Strong legs are not only pleasant to look at, they also provide increased stability to the knee joint in particular and therefore help prevent many injuries. Here are three exercises to strengthen your big leg muscles. They will work on your hamstrings (upper front), quadriceps (upper back) and the gluteus (butt), therefore keeping everything in balance.
Wall Squat
Stand with back and shoulders against wall with heels 30-50cm away from edge. Slide your back down the wall and at the same time bend your knees forward while allowing hips to bend, keeping back straight and knees pointed in the same direction as feet. Descend as far as comfortable or until knees and hips are bent to 90 degrees.
Straight Lunge
Start by standing up straight with hands on hips. Take a step forward with your back and head straight. Ensure that your forward shin remains vertical as you go down and that your knee does not go past your toes. The back leg knee should not touch the ground. Proceed back up to start position, by pushing off with the heel of the forward leg. Repeat.
Barbell Squat
Place a barbell on the back of your shoulders and grasp bar to sides. Bend your knees forward while allowing hips to bend, keeping back straight and knees pointed same direction as feet. Descend until knees and hips are fully bent to 90 degrees. Extend knees and hips until legs are straight. Return and repeat.
Hot Tip!
These exercises are presented in order of difficulty, from the easiest to the most advanced. Start
with the first and progressively work your way up. Keep to 3 sets of 10.
Know your limit- know your pain
Some signs should never be ignored
Don't point your feet inwards when performing a squat, because this will put a lot of strain on your knees.
Don't use too heavy a weight. Limit yourself to 80% of the weight you can use for a set of 10 repetitions.
Never perform any exercise or stretch into acute pain.
Don't start exercising before warming up. A 5-10 minute walk is all you need to get the blood flowing and avoid a
lot of injuries.
If you experience persistent discomfort, see a physiotherapist.
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