Leg stretching exercises. Leg sprain: symptoms and treatment. Easy Beginner Leg Stretches

Stretching of the leg muscles (stretching) is required professional athletes for running, hitting, jumping, growing results. Properly selected stretching exercises are needed after intense strength training in the gym or at home, leading to tone some parts of the body, leaving others unattended. Exercise will allow you to stay in shape longer, prevent muscle and tendon imbalances. Fulfilling strength exercises for pumping up the biceps or the press, it seems logical to use the muscle groups of the legs. The expander will definitely come in handy.

Before doing leg stretching exercises, it is recommended to prepare the muscles - warm up intensive warm-up preventing sipping. Try the exercises:

Ten minutes to jump rope at home, warming up parts of the body.
Fifteen-minute run, foot warm-up - toe / heel.
Perform leg swings 20 times, kneading the inguinal muscle.
Sit down fifty times (preferably), step on the foot.
Stretch your hands with jerky movements.
Make torso tilts to the right, left side (20 times), stretching your back.
Walk in place, even out breathing and heartbeat rhythm.

After performing standard exercises, start stretching the leg muscles at home for people of any height and build. Exercises are classified into dynamic (suitable for frequent workouts) and static (for beginner women and men). For training, it is recommended to use an expander - it is easier to stretch with a simulator.

Standard set of exercises

Effective stretching helps muscle groups to constantly stay in good shape, allows you to make your legs slender. We stretch the legs correctly and consistently:

After warming up, sit on the floor at home, spread your legs shoulder-width apart, try to reach your socks. After the attempt, fixation and freezing in the required position for a few moments. Repeat the exercises twenty times.
The legs are placed wider at the maximum possible, without pain, distance (standing position). Hands are crossed on the chest, they try to make slow bends with the body forward. The goal of the exercise is to try to touch the floor with your elbow, regardless of height. Three sets of 10 reps. Don't step on your knees.
To get it right, they sit down at home on the floor, connect their feet together (heel to heel), try to touch the floor with their feet in the area of bent knees. Effective exercises for beginner women and men are given.

To stretch the tissues of the tendons and muscles well at home, it will take months of training the muscle groups of the calves, lower legs and thighs. The expander helps to cope well with the task - they step on the simulator, grabbing at high growth.

Complicating the task

After a week of training at home with a warm-up and standard exercises, they move on to complex stretching of muscles and tendons. Gymnastics begins to increase the load at home. A chair, an expander, an elastic band will come in handy.

High-quality stretching for slimming legs includes a set of exercises:

Increase training - the gradual addition of new movements, prolonged fading in one position and effective, calves and inner thighs. Properly training body parts is a competent approach to physical exercise.

Twine for beginners

Twine helps to train muscles. You won't be able to sit down quickly like this. A set of exercises is provided that are allowed at home for beginner women, girls, boys and men. achieve good results will only be possible with integrated approach by doing regular workouts at home:

No need to perform exhausting and painful workouts, trying to quickly sit on the twine. Using a chair as a support, it will be possible to train the muscles of the calves, lower legs, thighs (especially in men) gradually. Try alternately putting your feet on a chair and bending, lowering your pelvis down. If you overdo it, you risk tearing the tendon tissue.

Yoga is the best stretch

After systematically performing standard exercises for men and women that help stretch and develop the muscle groups and tendons of the lower leg, calves and inner thigh, try your hand at a new activity - yoga technique helps people of any height, gender and age. To avoid injuries leading to tissue ruptures, you can’t stretch until it hurts, you need to train your muscles using a support, for example, a chair, be sure to do a good warm-up.

To sit on the transverse twine (the teaching of yoga calls the exercise Samokanasana), perform the following steps:

The yoga technique helps to sit on the twine quickly, but it is imperative to perform the exercises gradually, avoiding pulling the muscles and injuring the tendon tissue. It is advisable to use an expander for tall people.

Yoga is an effective method to quickly master the technique of transverse twine. The technique does not allow impacts, exceptionally smooth movements, without injuries leading to tissue ruptures. Often for yoga, a soft expander with a loop is used, stepping into it and performing difficult stretching movements. A special one has been developed, with the help of which it is much easier to sit on the twine. It is allowed to use any technique, extremely carefully and gradually.

In the article, you will find a lot useful information with regards to stretching (stretching).

In short, I will tell you: about the types of stretch marks (static / dynamic), what is the difference between them, their advantages / disadvantages (which is better for a beginner, etc.), I will touch on a very topical issue that interests many beginner guys / girls: “ how to stretch correctly” (where to start, what to do, how to do it, etc., so as not to harm and not waste time).

Well, and finally, I will tell you about the complex of the best (effective) exercises for stretching all the muscles of the body (neck, trapezoid, shoulders, arms (biceps, triceps), chest, back, and of course the legs), of course talking about the technique of their implementation , everything is detailed with pictures, in general, so that there are no unnecessary questions.

Each has its own goals, for example:

do the splits;
improve posture,
improve muscle elasticity;
develop coordination;
acquire a flexible and "obedient" body, which will help you easily master new sets of exercises in various directions ...
for fighters, for example, to perform kicks (for example, (hit to the head), etc.)
to improve *nt*mn*th life, new poses are all business =)
and so on. in general, there are a lot of directions.

But! Let's not fan the air with stories that it is useful, everyone needs it, etc.

Everyone makes his choice, a person wants to do it - ok, no - this is his choice.

Always adhere to the following simple rules, and everything will be zashib =)

1. Before stretching the muscles (it doesn’t matter if it’s the legs or other parts of the body (back, chest, arms, neck, etc.), without fail warm up before your workout.

This is vital so that you do not harm yourself, do not get injured (sprain or something else), because the body is “cold”, and muscles and ligaments stretch very poorly on a cold body, therefore injuries are inevitable. Do you need it?...

If you are doing anaerobic training (gym, training with iron), then stretching should be done after training (not at the beginning, as some individuals mistakenly do, but only at the end, after strength training).

This is done specifically due to the fact that stretching helps to relax and relieve tension from the muscles. Accordingly, if you put it at the beginning of the training, before strength training where mobilization of forces is required, you will only worsen your strength results.

2. Perform absolutely all stretching exercises smoothly, under control, without any sharp rash movements / jerks that can lead to injury (even on a warm muscle).

3. During the performance of this or that exercise, try not to strain your muscles, because relaxed muscles stretch much better (more efficiently).

4. When doing stretching exercises, always make sure that your back (namely the spine) is straight(you can’t swear, you can’t grimace, because in this way you reduce the flexibility and elasticity of muscles and ligaments).

5. Breathing should be as calm and even ( starting position - inhale (nose), stretch - exhale (mouth)) - follow this (and in no case, do not hold your breath during this or that exercise, this is not permissible).

6. As a rule, the execution time for one exercise is about 60 seconds.

Well, in general, it varies depending on the flexibility of your muscles (at first, as much as you can, usually it is 5-10 maximum 15 seconds, however, each time (gradually) you need to try to build up to the right minute or more depending on your fitness level).

7. Get in the habit of exercising regularly(and not when you feel like it / want it, once a week or a month ... because the effect of such training is like a goat's milk). I would recommend that you start with at least three regular workouts per week (less will not be enough), and gradually (under control, according to your well-being) increase to daily training (if you wish), no, even 3 times will be with your head.

8. What else to say something ... oh yes, in no case DO NOT copy someone.

Do not try to stand out by throwing show-offs, how cool I am (I am), etc.

Always stretch for yourself, not for someone else.

Always consider your personal stretch limits or injury is inevitable. The sheepskin is not worth the candle...

9. If you are doing stretching with a partner, be very careful and tell him about your feelings. I'm not arguing that stretching together is more fun, but be very careful and speak up right away if you feel too much, because your partner cannot feel when your thigh is about to break ... (this is just an example, get the point).

10. A very common mistake many people make is that they do not pull MUSCLES, but LINKS! Ligaments are strong and almost inextensible shells of the joints.

Breaking them is quite difficult, but with due diligence it is possible.

As a result, you will have to undergo a long rehabilitation, or completely forget about training.

Therefore, always observe elementary precautions, namely:

Slightly bend your knees as you pull your hamstrings;
When working on stretching the legs, remove the lateral load on the knees by turning the toes of the legs up;
Just be careful when stretching the small muscles of the arms or the vulnerable muscles of the shoulder girdle;
Avoid severe pain when doing flexibility exercises.

11. Many do stretching in such a painful way that they simply can not stand it and give up this activity. This is not the right approach!

In no case should you endure pain, for this is the direct and shortest path to a hospital bed.

However, stretching should not be too pleasant if you want to get serious results in the foreseeable future. Do you understand?

All in all, no severe pain but don’t just filonte….

12. Stretch the body should be symmetrical, paying equal attention to each limb or half of the body. If you pull right leg within 5 minutes, please pull and left leg as many. Nothing less.

Only in this case, you can count on the benefits of stretching exercises.

13. A reasonable duration of a flexibility workout is considered to be at least 30-50 minutes, no less. More - you can, but not less (although I'm on initial stage I spent 15-20 minutes, gradually reaching 30 minutes, I never do more than 30 minutes, because there is no need - those who are seriously engaged in this, who want to achieve serious results, have a need).

When should you not stretch?

There are practically no contraindications for muscle stretching, so anyone can do it.

However, it is not recommended to perform various exercises to stretch any part of the body if:

Severe spinal injuries;
Inflamed hip joints;
Sick lower back;
With bruises of the legs;
In case of cracks in the bones, especially the pelvis;
With high blood pressure.
Classes during pregnancy, according to experts, are not prohibited, however, the physiological changes that occur in a woman's body during this period require special attention... therefore, be vigilant (see how you feel).
And also, in no case should you train stretching on a COLD BODY (without a warm-up), I have already talked about this in detail above.

P.s. Ideally, if you have significant health problems (especially with joints and muscles), then before starting stretching exercises, you should consult a doctor or an experienced trainer.

In case you have been stretching and you experience the following symptoms:

Dizziness
muscle spasm
Unexplained crunching or clicking in the body

Then see for yourself how you feel, maybe you need to rest for 5 minutes, you can change the exercise, you can stop training altogether ...

Types of stretch marks

There are five types of stretch:

Active- the practitioner himself makes efforts to stretch one or another part of the body.

Passive- these are movements performed with the help of a partner (work in pairs).

With this type of stretching, the amplitude is greater than with independent work, however, the training has one subtlety: if you don’t reach it, then there will be no effect from the exercise, and if you pull it, you can get injured.

It is for this reason that you:

Must be absolutely confident in the competence of your partner;
Constantly inform (during the performance of this or that exercise) about your feelings to him, so as not to get injured.

In my opinion, this is a kind of metamorphosis of static stretching, which is not performed under own weight, but under the influence of the partner's efforts. Here, in fact, are all the differences.

Dynamic- unlike the static one, this type is performed in motion.

The simplest example is lunges with one foot forward (back), to the side.

An increase in the amplitude of movements is achieved by increasing the speed or intensity of the exercise.

ballistic- in short, this type is performed with jerks and springy actions (forbidden for wellness stretching).

In detail, the basis of ballistic stretching is made up of jumps, pushes and other sharp power movements that contribute to muscle stretching.

Please note that all exercises are performed with maximum amplitude and sharply ( the only kind, in which exercises are performed not smoothly, under control, but sharply), due to which jerky traumatic stretching of muscle and connective tissues occurs.

During such a load, the joints and muscles experience risky overloads, so this method is not widely used (for beginners, as far as I know, it is not recommended).

Statistical- This is the most effective type of stretching recommended by doctors. In this type of stretching, a certain pose is taken, in which all muscles are maximally stretched, after which the body position is fixed for 15-30 seconds (maximum 1 minute).

P.s. in general, the fixation time depends on the flexibility (stretching) of a person.

In my opinion, in fact, all these types can be divided into two types (statistical (holding) and dynamic (in motion). Why the hell should you reinvent the wheel, who knows.

CONCLUSION: The ballistic type of stretching is the most traumatic, because, as already mentioned, it includes various swings and springy movements with a large amplitude ...

Accordingly, if your muscles and joints are not properly prepared, then this can lead not to stretching, but to torn ligaments, muscle injuries, “knocking out” the joint, and so on ...

That is why, for most people, I would recommend that you start stretching training only with static smooth exercises.

In the future, as your fitness (length of service, experience, etc.), see for yourself.

The best stretching exercises for all parts of the body

Don't forget that only after a thorough workout you can move on to basic exercises that develop the flexibility of any part of the body.

As a rule of thumb, stretching should begin with a neck stretch, then move on to the shoulders, back, arms, chest, and abs, and lastly, do leg stretches. This is me, for reference, so that you are aware)), but do not worry, I have already compiled everything for you below, just start repeating.

NECK STRETCH

Exercise number 1.

The exercise can be performed both standing and sitting (in my opinion, it is more convenient to stand).
Head tilts are performed with the help of the hands: the free hand is simply extended along the body (in our example, the right one), the working hand (in our example, the left one) performs the movement, namely: with the left hand, gently pull the head down to the shoulder.
After that, just hold this position for as long as you can, and then switch to the other side.
Repeat a couple of times on each side.

Exercise number 2.

Stand up straight.
Place both palms on the back of your head.
Slightly pressing them on your head, stretch your chin to your chest.
Stay in this position and feel the stretch rear end neck (see figure #1 below).

MUSCLE STRETCH: shoulders, back, chest

Exercise number 1.

The exercise is performed while standing.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart and lift right hand up.
Then pull it over your head close to your ear. Grab your right elbow with your left hand and gently pull your hand towards your ear. You should feel tension in your deltas (shoulders).
When you feel it, stay in this position for as long as you can.
Repeat with the other hand.

Exercise number 2.

Stand straight, feet shoulder width apart.
Put both hands behind your back so that your elbows are bent at an angle of 90 degrees (see as in the picture above).
Grab your other hand as close to your elbow as you can and pull it gently across your back to the opposite shoulder.
Hold the stretch for as long as you can, and then stretch with your other hand.

MUSCLE STRETCH: SPINA

Exercise number 1.

Grab a pole or pole with one hand and lean back, straightening your legs so that the back muscles are stretched.
Hold for as long as you can, feel the stretch (burning) in this position, and then repeat the exercise with the other hand (see the picture above, you will roughly understand what I mean).

MUSCLE STRETCH: hands and wrists

Exercise number 1. Triceps stretch (and even shoulders, back)

Starting position, standing, feet shoulder-width apart (according to convenience).
First, throw (raise) one arm (say, right) back behind your back, and bend it at the elbow.
Now we pull up the second hand (left), that is, we take the left hand by the right elbow and begin to pull it gently, slowly, under control, as far (deeper) as possible.
Hold the stretch for as long as you can, and then repeat the exercise with the other arm for as long as you can.

Exercise number 2. Stretching the biceps

Kneel on the floor and place your hands down in front of you, pointing to your knees with your fingers.
The thighs almost touch the feet.
Arch your back and lean back slowly, under control, keeping your elbows motionless and your palms on the floor, so that tension (stretching) of the muscles we need occurs.
Stay in this position (when it burns) for as long as you can.
Then relax for 15-20 seconds and repeat the exercise again several times (as you feel).

STRETCH MBREAST

Exercise number 1. Stretching pectoral muscles about the rack

Find some kind of support (vertical) like a WALL (as shown in the picture above).
Go to the wall and place your hand on the wall or any other vertical surface (depending on what you find) and bend your elbow 90 degrees while leaning forward with your whole body and slightly to the side of the arm until you feel the tension of the pectoral muscles.
After that, linger in this position for as long as you can (in order to stretch the muscles of the chest), and then repeat the exercise on the other side.

Exercise number 2.

Stand upright and pull outstretched arms back while keeping them locked (as shown in the picture below).
After that, not abruptly, but in a controlled movement (if you can, of course) raise your hands to the ceiling (as long as you can, according to your well-being), it is important to keep your hands with all this - DIRECT, until you feel a stretch in the pectoral muscles.

Exercise number 1.

Lie on your stomach and place both hands on the floor directly in front of you (as if you are going to do push-ups).
P.s. I personally push with my fists (I have a wrist injury), but you can, with your hands (see for yourself).
Raise your head and chest off the floor, arching your back slowly and carefully. Feel the stretch as your abs stay in this position for as long as you can.
Then rest and repeat several times.

Exercise number 2.

Starting position: standing, feet shoulder-width apart.
Place one hand on your belt (as shown in the picture above) and tilt your torso to that side while reaching for your hand.
Then repeat on the other side.

Exercise number 1.

Sit on the floor. Legs are widely spaced.
Start tilting your torso forward as low as possible, then do springy up and down tilts.

Exercise number 2.

Sit on the floor with your legs wide apart.
Bend to the right leg as low as possible. Hands hold on to the leg below the knee.
Do springy tilts up and down at least 10 times. (you can go up to 50).
Return to starting position and repeat with the other leg.

Exercise number 3.

Sit on the floor. The legs are moved and stretched forward.
We tilt the body as low as possible, trying to reach the ankles with our hands. If this is difficult, the knees can be slightly bent.
We make smooth springy tilts up and down at least 10 times (reaching 50). Your goal is to touch your head to your knees.

Exercise number 4. It's like sitting on a twine 🙂

Move your feet away from each other until you feel a stretch in the leg muscles of the inner thighs during the stretching exercise (the final pose of the legs in the form of an obtuse angle, approximately 120-140?).
Tilt the body down, put your elbows on the floor (or try to reach for it, but not jerkily, but slowly). Stay still (hold, feel the tension) for 5-10-15-30 seconds (depending on how flexible you are).
Every day, try to put your feet further apart, increasing the time of immobility in all intermediate poses.

Exercise number 5. stretching the back of the leg muscles (looks like a lunge).

Stand on a hard surface with a straight body.
Extend your left leg forward (and your right leg back) as far away from you as possible.
Bend it at the knee, dropping down. Keep your back straight, feeling the stretching of the muscles of the legs during the exercise, stop in such a position that the angle of the bent right knee is 90 degrees.
Relax the core - let the weight of your body be distributed downward, increasing the pressure on the legs. We stand as still as we can (as usual, no more than 1 minute).
You can try to put your hands in a “lock” behind your back (to be honest, for beginners this is very difficult, so you can just put your hands on your hip or on the floor, or you can even hold them on a handrail / lean against a wall (if you can’t keep your balance).
Repeat everything with the left leg.

Exercise number 6. Lunges to the side

Lunge to the right side, the toe of the left leg at this time looks forward (or at a slight angle outward) and the whole foot is on the floor, the left leg is straight. Stretch (lower), feeling the tension. The same must be done on the left side.

Exercise number 7. forward bends

Place your feet shoulder-width apart.
With your legs completely straight (the knees don't bend at all, watch this, that's the point of the movement) perform 12 springy forward bends.

Exercise number 8. Groin stretch, inner thighs

Sit on the floor, then press your feet together.
Grasp your feet with your palms.
Rest your elbows on your knees (see picture).
Start slowly pressing your elbows on your legs and at the same time tilt your torso forward (in principle, you can just put pressure on your legs so that they get apart, and keep your torso straight, see for yourself).
In any case, make sure that your back is straight at all times.
Bend as you exhale, and, having reached the peak of the tension, linger in this position for as long as you can (in the future, reaching up to 1 minute). Then return to the starting position and repeat such inclinations a few more times (as you feel).

Exercise number 9. Stretching the back of the thighs

Sit on the floor. Straighten both legs in front of you.
Start reaching your hands towards the toe (or even further if you can), feeling the tension in the back of the thigh, linger for as long as you can (up to 1 minute).
Repeat the exercise several times (as you feel).

Exercise number 10. Pulling the front of the thigh (quadriceps)

Stand up straight, bend one knee and press the heel against the buttock with one or both hands (as shown in the photo).
If necessary, help yourself with the opposite hand to maintain balance.
Watch your knees, they should be in line, and the inner thighs are tightly compressed.
Strain gluteal muscles and twist the pelvis a little forward and upward - this way you will increase the sensations. Hold this position for as long as you can (no more than 1 minute) feeling tension in the front of the thigh (quadriceps).
Repeat all over again with the other leg.

Exercise number 11. Stretching the hips and buttocks

Lie on the floor with your back down. Bend both legs at the knees.
The upper body is completely relaxed.
Raise your left leg to your right knee (as shown in the photo).
Embrace your right knee with both hands and begin to slowly, under control, pull it towards you.
Change the mutual position of the legs and repeat the exercise.

Exercise number 12. Ankle stretch (SHIN, CALVES)

Stand facing the wall, then rest your palms on the wall.
Take one leg back 40 - 60 cm, without lifting the heel off the floor (if it is still torn off, then press it to the floor in order to feel the tension in the ankle and calves. Otherwise (if you do not press the heel), the exercise loses its meaning.
It is only when the heel is pressed that you feel a burning sensation (tension), only in this case, a stretch occurs. In general, they pressed the heel - and linger in this position for as long as you can (up to 1 minute).

Regards, administrator.

Instruction

If you are serious about sports, then stretching is a must for you, as it prevents injury. Stretching the legs is important in martial arts, dancing, running, and in general joints.

Before starting exercises on, you need to warm up, warm up the body. It is advisable that you sweat a little. During the warm-up, run, do slopes, and do the exercises in a warm room.

After completing the warm-up, start exercising. Spread your legs shoulder-width apart, lower your arms. Slowly bend towards your toes and you will feel a stretch in your thigh muscles. Do 15-20 tilts. With all exercises, watch your breathing: slowly inhale and exhale.

Then move on to another exercise. Spread your legs as wide as possible, and keep your arms crossed at your chest. Then start bending forward, while trying to reach the floor with your elbows. Then turn the body to the right leg and also stretch down. Do the same for the other leg. Perform this complex 3 times, giving a little rest to the muscles of the legs. With each repetition, try to spread your legs wider and drop your elbows lower.

Starting position, as in the previous exercise. Lift your right leg up, pull the toe forward, then bend the knee and bring the heel forward. Alternately pull forward the toe, then the heel. Do 5-10 reps and switch legs. Transfer the weight of the body back to the left leg, bend the right knee, press on the toe of the right foot, trying to roll all the joints of the fingers.

Sit on the floor, bend your right leg at the knee, put your foot on the thigh of your left leg. Run your fingers along the entire inside of the foot. Press with moderate force, as the feet are a large number of points that activate the work internal organs. Then place your foot on the floor, press with your fingertips from its outer side. With your left hand, grab the shins of your right leg and shake them from side to side for 1-2 minutes. Then put both palms on the thigh, and, moving the skin of the leg either clockwise or counterclockwise, drive carefully. Repeat the same manipulations with the left leg.

Stand straight, feet together, arms at your sides. As you inhale, raise your arms up, reach for your fingers. Lower with an exhale upper part body down, grasp the shins with your palms, stretch your chest to your hips. Do not bend your knees, feel how the back of the legs and popliteal are stretched. On an inhale with a straight back, return to the starting position.

Stretching your muscles will help your body always stay in good shape. Stretching exercises can be done as a warm-up before more serious ones. exercise. The most important thing is to observe the measure, because muscle strain is treated for quite a long time.

Stretching the muscles of the neck. All exercises are performed in a standing or sitting position, 10 repetitions each. First: put your hands on the back of your head, connecting your fingers. Press down on your head to bend it as low as possible towards your chest. Do not move your shoulders, do not round your back. Second: put on the back of the head left hand. Press down on your head, aiming your chin towards your chest. Then turn it to the left so that the chin stretches to the left shoulder. Repeat for the right side.

Third: close your hands on your forehead and begin to tilt your head back. The shoulders remain relaxed. Fourth: place your left hand on your forehead, tilt your head back, and then to your left shoulder. Fifth: tilt your head to the left and right, trying to touch the corresponding shoulder. The shoulder does not rise. Sixth: do circular rotations head left and right, trying to do with the greatest amplitude. Movements should be smooth.

Stretching the muscles of the arms and shoulders. Repeat all exercises 10 times. First: stretch out your left arm, grab it with your right elbow and pull it as close to your right shoulder as possible. Repeat for the other hand. Second: close your hands behind your back. The elbow of one hand looks up, and the other - down. Take your upper elbow as far back as possible. If it doesn’t work right away, stretch each arm in turn. Raise your elbow up and press on it with your other hand, trying to touch the shoulder blade. Third: sit down, lock your hands together and place your palms on the floor. Stretch your body forward, and let your hands remain in place.

To speed up your progress, find a training partner to help you complete difficult exercises.

Muscle stretch abdominals. Hold each position for 15 seconds, repeat 5 times. First, lie on your stomach and raise yourself on your hands, arching your back. Feel the tension in your oblique abdominal muscles. This exercise is also suitable for the back muscles. Second: get on your knees. Bend the body back, rest your palms on the floor. Third: do classic exercise"bridge". From a prone position, rise on your hands and feet, trying to chest and belly up.

Stretching the muscles of the back and lower back. These exercises are repeated a couple of times with holding the final position for 15-30 seconds. First: place your feet hip-width apart, arms relaxed. Begin to slowly bend your back, trying to reach the floor. The weight of the body is concentrated in the toes, the back is round. Return to the starting position just as slowly. Second: bend the body, keeping the back straight. At the end point, rest your hands on your shins. Third: try to press your chest and stomach against straight legs, clasping them with your hands.

Fourth: kneel, then lower your buttocks to your heels. Stretch your straight arms forward and place them on the floor, while the forehead should be in contact with the floor. This exercise gently stretches the spine, you can stay in this position for as long as you like without harm. Fifth: sit down, stretch your legs. Stretch your arms up and bend down to your legs, pressing your body against them. Hands can be placed on the sides of the legs or take hold of the feet.

With regular training, you can achieve dramatic changes in 1-2 months.

Stretching the muscles of the legs. All exercises are performed 2-3 times, holding the final position for 30 seconds. First, take the runner's position before the start. One knee goes forward, the second leg stands on the toes behind, straight. Strive your pelvis to the ground. Second: the starting position is similar, but put your back foot on the floor. Place your hands on the side of the front foot. Strive your pelvis to the ground. Third: the position of the body is the same, but now the forearms lie to the side of the foot. The closer they are moved to the foot, the more the pelvis “opens up”. Fourth: Sit with your knees bent and your feet together. Press your hands on your knees, pulling them to the floor.

Leg stretching exercises are essential to prevent muscle imbalances and posture problems associated with it. Thanks to stretching, the body gains flexibility, movements become more dexterous, and coordination of movements in everyday life and during sports improves.

A good stretch of the legs is useful not only for demonstrating a beautiful split. Boxers need it to carry out some strikes, dancers - to perform elements of the dance, swimmers - to correct jump into the water and fast swimming. For a person far from sports, stretching the muscles of the legs will help protect the joints from hardening, improve blood circulation in the legs, and make walking easy.

There are many motives for performing leg stretching exercises, and each has its own, the ways of stretching the muscles are also different. The choice of methodology is determined by the level of training of a person and his goals.

Leg stretching for beginners includes several simple exercises, regular execution which is quite enough to sit on a good twine. The main thing is regularity and caution. For successful workouts enough to have necessary minimum information about and responsible approach to business.

Leg stretching exercises

Exercise 1

Tilt your torso forward as low as possible, stretch smoothly, “spring” with a small amplitude, return to the starting position.

Exercise 2

Starting position - sitting on the floor, straight legs spread as wide as possible.

Holding the shin with your hands, perform the lowest possible slope to the right leg, “spring” from 10 to 50 times, return to the starting position. Repeat the same with the left leg.

Exercise 3

Starting position - sitting on the floor, straight legs shifted.

Bend as low as possible, pulling the torso to the legs with the help of hands, "spring" 10-50 times. Ideally, you should touch your knees with your head.

Stand up straight. Slowly move your legs out to the side as far as you can feel the stretch in the muscles of your inner thighs. As a result, an angle of 120-140 about should form between the legs.

Then tilt your torso down and place your elbows on the floor or slowly, without jerking, reach for the floor. The back is straight. Feeling the tension, fix the position for 5-30 seconds.

Every day, try to spread your legs wider and increase the interval of immobility.

end result this exercise for should be a transverse twine.

Starting position - stand on the floor, keeping the body straight.

Extend your right leg back and your left leg forward as far apart as possible. Bend the leg forward, bend at the knee, dropping down. The angle of the bent knee should be equal to 90 degrees. The back is straight. As soon as you feel a stretch in the muscles, relax the body, increasing pressure on the legs, and stay in this position for 30-60 seconds.

During the exercise, connect the hands in a lock behind the body or place them on the thigh or floor.

Repeat the exercise with the other leg forward.

Starting position - standing with a straight body.

With your right foot, step back to the side, bending it at the knee and thereby lowering the torso down. The foot of a perfectly straight left leg should be completely on the floor and point toe forward. When you feel sufficient stretching of the muscles, fix the pose for the maximum possible time (up to a minute).

Repeat the exercise with a symmetrical lunge.

Starting position - standing straight, feet shoulder-width apart.

Without bending your knees, perform at least 12 springy downward bends, trying to put your palm on the floor.

Starting position - sitting on the floor with knees bent and feet tightly pressed against each other. Palms on feet. The elbows rest on the knees.

Slowly press your elbows into your knees, tilting your torso forward. The back should be straight at all times. Having reached the maximum possible stretching of the muscles, fix the position for a few seconds, gradually bringing the tension time to a minute.

Repeat the exercise several times.

Starting position - sitting on the floor with straight legs shifted.

Stretch your arms forward as far as possible. Lock in the position of maximum tension.

Repeat the exercise several times.

Standing straight, use your hands to bend one leg at the knee so that the heel is pressed against the buttock. With one hand, you can lean against the wall to maintain balance. At the same time, the knees should be in the same line, and the hips should be tightly closed.

Twist the pelvis forward and upward, linger for one minute.

For more tension, take your knee back.

Repeat with the second leg.

Lying on the floor, bend both knees, relaxing your upper body. Grasp your right knee with both hands, and place the ankle of your left foot on your right knee.

Slowly pull your right knee towards you.

Repeat the exercise for the left leg.

Starting position - facing the wall, resting your palms on the wall.

Take your right leg half a meter back without lifting your foot from the floor. When you feel tension in your calves and ankle, hold for one minute.

Repeat the exercise for the second leg.

Perform this set of exercises daily or at least three times a week. Such a stretching of the legs at home will benefit everyone.

Video: leg stretching exercises

Stretching is an essential part of any workout. Experienced athletes understand the importance of stretching and never start a difficult exercise without first stretching. Exercises for stretching the legs and back stimulate blood circulation, improve tissue trophism (nutrition), make muscles and ligaments elastic and strong. They can be performed in gym with a trainer or at home.

pros

Stretching is useful at any age. There are practically no health restrictions for this sport (with the exception of especially severe conditions). In some diseases and after injuries, stretching is used in a complex of rehabilitation measures. Stretching before a workout is equally important for beginners and professionals alike.

relaxes and relieves fatigue after training;
improves overall well-being, improves mood due to the production of endorphin - the hormone of pleasure;
improves coordination of movements;
increases joint mobility;
trains the flexibility of the body;
gives ease of movement;
sports, dance or swimming training is much easier;
the risk of injury during classes is minimized;
keeps fit;
is amazing - it's beautiful.

Minuses

With the wrong approach to stretching, there is a risk of damage to the joints, sprains, rupture of ligaments and muscles.

You can not, for example, immediately begin to perform twine and other complex exercises. The tissues are still not elastic enough and flexible, you can get injured.

It is desirable that the first lesson for beginners is carried out under the supervision of a trainer. In the first place in achieving a positive effect comes the correct execution, and not the number of repetitions.

Stretching rules

Starting a workout without preparation is dangerous for health. In order not to harm your body, you must adhere to the following rules:

First of all, warm up The best way warm up the whole body - conduct cardio training (it can be jumping rope, running, exercise bike);
during stretching, jerks should not be made, the movements should be slow and uniform, the muscles at this time are relaxed;
in one position it is recommended to linger for at least 30 seconds;
the tension force should increase gradually;
the transition from simple to complex should be gradual, without sudden “jumps”;
during the lesson, pain should not be felt, if it appears, you need to reduce the load;
breathing should be uniform, you can not hold it, we take a breath, and during stretching - exhale;
stretching complexes are done not only before training, but also at its completion;
regularity of classes is the key to successful and safe training.

Kinds

Stretching can be done in two ways:

. Muscles during such exercises do not contract, but only stretch. Exercises are performed without active movements, in one position, for a long time. Such stretching is suitable for beginners and mobile people.. It implies active movements for maximum stretching (swinging legs, rolling from one type of twine to another, etc.). It is used in experienced athletes with good flexibility, for example, in gymnastics.

Dynamic classes are contraindicated for beginners.

Complex

Leg training will tighten the buttocks, make the hips and lower legs elastic. For beginners, the easiest and safest exercises are selected, which are convenient to perform at home.

№1

We sit on the floor, bend the left leg at the knee and press the foot under the buttock, straighten the right leg and take it as far as possible to the side. We straighten the back. With the whole body we lean towards the right leg, hands try to grab the heel. We stretch for at least 30 seconds. We repeat with the other leg.

№2

A slightly more complicated version of the previous stretching exercise. We sit on the floor, spread our legs to the sides as much as possible, socks “look” up, back straight. We lean with the whole body to the right leg, trying to reach the heel, and stretch, lingering in the extreme painless position for 30 seconds. We do not bend the back. Then we also bend to the left leg and forward in front of us.

№3

Another exercise in this complex. In the same position, move straight legs together. We make sure that the back is straight. We bend our chest to our knees, hands trying to get socks or heels. We “hang” in the lowest possible position for 30 seconds, then you can do a few slight swings forward and backward.

№4

We get up. We put the right leg in front of us, bending at the knee, we take the left leg back and put it on the toe. The knee of the left leg rests on the floor. You can put your hands on your right knee or lean on the floor with them. Gradually we lean forward. When there is sensitivity in the muscles of the thighs, freeze for 30 seconds. After the exhalation time, we stretch even lower and freeze again. We do the same with the other leg.

№5

In the same position, straighten the right leg. The weight is completely redistributed to the left knee. The back is straightened, hands rest on the floor. We tilt the body down to the maximum possible height, freeze in this position for 30 seconds. We go down on the exhale. We change legs.

№6

Sitting on the floor The legs are bent at the knees. We put them with the outer side of the thighs to the floor (in the form of a butterfly). The feet are pressed to each other. The back is straight. The hands lie on the ankle joint, the elbows rest on the knees with inside legs. The elbows press on the knees, at this time the torso leans down. At the border of the appearance of pain, we stop in this position for 30 seconds. Let's go even lower. We repeat the exercise several times. Such inclinations are effective for stretching the muscles of the thighs and groin ligaments.

№7

Position on the back. The right leg is raised up, the left leg is slightly bent. Hands hold the right leg in the upper third of the lower leg. Exhale and try to lower your leg as low as possible. The leg is straightened. At a tolerable point, we stop and hold on for 30 seconds. We do not strain, the muscles should be relaxed. We repeat with the other leg.

№8

In order to sit on the transverse twine, we perform next exercise. Let's get straight. We spread our legs to the sides each time further and further apart until we feel the tension of the muscles of the inner surface of the thighs. Lean forward, keep your back straight. We try to reach the floor with our elbows. We freeze in the peak position for 30 seconds.