"Strengthening the quadriceps happens without trying. They're crucial in everyday movements including sitting, standing, walking, and running. The quads are also majorly involved in most gym workouts and your yoga practices (think Squats and Chair Pose). Because of this, they're prone to chronic tightness, which can throw the body out of whack and cause the knees or hips to feel "off.""
"The quadriceps femoris is a group of four muscles on the front thighs that, when contracted, straighten the knees. Three of the quad muscles run from the thigh bone (femur) to the kneecap (patella). The fourth, called the rectus femoris, originates higher on the body on the front of the pelvis, and crosses the hip and the knee joints before meeting the other quads."
"When the rectus femoris is chronically shortened from being tight, it restricts the movement of your back leg when walking and running. In this case, your body may compensate by arching the lower back or overstretching the calves. And if the strength of the quadriceps dominates while the hamstrings and glutes are underused, the pelvis can tip forward ( anterior pelvic tilt), which increases lumbar strain."
Quadriceps muscles on the front of the thighs extend the knee and play a central role in sitting, standing, walking, running, gym workouts, and many yoga poses. The rectus femoris crosses both the hip and knee, so chronic tightness in that muscle restricts the back leg during gait and can lead to compensations such as lower-back arching or overstretched calves. Quadriceps dominance coupled with underused hamstrings and glutes can anteriorly tilt the pelvis, increasing lumbar strain. Balanced, flexible quads preserve hip mobility, prevent compensatory patterns, and reduce hip and knee discomfort. Regular quad stretches restore balance and range of motion.
Read at Yoga Journal
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]