7 Fantastic Leg Stretches To Warm Up Or Cool Down And Create An Impressive Lower Body

There are many benefits to stretching before your workout: it prepares your body for the workout to come and increases joint flexibility. Regular stretching alone cannot prevent injuries, make you run faster, or correct poor posture. But it prepares your body for your workout and helps relax tired muscles afterwards!

Are you not really sure what stretching exercises to include in your warm-up or cool-down? We have put together two short routines to help you optimise your warm-up and cool-down.

Warm-Up: Dynamic stretching is designed to warm up your muscles. This should help loosen and warm up your muscles without reducing muscle tone. Move smoothly through the exercises and do not try to stretch to the maximum point of flexibility.

Warm up for hips & quads :

How to:

Take a wide lunge step forward with your left leg.
Place your hands on the ground on either side of your left foot (sprinter’s stance).
Now extend your right leg behind you while keeping your back straight.
Twist your upper body to the left and up.
Reach your left arm toward the ceiling and gaze up at your hand.
Now turn your upper body back toward the floor.
Push the elbow of your left arm down toward the inside of your left foot.
Turn your left knee slightly out and hold your right leg in a relaxed position.
Repeat this sequence at least 5-10 times on each side.

Warm up for hips, quads & hamstring:

How to:

Take a wide lunge step with your left leg.
Place your hands on the ground on either side of your left foot (sprinter’s stance).
Now extend your right leg behind you.
Lift your bottom in the air and slowly straighten your left leg until you feel a pull.
At the same time, bend your head toward your left knee.
Repeat this sequence at least 5-10 times on each side.

Warm up for quads & glutes:

How to:

Stand on your right leg and pull your left knee to your chest.
Then pull your left foot to your bottom and reach your right arm high above your head.
Repeat this sequence at least 5-10 times on each side.

Cool down: The following cool-down routine helps your body reduce the initial soreness in your muscles after your workout. Remember to stretch until you feel a slight pull, not until you feel pain. Make sure to breathe calmly and deeply: your body needs oxygen to relax your muscles. Repeat each exercise on both sides.

Recommended cool-down routine:

5-10 minutes of easy running
3-4 series of stretches
Hold each position for 60 seconds

Cool down for hips & quads:

How to:

Take a lunge step forward with your right leg.
Put your left knee on the floor.
Push your hips forward and pull your left foot to your bottom.
Make sure to engage your core and open your chest.

Cool down for hips & quads:

How to:

Kneel with your toes flat and sit back on your heels.
Lean back and put your hands on the floor behind you.
Push your hips forward, open your chest and press your knees toward the floor.

Cool down for glutes & hips:

How to:

Place the outside edge of your right knee on the floor and twist your lower leg under you at a 65 degree angle.
Extend your left leg behind you with your toes flat on the floor.
Now press your left hip toward the floor.
Press your upper body toward your right knee while keeping your back straight.

Cool down for inner thighs, hamstrings & calves:

How to:

Perform the hurdler’s pose.
Extend your left leg forward and place your right foot against the inside of your left thigh.
Grab the inside of your left foot with your left hand and pull your upper body forward while keeping your back straight.
Extend your right arm over your head to feel a stretch along the right side of your upper body.