Fresh out of a leg-day workout? Heavy squats and deadlifts can leave you feeling so badass, but they'll probably also make you pay big time when the muscle soreness hits later.
That's where leg stretches come in. As a 200-hour certified yoga teacher, I often explain to students that stretching can help alleviate the intense soreness that makes it hard to walk downstairs after leg day and can also increase flexibility, which can help prevent injury when you lift next time. Plus, stretching right after you finish an intense workout helps lower your heart rate and reduce stress.
After your leg workout, don't wait until later to do these leg stretches. Push out that last rep, slip off your sneakers, unroll a yoga mat, and do these stretches that target your hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves, shins, hips, and lower back. They'll feel so good, even if you only have time for a few minutes.
Best part? You don't have to save these leg stretches for after your workout, either. Do them on a recovery day, before bed, or whenever you're feeling tight. Pick a few of your favorite hamstring stretches, quad stretches, and calf stretches, or do all 18 to keep your muscles supple.
Here's a list of the best leg stretches. Keep scrolling to see them all, or click on the name of the stretch to jump to it.
How to Do Extended Wide Squat Stretch:
How to Do Downward Dog Stretch:
How to Do Tip-Toe 3-Legged Dog Stretch:
How to Do Low Crescent Lunge Stretch:
How to Do Open Lizard Stretch:
How to Do Lifted Head to Knee Stretch:
How to Do Head to Knee Stretch:
How to Do Seated Straddle Stretch:
How to Do Butterfly Stretch:
How to Do Double Pigeon Stretch:
How to Do Side Lunge Stretch:
How to Do Seated Forward Bend Stretch:
How to Do Lying Side Quad Stretch:
How to Do Happy Baby Stretch:
How to Do Reclining Big Toe Pose Stretch:
How to Do Figure 4 Stretch:
How to Do Wide Child's Pose Stretch:
How to Do Lying Spinal Twist Stretch: