autostretching0112

THE KNEE 2.

Yourdifficulty is: Tight Muscles:

Eąuipment: Starting Position:

Stretching:

Stimulation: Common Errors:

Normal Mobility:

Bending your knee while turnłng your Iower leg inward.

Three of the four muscles of the compound muscle cfuadriceps femoris: mostly

1    vas(us lateralis but also

2    vastus intermedius and

3    vastus medialis.

4    Rectus femoris is not stretched.

Chair with padded seat and cushion to protect knee and shin.

Place right knee and shin on chair seat with foot over edge, lefit foot on floor, right hand on chair back. Turn right Iower leg and foot inward to limit.

1.    To protect knee joint, bend right knee by pressing along thigh towani knee. Sit down toward inner side of right heel so that stretch is felt in front and outside of right thigh.

2.    Press right Iower leg against chair seat; hołd for 5 seconds.

3.    Relax; press right thigh toward knee; sit down to limit - maybe a little morę.

4.    Repeat until you feel you can stretch no further and muscles feel tight. Hołd this finał stretch from 15 seconds to a minutę or morę.

Nonę! Muscles of opposite function - antagonists, in this case the back of your thigh - must not be stimulated, as this can cause cramps.

*    Knee not held down to chair seat.

*    Thigh not pressed toward knee, so that knee takes too much strain.

*    Lower leg and foot tumed outward.

From this starting position, you should be able to touch outer side of right buttock to heel, unless flesh on the back of your thigh and calf gets in the way.

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