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Effective Lower Body Stretching: Tips and Techniques for Optimal Results

One of the most common questions asked to a physio is “what stretches should I do for x?”, where x is a sport or injury or body part.  The answer to this is always “well what is the outcome you want?” 

Stretching is a hotly debated topic in the physical medicine literature and as with anything there is no absolute right or wrong answer.  Therefore it comes down to the individual's goals.  Once this is established the role of stretching, as far as which type (static or dynamic), how long for and intensity can be decided upon.

So what are your reasons for stretching?  Is it to warm up for an activity?  Is it for injury prevention?  Is it for pain?  Or is it to get more flexible?  Or do you just like the suffering? 

The Benefits of Stretching

  • Warm up:  The purpose of a warm up is to prepare yourself for the activity you are going to do.  Therefore if your activity involves significant stretching like a contortionist then go for gold.  However, if it is an activity like football or rugby more may be gained from more dynamic movements such as leg swings, and graduated sprinting, simulating what may be occurring in the activity itself.  Think of it as movement preparation rather than a warm up.
  • Injury Prevention:  There is some evidence that static stretching may be effective as an injury prevention for muscle injuries.  However this is far outweighed by the effects of resistance and conditioning training.  Long story short if you have time for injury prevention more will be gained from strength and conditioning training rather than spending your time stretching.  Sorry lazy bums!
  • Reduce Pain:  Does stretching help with pain?  Pain is an interesting topic and one beyond the scope of this brief write up!  However the suggestion would be that if there is a degree of pain or fear of over-stretching during movement then gradually exposing yourself to this would be a great way to build resilience to this.  However there are some situations where stretching may be aggravating especially in the early stages of muscle or tendon injuries.
  • Get more flexible:  There is debate about whether stretching works by building your tolerance to positions rather than a structural change in the muscle itself.  Therefore rather than focussing on individual muscle groups more might be gained from focussing on the movement you want to improve.  Say you want to improve your flexibility for a squat/lift then the best way to practice this is to stretch into a squat position. 

In summary there is a right way to stretch but it is only right for you and your desired goal.  Happy potential stretching!

Below we have attached some of the most common static stretches for the lower body.  For these static stretches you need to hold each stretch for 30 seconds and repeat three times on each side.  You may feel a mild discomfort with the stretch but don’t try and push into pain.

1. Calf

  • Standing in front of a wall, stand in a split stance 
  • Lean forward onto the front foot, keeping the back leg straight

2. Short Calf

  • As above, but bend both knees
  • This stretch should be felt lower towards the ankle

3. Quadriceps

  • Using something for balance, bend your knee to bring your foot up behind you
  • Grab your foot in your hand, keeping your thighs level and torso upright

4. Hamstrings

  • Kneeling in a split stance, or standing with your foot on a chair, lean forward so your torso is against your thigh
  • Keeping your torso down, move your hips backwards to straighten your knee slightly 

5. Glutes

  • Lying on your back, have one leg out straight
  • Bring the other knee towards your shoulder and grasp with your hands
  • Pull in tight towards your torso across to the opposite shoulder

6. Foot

  • Place toes against the wall with knees straight
  • Bend knees towards the wall, placing some pressure through the toes

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Source: TBI Health Physiotherapy