The Power of Posture, Part II: 2 Stretches for Your Quads

Quadriceps: The large fleshy muscle group covering the front side of the upper leg from knee to hip.

That is the formal definition.

Here’s my definition...

Quadriceps: The tightest, most overly-contracted muscle group in the body that “wonkies” up our knees, feet, low back, hips and posture.

You see, our quads get tight just because we are human beings and breathe air. They can’t help but tighten because we use them for almost every movement we perform.  

Our quads are responsible for every step we take. They stand us up and sit us down.

You don’t have to be a big athlete or work out every day or walk 20 miles a week—everyone’s quads tighten over time from our normal daily routines.

When our quads are overly-contracted, the muscle tissue shortens. These shortened muscles pull the hip flexor down which, in turn, tilts the pelvis down in front and up in the back.

THIS IS A POSTURE PROBLEM!

When this happens, it forces our entire upper body to tilt forward as well. The weight of our upper body is now centered over our knees instead of our hips. Our upper body is now relying on our knees for support, because it is no longer resting on top of the hips where it needs to be. It is also “wonkying” up our low back because the pelvis is tilted up and the upper body is stacked on top of it, causing compression.

This is where our bodies get stuck!

People who are hunched over with poor posture and can’t straighten up to walk—I always want to stop and share this information with them: 

This posture problem is caused by our QUADS!

But we can take action to get our body’s posture back in alignment and functioning highly…

And you know what it is…

Assisted Stretching!

Stretching out your quads and training your shoulders to come back and stay on top of your hips will truly improve your quality of life in a big way! If you only had one muscle group to stretch, quadriceps would be the one!

Here are 2 quads stretches you can do from home to help loosen up tight muscle tissue in your quads and, in turn, improve your posture.

Roller Quad Stretch:

(If you don’t have a foam roller, get one! It will change your life.)

1. Lie face down, propped up on your elbows, and place the roller under your quads.

2. Roll down to knees and back to hip.

3. Keep repeating this rolling movement over your quads.

Note: This may be very uncomfortable when you first start incorporating this stretch into your routine! So many of my stretching students say to me, “What IS this?!” when they first try this stretch. But as you do it more, your quads will lengthen and this stretch will be less uncomfortable.

Chair/Floor Quad Stretch:

1. Kneel on floor with the seat of a chair next to your body.

2. Place hand in seat of chair and extend the opposite leg with knee bent.

3. Lean upper body and hips forward and down toward floor

Note: The chair is only for support and balance so you can perform the stretch without straining.

These 2 stretches—performed daily—will improve your posture and help to prevent the health issues that poor posture causes. Try these stretches and begin standing taller!