Standing quad stretch with support

The front of your thigh is made up of four muscles known as the quadriceps. You probably know them as the “quads.” To stretch these muscles, which are important for climbing stairs and lifting heavy things, follow these steps:

1. Stand up tall with your right hand on a sturdy chair or wall.
2. Bend your left knee and raise your heel toward your buttocks.
3. Reach with your left hand and grab hold of your heel (see Figure a).
4. Inhale deeply and as you exhale, slowly lower your bent knee until it is even or side by side with your other knee (see Figure b). Try to keep the inside of your thighs touching and focus on moving your knee back, not forcing your foot to touch your buttocks. To really feel this stretch correctly, try to tuck your pelvis under and think about your tailbone moving toward the floor.
5. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds or about four to five slow, deep breaths.
6. Repeat the same stretch on your right leg.

To make this stretch more challenging, let go of the chair or wall and you’ll be improving your balance while you stretch your quads.
A few do’s and don’t for this stretch:

• Do stand up tall with good posture.
• Do keep your standing knee slightly bent
• Don’t compress your knee by pulling your heel to your buttock.
• Don’t pull your heel to the outside of your hip.