Yoga is excellent for improving mobility and balance. This thigh stretch is wonderful for those benefits but can be challenging for many. This variation shows how you can use supports to make it more accessible allowing you to get all the benefits of the stretch.
The thigh muscle, also known as the quadricep, located in the front of your legs, is really important to keep flexible, especially as we age. This muscle helps you to stay mobile because it’s necessary to walk and to run and do many of the activities life demands.
But this stretch can be very challenging. Today’s variation gives you balance support from a chair and flexibility support with a strap.
Put one foot on the outside of the chair and put the knee of the other leg, the one you're going to stretch, to the seat of the chair.
If you can’t reach your ankle with your hand, take a yoga strap or you can use a necktie or a scarf or even a towel and place it around the ankle. Slowly lift that foot up until you feel the right stretch for you.
It is important in this pose that the knees are together. Notice if your foot on the floor is too far back or if the knee on the chair it too far forward. You want to position the legs so that the knees are in line with one another.
Now, regulate the stretch with the strap in your arm. Explore the range of motion to determine how deep to go in the stretch. Use the hand with the strap to life the leg either higher to make it more challenging or to back off by lowering the leg.
This variation is such a great option because it gives you a lot of balance support as well as the ability to regulate how deep you go into the stretch. Try this thigh stretch variation and see how it works.
If this variation is not challenging enough for you, check out last week’s challenging variation of the same stretch. And if it’s too challenging for you, stay tuned for next week’s variation which will be done from the chair.