Quadriceps Tightness Exercise Handouts

The quadriceps femoris muscles, often known as quadriceps or quads, are a set of four
muscles that run along the front and sides of the legs. Their primary purpose is to stabilize
the knee and assist in straightening it. The quadriceps are among the body’s biggest and most powerful muscles.

The Latin term quadriceps femoris means “four-headed femur muscle.” The quadriceps
group consists of four different muscles covering the front and sides of the femur: Vastus
lateralis muscle, Rectus femoris muscle, Vastus medialis muscle, and Vastus intermedius
muscle.

Some stretching exercises can help improve quadriceps muscle flexibility. Many such
exercises can be done readily at home without any specific equipment like the exercises listed below.

Seated long arc quad

Step 1 – Sit on a chair.

Step 2 – Raise your leg slowly; try to pull towards yourself when you raise the leg
and tighten the quadriceps.

Step 3 – Repeat it with the other leg.

• Repeat 16-20 times
• 3 sets in a row
• Once-daily
• 5 days a week

Prone quadriceps stretch with strap

Step 1 – Place the strap around your foot and lie with your face down.

Step 2 – Pull on the strap, bringing your heel towards your buttocks until you feel
a stretch in the front of your thigh. Make sure you keep your knees together
throughout the stretch.

• Repeat 6-8 times
• 3 sets in a row
• Once-daily
• 5 days a week

Active straight leg raise with quad set

Step 1 – Lie straight on your back with one leg bent and the other leg straight.
Next, make a posterior pelvic tilt to guard your back from injury. Further,
draw your umbilicus (belly button) toward the floor. If done correctly, your
back must be flat against the floor. You can also monitor your method by
putting your hand under the slight curve of your back and flattening your back so that your back is “crushing” your hand. With your toes pointed towards the ceiling, keep one leg straight and raise another to 45 degrees.

Step 2 – Gradually lower the lifted leg back to the floor, but avoid jerky motion.

• Repeat 12-16 times
• 3 sets in a row
• Once-daily
• 5 days a week

Half kneeling hip flexor stretch with chair

Step 1 – Start by kneeling on the yoga mat, but unlike half kneeling hip flexor
stretch, ensure that one of the legs is on the chair, which would not be moved
forward.

Step 2 – Move one of your feet forward like in lunges, ensuring that the knee is
directly above the ankle. Now place both the hands on the knee of the extended
leg.

 

Step 3 – Stretch your hip flexor by moving forward. At the same time, squeeze
the glutes of other hips.

Step 4 – Hold the position for 30-45 seconds

• Repeat 6-8 times
• 3 sets in a row
• Once-daily
• 5 days a week

Combined thoracic rotation, hip flexor, and quadriceps stretch

Step 1 – Kneel down and then flex your hip as you do in lunges.

Step 2 – Move one of your legs back, trying to straighten it as much as possible
and thus stretching the quadriceps

 

Step 3 – Combine it with thoracic rotation to the right and left

• Start with 5-10 reps and build upon it, aiming for 20 or more
  reps
• 3 sets in a row
• Once-daily
• 5 days a week

Quadriceps stretch with table

Step 1 – Lie on the table or bench with half of the body hanging in the air.

Step 2 – Bring back the hanging leg and grab it to stretch the quadriceps
muscles with your hands.

1. Repeat 6-8 times
2. 3 sets in a row
3. Once-daily
4. 5 days a week