Muscle tension, the result of overuse or stress, is a state in which your muscles stay semi-contracted and do not release. According to Spine-Health.com, tense muscles occur when blood vessels become constricted, preventing an adequate amount of blood, and therefore oxygen, from reaching soft tissue. Stretching after a workout, when your muscles are warm, helps prevent muscle tension, ease pain, lubricate connective tissue, reduce risk of joint injury and relax you both physically and mentally. Because you can stretch standing, sitting or lying down, you have a wide range of options for stretching your quads.
Stretch immediately after a workout, and make sure your muscles are sufficiently warm. Walk briskly, jog at a relaxed pace, pedal an exercise bike or perform another light cardiovascular exercise as a warm-up.
Stand up, bend your knee, grasp your raised foot and pull it toward your buttocks. Hold the stretch for five deep breaths. Repeat on the other side.
Sit on your heels with your shins against the floor. If your buttocks don't touch the floor, sit on a yoga block or rolled-up blanket.
Place the palms of your hands behind you with your fingers facing away. Walk your hands back for a deeper stretch. If your buttocks touch the floor and you are flexible enough, lie all the way back, keeping your back straight and grasping the soles of your feet. Hold the stretch for five deep breaths.
Lie on a weight bench or bed with your buttocks on the edge and your feet on the floor. Bring one knee at a time to your chest, grasping your shin. Hold each stretch for five deep breaths.
- Never stretch without warming up your muscles, as this can cause injury.
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