs are parallel. Transfer your weight to your right leg and put your hands on your left knee. Lower the center of gravity of the trunk until you feel the hamstring muscles behind your left leg stretched. Pelvic protection inclines upward, so that the back of the body can bend upward while keeping the back straight.

Then switch legs and repeat this action.

Stretching of 2 quadriceps in the front of thigh

After squat, leg exercise and cycling, it is especially necessary to stretch the muscles in the front of the thigh (the most important muscle group in the leg).

When standing, keep your feet parallel and hip width, then lift your right heel and hold your ankle with your right hand so that it faces your hip. Keep your feet in a neutral position, then gently press your feet against your hips with your hands, and keep your legs and knees together. To let yourself feel the stretching of the muscles in the front thigh, if you want to increase the stretching strength, please move the pelvis forward and squeeze the buttocks while your knees are together.

Then switch legs and repeat this action.

3 hip flexion and extension

First, the left knee touches the ground, and the right foot is kneeling at a 90-degree angle. Then, put your hands on your right thigh or waist, tilt your hips forward, stretch in the front area of your hips for 5 seconds, and then switch to the other side for stretching.

4 calf extension

Stand in front of the wall, lunge forward with your left leg, keep your right leg upright behind you, and touch the ground with your heel. Note that it is very important to keep the heel pedal in this action. Toes pointing forward or toes slightly inward. Support the wall and keep the pelvis and back in a straight line (don't pout).

If you want to increase the stretching strength, you can bend your left knee and hip with the help of steps or curbs, keep most of your weight on your left leg, press down your right heel gently, and pull your toes up at the same time.

Then switch legs and repeat this action.

5 gluteal muscle extension

Sit on the floor and put your left leg on your right knee. Straighten your left arm through the gap between your left and right legs, and grab the back of your right leg with your right hand. Bend your right knee, put your right knee and left leg close to your chest and lie on your back on the floor. It feels like doing some kind of karate grip, bringing your legs closer to your chest. At this point, you will feel the tension on the outside of your hips and thighs.

6 Lower back extension

In yoga, this movement is called "cat-cow style" because when the back of the first movement bends like a cow, the second movement bends backwards like a cat.

Inhale, raise your head, hold out your chest, butt up, and tighten your abdomen and sink. Inhale, raise your head, hold out your chest, butt up, and tighten your abdomen and sink.

Cat style: exhale, including chest arch, chin looking for clavicle, eyes looking at navel, back as far as possible upward, in an arc shape.

7 chest stretching

Stand facing the corner, raise your arms, the big arms are flush with your shoulders, the small arms are attached to the walls on both sides, open your chest, separate your legs back and forth, and focus on your front legs. Support your arms, let your chest protrude to the corner, feel your back shoulder blades squeeze together, and stretch your front chest muscles.

8 Upper back extension

In yoga, this action is called "cross-legged forward bending".

Sit cross-legged on the yoga mat with your hands straight and held high above your head. Inhale the upper body forward while keeping the spine extended. The upper body is completely placed on the yoga mat, and the head gently leans on the ground. If you can't touch it, you can put it in front with a yoga brick. Stay for 3-5 breaths, then get up slowly.

9 arm triceps extension

Raise your right arm above your head, palms facing back, forearms drooping backwards. Raise your left hand and gently push your right elbow back until you feel a pull behind your right arm.

Then switch arms and repeat this action.

10 shoulder extension

Put your right arm at shoulder height and straighten it, then gently press your arm to your chest with your left hand (with your right elbow raised above). You can use the upper back muscles to push the shoulders forward and downward, so that the shoulder muscles can participate more and stretch to the upper back. If you want to increase the strength of stretching, please hold a solid bracket or bar with your right hand, or even cross your body with your right arm in a similar way, hold the bar or bracket tightly and twist your upper body to the right.

How often do you need to stretch?

The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that the whole body muscles should be stretched at least 2-3 times a week, preferably once when the muscles are warm after exercise. However, it would be better if you could find more time to stretch your whole body. Taking yoga or pilates classes is also a good way to increase stretching, relax your body and make your muscles full of blood.