DESCRIPTION
In this video we work on opening up the front of the thighs, also known as the quadriceps or quads.
Equipment: foam roller, wall space
1) Myofascial Release
Rolling Out The Quadriceps
On your stomach, start with the foam roller at the crease of the hip. Since we’re doing one leg at a time, you can start by crossing your left foot behind your right so that the majority of your weight is on your right leg. Then slowly begin rolling from your hip down towards your knee. Since the quadricep is the whole front of the leg, you can roll towards the outer edge or in towards the inner thigh depending on what you feel and where you’re tight. Once you find a point of intensity, you can stop, hold and breathe. After about two minutes on your right side, repeat on your left side.
Flossing
Flossing is when you utilize the range of motion in the joint in order to work out tension in the muscle. Return the foam roller to the hip crease, shift your weight to the right and slowly bring your right heel towards your butt. Bend and extend your knee two to three times before moving the roller slightly down towards your knee. Continue all the way down, then repeat the process on your left side.
2) Static Stretch
King Arthur Stretch
Sitting on your heels and facing away from the wall, slide your right knee back to where the floor and wall meet. Use your hands as support. Step the left foot up to a lunge. You can stay here and breathe, or you can sit up into your lunge position. Keep the hips as square as possible as you sit the butt back towards the wall and right heel. Think about lengthening your tailbone down towards your knee and avoid arching your back. After a few minutes in this stretch, lean your body forward and release your hands down towards the ground. First release your left leg then the right knee down, then changing to the left side.
Hero’s Pose
Start by bringing your heels to the outside of your hips. If this is too much for your knees, you can always prop yourself up on a block or a folded blanket. The position we want is for the calves to be rolling out and the quadriceps to be up. If this is enough for you, hold here. If you need more in order to feel the stretch, you can begin to walk the hands back. As you begin to lean back, be sure your low back doesn’t begin to arch or ribs start to flare out. You want a straight the spine and to lengthen from the knee all the way past the hip.