Warming up your legs daily is a good idea. Making exercise a part of your routine will not only keep you active. Still, it will also improve your health by protecting you from diseases like peripheral arterial disease, heart problems, etc. This article will guide you on when and how should I stretch my leg muscles.
Benefits of stretching
Stretching keeps your muscles flexible and strong, healthy, and active. Without pushing, your body will have less flexibility, and this will cause your muscles to become tight and shorter; in such cases, moving your muscles becomes complicated as they cannot extend. This puts your body and muscles at risk of strains, muscular damage, and joint pain. The advantages of stretching include:
- Overall improvement in your fitness
- Enhanced sports ability
- Your body feels relaxed
- The risk of injuries is reduced
- Soreness in the body and muscles is reduced
- Your body becomes more flexible
Types of stretching
Before getting into your stretching routine, you need to know a little about the types of stretching exercises.
Static Stretching
You might already be aware of this one. Out of all the stretching types, the most common is static stretching. It involves extending your muscles as much as you can comfortably stretch, holding up in that position for 30 seconds, and then relaxing. Static stretching has two further types. Active static stretching is when you push or pull, increasing the intensity of extension on the muscle.
Passive static stretching is when someone else applies the force on your muscle, or something else like an elastic band or a towel is used to increase the intensity of the stretch.
Dynamic stretching
This type of stretching exercise involves the movement of your body that imitates any sports activity. For example, a runner might be suggested to raise the knees to his chest and pump the arms slowly, taking some strides.
Ballistic stretching
Ballistic stretching exercise is when repeating bouncing movements are performed. This type of stretching will help your calf muscles to stretch. They may have a transition between high speed and low speed. It is suggested to perform static stretching before you start with ballistic stretching.
Active isolated stretching
This type of exercise is repeated several times but only performed for 2 seconds at one time. After each interval, the degree and intensity of stretching should be increased. The muscles that should be stretched. Several muscles in the leg require stretching. The most important and common ones are as follows
Calf muscles
This leg part comprises two different muscles at the back of your lower leg. These muscles are responsible for extending your leg and foot when standing.
Hamstrings
Running along your thigh’s back are four hamstring muscles. They begin from the bottom of the pelvis, move across your knee, and end at the lower leg.
Quadriceps
Four separate muscles are combined to make quadriceps. These can be found on the front side of the thigh. While standing, these muscles help you to extend your knee and stabilize your hips and pelvis, making you stand without difficulty.
When to stretch
The uninjured adults or those not doing rehabilitation are advised to stretch for 2 to 3 days every week. They should:
- Hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds every time
- Repeat the stretches 2 to 4 times
- Stretching should be performed when muscles are warm and not cold.
- A light aerobic exercise or activity like jogging and walking before 5-10 minutes of stretching will help to warm the muscles.
The do not’s
- Do not stretch your muscles when they are cold
- Do not stretch too hard, or else it will make you feel uncomfortable instead of relaxed after the exercise
- Do not stretch the already tight muscles, or it may lead to injury
- Stretching for a day won’t magically fix your muscles and make them perfectly flexible. Proper time, effort, and commitment are required to relax your muscles.
