Quadriceps exercise: Health Benefits, How to do?- Variations

Quadriceps exercises are a great exercise to make your knee more powerful to perform all your day-to-day activities more easily.

Strong quadriceps are important to improve your mobility and balance. If you’ve been injured or had surgery around your thigh or knee, you can do targeted quadriceps exercises to improve strength in your quadriceps.

Quadriceps muscles are located at the front side of the thigh and perform all your day-to-day activities such as walking, running, squatting, sit to stand. There are many health benefits if you are doing this exercise regularly.

Quadriceps muscles require regular attention to exercise and lengthen properly to walk, stand properly, and live a healthy life.

Health benefits by doing a quadriceps exercise

• Regularly doing quadriceps strengthening exercises may help to make it easier to extend your knee and flex your hip
• Helps to strengthen your quadriceps muscles
• Helps to improve the stability of your kneecap.
• Helps to protect your knee joint from injury.
• Helps to increase your jump height.
• Helps to improve your overall athletic ability.
• Helps to decrease your risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.
• Helps to improve your balance and stability.
• Stronger quadriceps make everyday movements easy such as walking, bending, and sitting, running.

Quadriceps exercises are divided into two types:

• Quadriceps strengthening exercise
• Quadriceps stretching exercise

Quadriceps strengthening exercise

Straight Leg Raises:

The straight leg raise is a simple exercise to get your quadriceps muscles working properly.

How to do it?

For this exercise, you have to lie on your back on a flat surface. Fixed the right knee to a 90-degree angle.
Your foot should be flat on the surface. your left leg should be straight, your toes pointing towards the ceilings.
Slowly raise your left leg 12 to 15 inches off the ground by contracting your anterior thighs.
Hold for 5 to 8 seconds then slowly lower it down.
This is the one repetition.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions on each leg for 2 to 3 sets.

Short Arc Quadriceps exercise

How to do it?

For this exercise, you have to lie on your back. use a basketball to prop up your knee.
Slowly extend your flexed knee until it is straight, and tighten your quadriceps muscle with your toes pointed upward.
Hold it tight for 6 to 8 seconds.
Slowly lower your leg.
Do this 15 to 20 times for 1 to 3 sets on each leg.

Wall Slides squat

This exercise utilizes multiple muscle groups in one exercise, including your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings.

How to do it?

For this exercise, you have to stand upright with your back against the wall and shoulder feet width apart.
Slowly flex your knees, sliding your back down the wall for a count of 5 to 10 until your knees are bent at a 45 to 50-degree angle.
Don’t flex too much further than this, as it will put too much pressure on your knees.
Hold this for 5 to 10 seconds. extend your knees by slowly sliding the wall until you are fully upright with your knee straight.
Do this for 10 to 20 times.

Terminal Knee Extension

Terminal knee extension (TKE) is a simple and effective exercise to strengthen your quadriceps muscle in a standing position. The TKE is considered a functional exercise. Your quadriceps will be working while supporting your body weight.

How to do it?

For this exercise, you need a resistance band. place a resistance band around the steady object so it is anchored. It will be the same height as your knee.
Now step into the resistance band and face the anchored point with the resistance band looped around the knee joint.
Slightly flexed your knee joint. slowly extend your nee, placing tension on the band, the resistance band should provide some resistance as you try to fully extend your knee.
Once your knee is fully extended and the band is tight, hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds then slowly flex your knee.
Do this exercise 10 to 20 times.

Body weight squat

This is the best exercise to strengthen your lower limb and core muscles.

How to do it?

For this exercise, you have to stand with shoulder feet width apart and toes pointing upward and outwards.
Your arms should be by your side. your hands on the hips or clasped together. your core muscles should be tight and your chest up, push your hip backward and knee flexed as if you are doing a sitting.
Stop when your thighs are parallel to the ground and hold for a couple of seconds at that point.
Push through your heels and return to the initial position.

Walking lunge

These are very simple exercises to boost your leg and core muscles strong. you can do this in an easy way by doing lunge only or you make it challenging by using dumbbells.

How to do it?

For this exercise, you have to stand tall with shoulder feet width apart.
Your hands should be placed on your hips, or if you are using dumbbells then place your hands by your sides.
Take forward step by right foot and sink down until your front knee is at 90 degrees and your back shin is parallel to the ground.
Hold for 5 to 7 seconds at that point, now step forward from the left leg.
Keep taking steps from the alternate leg as you lunge forward.

Step-up exercise

This is a great way to work on your knee stabilization. Using a lower box makes this exercise easy.

How to do it?

For this exercise, you need one box or a step stool and any other object of just lower to knee height.
Place right foot on the box and step up, your knee should be aligned with your ankle and not let it collapse inward.
When you take a step up, focus on driving through heels and your posture should be tall when you push your left knee upward until it is at the same height as your hip.
Now step backward and step-up gain with your opposite foot.

Bulgarian split squat

This exercise put more put more emphasis on the stabilizing muscles of your knee and hip than traditional squats.

How to do it?

You can make them easier by going only halfway down.
For this exercise, you have to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, about 2 steps away from a bench, a box, or another knee-high surface.
Rest the top of your right foot on the bench behind you, and step your left foot forward far enough that you can squat without your knee going past your toes.
Lean forward and lower down until your anterior thigh is almost parallel to the ground.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions on each side.

Lateral lunge (side lunge)

How to do it?

For this exercise, you have to stand with a shoulder hip-width apart and arms in front of you for balance.
Take a big step to the left and start pushing your hips back as you bend your left knee to assume a squat position.
Now squat down as far as is possible, or until your thigh is parallel to the ground.
Return to the initial position and repeat this on another side.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions on each side.

Squat jump

Squat jumps are a great exercise to build your lower body power.

How to do it?

Squat jumps are a great exercise to build your lower body power.
For this exercise, you can start with 5 repetitions per set instead of 10.
You have to take a basic squat position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands in front of you.
Squatting down until your thighs are almost parallel to the ground and then do a powerful jump up.
Now land softly with slightly flexed knees, before going to the next repetition.

Box jump

How to do it?

For this exercise, you need one box and stand about one step away from the box with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Flexed your knees and place your arms behind you until you are in a quarter squat.
Now swing your arms forward, extend your hip joint and jump upward on the box. land with slight knee flexion.
Step down and do again.

Single-leg squat (pistol squat)

This exercise requires more strength, mobility, and balance.

How to do it?

If you can not get into a full squat position, you can put a chair behind you to limit how far down you go.
For this exercise, you have to stand with your foot together and arms in front of you. lift your right foot off the ground and keep it in front of your body with your leg straight.
Now squat down on your left leg until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Return to the initial position and repeat it on the right leg.

Quadriceps stretching exercise:

Quadriceps stretching is a great exercise to increase flexibility of your thigh muscles, these exercise are easy to perform home exercise and also have many health benefits.

You can perform quad stretches as a warm-up before and after a lower-body workout routine, cardio session, yoga practice, or other wellness activity.

What are the benefits of stretching Quadriceps muscle?

If you stretch properly you can gain these many benefits are:

• The good quad stretches stimulate the muscles and improve blood flow to the area.
• It also reduces quadriceps muscle tightness.
• A good stretch will make your muscle used for many physical activities such as a run, a brisk walk, squat, yoga or other sports activities.
• Quad stretching exercises increase short-term range of motion, such as hip flexion and knee extension.
• This stretch helps you to prevent injuries during leg workouts.
• It improves long-term flexibility and mobility.
• It relieves muscle soreness.

Lying Side Quad Stretch

How to stretch? – Take a side-lying position on a floor.
Put one hand under your head for support.
Now use your outer hand to bend your upper knee.
Then, pull that bent knee towards your head until you feel stretched.
Hold there for 30 seconds and repeat on another side.

Standing Quadriceps Stretching exercise

How to stretch: Take a standing position on one leg. If you can’t balance on one leg, use a wall or any static object.
Now hold the bent leg with your corresponding hand and pull upward towards your torso.
Keep your chest straight, don’t move during the stretch.
Hold for 20-30 seconds. repeat on the other side and do it on each side 3 times.

Kneeling Quad Stretch

How to stretch?– You can use a soft pillow under the knee, if you find the ground uncomfortable.
Start in a high lunge position, stepping your left foot forward.
Drop your right knee slowly to the floor.
Adjust your balance. Reach back for your right foot and grab your toes with your right arm, once you are stabilized.
Hold this quad stretch for around 30 seconds.
Once time is up, slowly release your hold on the right foot, then return to a high lunge position.
Switch sides and do the same steps for the other knee.

Pigeon Twist

How to stretch?– Start in a downward-facing dog position.
Bring forward your left knee between your hands forming a pigeon pose.
Rest your left hand next to your left chin, then bend your right knee.
Using your right hand, reach for your right foot and gently press your right foot’s sole in the direction of your right hip.
Put your left on top of your right foot and slightly twist to the right side. Wrapping your right hand around your back. If
Possible, grab onto your upper left thigh located in front of your hip.
Using the hands, press into the body, getting deeper into the twist.
Hold on here for around 5-10 seconds before releasing the hands and straightening out your right leg.
Twisting your body back towards the left and put your palms on either side of your left knee.
Stepping your left leg back, return into the downward-facing dog position for one complete breath.
Now bring forward your right knee in between your hands. repeat for the other side.

Frog Pose

How to stretch?- Take a prone position on a floor and brace your chest up with the elbows, then bend the knees
Reaching the hands outback in order to hold on to the feet.
Now turn the fingers assuring that they point in the same direction as the toes.
Raise your elbows up, assuring that they point toward the roof.
You can then raise your upper body as high as possible to feel the muscles activate.
Alternatively, you can do one side at a time if you find this stretch too challenging.
Hold on here for approximately 5-10 seconds and release.

Hamstring Curls

How to stretch: Take a prone lying position on a floor.
Now bend your one knee and raise your foot towards the hip.
Now hold that pose for 5-10 seconds.
During this stretch, keep your body straight, don’t move.
Do 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
You can perform bilaterally at once.

Prone Straight Leg Raises

How to stretch: Take a prone lying position on a floor and your legs are stretched out.
Tight your hamstrings and raise one leg towards the ceiling.
Hold that position for 5-10 seconds lower down your leg and repeat.
Do 10-15 lifts, then switch to the other leg.

Prone Quad Stretch

How to stretch: Take a prone position on a mat.
Now bend your knee as much as you can, bringing the heel towards your hip.
When you do, grasp your ankle and start to pull the heel towards your hip.
If you can’t hold the ankle, you can use a resistance band to perform a stretch.
Return to begin, and repeat on other legs.
Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
Perform 3-4 rounds.

Quadriceps Stretching Safety Guidelines

There are certain guidelines you need to follow during stretching:

• Stretching is no exception. Stretching can be dangerous and cause injury if you do it wrongly.
• Breathe. Never hold the breathing. Holding the breathing causes tension and stress in the muscle, and can increase your blood pressure. The deeper you breathe, the more relaxed the muscles will be, and the deeper and longer you can stretch.
• Stretching tight muscles are uncomfortable for you, but you should never feel any stabbing or sharp pain.
• Be consistent- Do stretching daily for a few minutes or seconds a couple of times in a day that gradually builds flexibility and increase range of motion over the long term. This is a good way to stretch, rather than doing it longer times only once a week.
• Wear loose comfortable clothing, as it is tough to stretch if the clothes are tight and restrict motion.

When did you not do the Quadriceps exercise?

• If your doctor advised you to take a rest.
• If your leg bone is recently fractured.
• If you feel knee pain during any exercise explain above.
• Stop doing exercise if you feel any knee discomfort.
• Avoid performing box jumps if you have knee pain.
• Avoid stepping so far that you feel discomfort in your groin.
• Avoid jerky Knee movement.