Try this low lunge stretch for the most delicious hip and quad loosener

Welcome to our weekly Move of the Week series. Every Monday, we’ll be sharing with you one of our favourite exercises – how to do them, what muscles they work and why they should be a regular part of your workout regime. This week: low lunge quad stretch. 

Regardless of the variation – barbell, dumbbell, sumo, split or yogi – squats are tough on the thighs and hips. If you’ve been incorporating a lot of them into your routine recently, stretching out the area is the best way to keep your muscles supple (and ready for more reps). 

This low lunge quad stretch is the best for that. Working into the front of the thigh and hip, it helps ease tightness and pain in the areas that need it most post-squat sesh. 

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What is low lunge quad stretch?

The low lunge quad stretch involves kneeling down into a lunge while activating through the front of your leg to deepen the stretch. 

This exercise is great because:

It stretches the quads: which can get tight from taking on a lot of load due to being quad-dominant or simply doing a lot of lower body training. 

It works into the hip flexors: these muscles tend to shorten from long periods of time sitting down, so it’s important to stretch them. 

It reduces pain: easing tightness in the lower body can help alleviate lower back pain and hip pain.

What muscles does a low lunge quad stretch work?

The low lunge quad stretch mainly targets the lower body, including:

• Quads
• Hip flexors
• Psoas
• Lower back
• Hamstring 

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How to do a low lunge quad stretch

1. Begin kneeling, with your right foot flat on the floor in front of you and your left shin tucked on the floor behind you. 
2. Engage your core to keep your spine straight and lift through your head. 
3. Reach your left arm forwards and place your hand on the floor to stabilise yourself without letting your hips dropping to the side. 
4. Lift your left foot up towards your glute, and reach your right arm behind you to grab your left ankle. 
5. Pull your heel in and squeeze your glute to emphasise the stretch down the front of your hip and quad.
6. Swap sides. 

Images: Stylist

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