5 Best Stretches for Quads from a Trainer
Photo by Marques Jackson Photography.
By Marnie Kunz,
NASM-certified trainer and USATF- RRCA-certified running coach
Try these stretches for quads to help you ease muscle tightness and soreness. Whether you’ve just run a marathon or went hard on leg day at the gym, tight quads can be uncomfortable and make it hard to do daily activities. These are the best quad stretches to increase your range of motion and ease muscle tension.
Related Post: 5 Top Stretches for Runners
What Are Quad Muscles?
Your quadriceps are a group of four muscles in the front of your thigh that run from your knees to your hips. The quads are one of the largest muscle groups in your body, and they’re crucial for running, walking, squatting, climbing, cycling, and more. Also called the quadriceps femoris, these muscles include the following:
Rectus femoris is located on the front of your thigh and crosses both the hip and knee joints. It extends your leg at the knee and flexes the thigh at the hip.
Vastus lateralis is located on the outside of your thigh and crosses your knee joint. It’s the largest thigh muscle and extends your leg at the knee.
Vastus medialis is on the inside of your thigh and crosses the knee joint. It connects your kneecap to your femur bone.
Vastus intermedius is located between the other two vastus muscles in your thigh.
Your quads play a major part in keeping your body stable as you walk, run, squat, and perform daily activities. Since we use our quads so much in athletics and everyday life, they can become tight or even pulled. If you’re experiencing soreness and tightness, these stretches for quads will help. If you have sharp or lasting pain, see your doctor, as you may have an injury.
Related Post: 10 Common Running Injuries and How to Prevent Them
Benefits of Quad Stretches
Stretching your quads can offer many benefits, including:
Increased range of motion. Stretches for quads help to lengthen and loosen your quadriceps muscles, improving your flexibility and range of motion in your knee and hip joints. Maintaining your range of motion helps to prevent muscle tightness and weakness, according to Harvard Health.
Reduced risk of injury. Tight quad muscles can increase your risk of injuries such as patellar tendonitis and hamstring strains. These stretches for quads can help ease quad tightness, reducing your risk of injuries.
Better posture. If your quads are tight, it can pull your pelvis forward, leading to poor posture. Quad stretches can improve your posture by lengthening and loosening your quadriceps muscles.
Reduced muscle soreness. Stretching after a workout may help to reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Stretching helps to improve blood flow to your muscles, helping with muscle recovery.
Improved athletic performance. Stretching your quads can help you run, walk, squat, jump, and cycle more efficiently.
Best Stretches for Quads
Try these quad stretches to improve your range of motion, ease muscle tightness, and reduce your risk of injuries. Do the dynamic stretches for quads as part of your warm-up before a run or workout. Static stretches are best to do after a workout when your muscles are already warm.
Dynamic Quad Stretches
Dynamic stretches involve movement and help your body warm up before workouts. If you stretch before running, do dynamic stretches (not static ones). You can do these dynamic quad stretches alone or before your workout.
Butt Kicks
How To Do It:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Jump up slightly and bring one heel toward your butt as if you are trying to kick your glutes.
Switch legs and bring the other heel toward your butt.
You can do this by jogging in place motion or slowly moving forward as you kick your butt.
Keep your core muscles tight and your shoulders back throughout the exercise.
Do two sets of butt kicks for 30 seconds.
Walking Lunges
How To Do It:
Start in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart.
Step forward with one leg and lower your body until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly over your ankle and your back knee is just above the ground. Keep your core muscles tight.
Push through your front heel to return to the starting position and repeat on the other leg.
Continue alternating legs for 10 repetitions. Do two sets.
Static Quad Stretches
Static stretches are when you’re in a still position (as opposed to dynamic stretching, which involves continuous movements). It’s important to be warmed up before you do any static stretching so you don’t risk overstretching or straining cold muscles. Try these static quad stretches after a run or other workout.
Standing Quad Stretch
Photo by Marques Jackson Photography.
How To Do It:
Begin with your feet together and core muscles engaged.
Bend one knee and bring your heel toward your butt. Use your opposite hand to gently hold your ankle and bring your heel toward your butt.
Hold onto a wall or tree if you need help balancing on one leg.
Keep your knees next to each other and your chest up and shoulders back.
Breathe and hold for 20 seconds. Do two sets on each leg.
Lying Quad Stretch
This stretch offers an easier variation of the standing quad stretch since you do not need to balance on one leg for it.
How To Do It:
Lie on one side with your hips facing forward and legs stacked, with knees facing forward.
Rest your head on your arm closest to the ground so your neck is in a neutral position with no straining.
Bend your top knee and use your top arm to help bring your heel toward your butt.
Keep your knees together throughout the stretch.
Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, keeping your core muscles tight and your head and spine neutral.
Repeat to do two sets on each side.
Kneeling Stretch
How To Do It:
Kneel on your right knee with your left foot in front of you flat on the floor.
Keep your back straight, core engaged, and your hips facing forward.
Place your right hand on your left ankle or toes.
Bend forward from the hip to the knee to stretch your right quad and hip.
For a deeper stretch, you can hold your right foot with your right hand.
Hold for 30 seconds.
Repeat to do two sets on each side.
Considerations
There are conflicting studies on the effectiveness of stretching, with some research suggesting stretching does not have a significant effect on preventing injuries. More detailed studies have shown that the type of exercise you’re doing and the type of stretching also come into play, with dynamic stretching being beneficial to do before movements with an extensive range of motion or high intensity - such as plyometric exercises or sprinting.
If you have tight quads, in addition to stretching, strengthening your quad muscles will help. Exercises such as squats, lunges, and deadlifts will strengthen your quads and other lower body muscles. Strength training will help improve your running form and speed and prevent injuries.
Have you tried any of these stretches for quads? Follow and tag @Runstreet on Instagram to share your workouts and get cheered on. If you need a training plan to crush your fitness goals, head to the Runstreet Training Center. Sign up for our Wellness Wednesday newsletter for more training tips and deals.
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Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified fitness trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in NYC. She is the founder of Runstreet and likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, eating, and traveling.
