Body muscle flexibility has many benefits like avoiding injuries or doing daily activities like climbing stairs, walking, and playing with kids, so we should focus on exercises that help with hip muscle flexibility and the lower body muscles in general, that's why the Fitness Garage team made this table for you to increase leg muscle flexibility.
Exercise one: Straight Leg Raise
This is an easy and useful exercise for leg flexibility and strengthening the main thigh muscles. It’s also used in rehab for those muscles after injury. You can add it to your lower body routine. Here's how to do it right:
- Lie down on the ground and place your arms beside you.
- Bend your right knee and put your foot on the ground.
- Stretch your left leg out.
- Lift your left leg up while keeping it straight.
- Hold this for 4 or 5 seconds.
- Lower your leg slowly.
- Repeat this 10 times.
Second exercise: Floor Sliding Mountain Climbers
This exercise helps mountain climbers with their training, so it can be a bit tough, but it has a lot of benefits including muscle flexibility and you do it like this:
- Place a pair of sliding discs under your feet.
- Get into plank position and place your feet on the discs.
- Your arms should be straight under your shoulders.
- Keep your back straight.
- Move your right knee toward your chest.
- Pull your leg back again.
- And move the left one toward your chest.
- Do this exercise quickly for 30 seconds.
Third exercise: Pigeon Pose
This is one of the yoga exercises that targets the thigh area and helps stretch it. To do this exercise correctly, follow these steps:
- Bend your right foot forward.
- Stretch your left foot back.
- Keep your back straight.
- Your waist will be slightly curved.
- Move the upper part of your body forward until your shoulders touch the ground.
- Stay like this for twenty seconds and try to control your breathing during that time.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat this but switch your foot position.
Exercise 4: Jump Lunge
How to do this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Take a big step forward and lift your heel off the ground.
- Lower your body so your front leg is parallel to the floor.
- Jump and switch feet.
- You can move your arms in the air.
- Jump like this for a full minute.
Exercise five: Bulgarian Split Squat
You need a bench or chair at knee height. This helps improve the shape of your glutes and makes them more flexible. Here's how:
- Place a bench behind you at knee level.
- Stand about two steps in front of the bench with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your back and neck straight.
- Start with your right foot in front.
- Lower your knee towards the ground but don’t let it touch.
- Repeat this exercise 15 times.
Exercise six: Kettlebell Swing
This exercise uses a lot of the body's energy, plus helps the body get more flexible with regular practice. Do it like this:
- Place the exercise ball in front of you.
- Keep your feet a bit apart.
- Keep your spine straight.
- Bend down and hold the ball with both hands.
- Then lift your chest and pull your shoulders back.
- Bend your knees and swing the ball between your legs.
- Lift the ball up to shoulder level.
- Repeat this exercise 15 times.
Flexibility is something your body needs to gain because it helps in most daily tasks. Also, it prevents many injuries and signs of aging.
