Stretching is essential for physical and mental health. They improveflexibility, mobility, and muscle relaxation. They reduce high blood pressure by decreasing the stiffness of the arteries. They offer a time of mindful meditation favorable to psychic well-being.

For sports where speed, strength, or vertical leap are involved, stretching may have a negative effect on performance. It is not necessary to warm up before stretching. The best place to stretch is at home, with muscles rested in an atmosphere conducive to relaxation.

You can stretch right after jogging, but it’s best to wait until you get home and shower and change. Stretching helps lengthen the muscles. It is also sometimes necessary to stretch your lower body before your sports session to prepare your muscles for the effort. So, are you ready to discover the complete guide to stretching your lower body?

Why should you do lower body stretches?

It is important to note in the preamble that there are 2 different types of stretching which do not have quite the same interests:

• Static stretching: you hold the stretching position without moving. They can be passive – with no associated muscle contraction – or active – with an associated contraction.
• Dynamic stretching: done in motion.

These 2 types of stretching do not allow exactly the same things: the static ones are to be preferred to gain in amplitude, in other words to become more flexible, when the dynamic stretchings serve rather the heating of the body.

Stretching has mainly 3 consequences on the body:

• The very ones that control pain also calm the receptors on the muscles. It’s like hiding muscle pain.
• decrease blood circulation in the muscles, reducing, among other things, the oxygen supply. The muscles need it to function, in particular during an effort.
• It improves muscle elasticity.

But then what happens when you stretch the muscle? The body is connected to the bones by the tendons, which are its insertion points. By moving these insertion points further apart, the muscle is stretched. In concrete terms, stretching means making the muscles more elastic and therefore maintaining the body’s mobility. A mobile body is a healthier body, and this contributes to the prevention of injuries.

Should you stretch your lower body before or after exercise?

Stretching notably reduces the supply of oxygen to the muscle and, if it is less oxygenated, the muscle may be less able to respond to the effort required during sports practice. And if, in addition, a stretch hides the pain, it is obvious that it is not recommended to perform it before an effort, if it is a passive stretch, without movement. On the other hand, a dynamic stretch can be carried out before exercise, gently, to complete the warm-up.

Is it better to do them after sports? Again, be careful. Stretching after an intense effort will offer the possibility of going at greater amplitudes than when cold. This can potentially maintain muscle damage, if not accentuate it. In addition, stretching reduces blood circulation, and it is precisely the blood that allows muscle healing, which guaranteesrecovery. Stretching after intense effort is therefore also not recommended.

The best thing is still to stretch away from an effort to maintain overall mobility. You can also stretch right after a sports activity, if and only if it has not been too intense. After the session, the stretches must be short and of low intensity to restore their initial length to the muscles that contract with the effort. It is recommended to wait until you get home and shower before doing longer stretches.

What are the benefits of lower body stretching?

To become flexible and stay that way, there is no secret: you have to stretch!

Flexibility refers to the ability to perform bodily movements with the greatest possible joint and muscle amplitude on our different muscle groups. Working on your flexibility means saving yourself from many pathologies, but not only. It is also :

• Improve musclestrengthby gaining range of motion.
• Improve your recovery after an effort.
• It reduces the risk of injury.
• Relieve joint and muscle tension.
• Gain flexibility and lose stiffness.

How do you properly stretch your lower body?

Lower bodystretches must meet certain criteria to be effective. For a lower body stretching session to be effective, it is advisable to practice for 15 to 30 minutes, holding each of the stretching positions for between 6 and 45 seconds. Always take a short relaxation break between exercises, for 5–45 seconds, so your muscles can relax.

Here are some tips for doing your stretching session well:

• Stretch in a warm place so you don’t rush your muscles.
• A stretching session must, above all, remain a moment of relaxation. Choose a quiet place to help release tension.
• Don’t force it. Go at your own pace.
• Take a slow breath and exhale as you stretch. Proper breathing allows your muscles to relax.
• Do not stretch an injured muscle. You may make the situation worse.

Top 6 Lower Body Stretches

Stretching the lower body before exercise

Stretch for hips, quadriceps, back of thighs and back

To perform this stretch, first take a big step forward with your leftleg. Place your hands on the ground on both sides of your left foot. You will then be in the starting position of a sprinter. Then stretch your right leg backward.

Stretch for quadriceps and glutes

First, stand on your right leg and bring your left knee towards your chest. Then bring your left foot towards your buttocks and extend your right arm above your head.

Repeat this sequence at least 5 to 10 times on each side.

Stretching the lower body after exercise

Adductor gap

Sitting cross-legged on your mat, press your knees lightly towards the floor. You should feel a stretch in your inner thighs. Inhale then exhale while releasing your knees a little more towards the ground.

Repeat 3 times for 30 seconds.

Standing quadriceps stretch

In a standing position, grab your instep and bring your heel close to your buttocks. Make sure your pelvis remains neutral and tilted slightly forward to feel the stretch on the front of your thigh as much as possible.

If you are uncomfortable with balance, you can perform this stretch while lying on your stomach. Adopt a slow and controlled breathing during the exercise.

Perform the stretch 3 times for 30 seconds on each side, trying to increase the amplitude on the 3 passages.

Glutes stretch

While lying down, place your ankle on your opposite knee and grab the back of your thigh or shin depending on your level of flexibility. Remember to relax your upper body throughout the stretch. Inhale, then exhale, bringing your knee to yourchest.

Perform 3 repetitions of 30 seconds on each side.

Inner and rear thigh and calf stretch

Sit with your legs apart, straighten your left leg and place your right foot against the inside of your left thigh. Grasp the inside of your left foot with your left hand and lean your upper body forward while keeping your back straight. Extend your right arm above your head so you feel a stretch on the right side of your upper body. Inhale and exhale deeply while stretching.

Perform 3 repetitions of 30 seconds on each side.

In conclusion on lower body stretches

Lower body stretches are important to allow your muscles to relax. They also allow you to work on your flexibility, which will limit certain tensions that can appear with age.

However, it is important to check, depending on the effort you are going to provide, which stretches are best suited to your session. For runners, it’s important to warm up by stretching your legs andback. For the followers of the weight room, it is better to wait to be returned and showered before performing several stretches of the lower body.

Do not hesitate to contact a coach for advice on stretching adapted to the muscles you have used during your session. Good stretch!