We've got what we think are the best quads exercises to reduce tension using a massage ball in this video.
We have three for you to try.
Now the quads are the front of the thigh and they may get tight without you really realizing.
It can cause issues for people particularly around the knee, the front of the knee.
So, knowing some of these exercises to reduce the tension can help.
The massage ball is very inexpensive, relatively easy to work with and it just increases
the blood flow to the area that you're working on and that can help reduce the tension.
We're using a spiky massage ball but you can use a tennis one, it's nice and smooth just a personal preference.
My name's Claire. I'm a Physiotherapist from PhysioFit Health.
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Your first exercise suggestion with the massage ball and the quads, it's actually in a seated position.
There's a number of people I find that actually when you get into the muscle, quads are at the front of the thigh.
It can feel quite sore because you don't realize how much tension is there.
So, I would get you started off in sitting using a ball and using your hands just to put the pressure on.
Just to work into the area that feels fairly tight.
I'd certainly go towards the front of the thigh.
I would also go around just to the side of the thigh as well, the muscle wraps around.
And just find those different areas that are tight but if you do it this way you can just
obviously adjust the pressure that you put on the ball so you can have it fairly light pressure
or you can just really try and get into it just depending how you're feeling
but it's a good starter exercise just to see how you feel working with the ball and the quads.
And then some of the other exercises, you can just increase the pressure there a little bit more.
At 1- 2 minutes at a time and then you're going to go over onto the other side.
The second exercise we've got for you is to use the ball
and you're going to squash it against the wall with your quads.
So, I'll cover the ball with a towel just so I don't mark the wall.
So, I would get you squashing the ball against the wall.
And then you can be rolling yourself, the body up and down, side to side, round in a circle.
You can shift the body so you get slightly different angles.
You're working the front of the muscle and I would suggest going down the side of the muscle as well.
You can try the inside part of the muscle but typically doesn't get as tight as the front and the side.
You're going to do 1 - 2 minutes at a time just finding the different tight spots within the area.
And then you're going to go on to the other side.
Your third exercise, I'll suggest is again you're squashing the ball against the wall
with your thigh muscle, finding where does feel fairly tight.
For this one you are then going to get a little bit of movement with the knee so keep the pressure on.
And then you're going to bend your knee and then you're going to straighten it
So, if you want the breathing, you can be breathing out as you bend the knee,
it's just going to increase that stretch on the front of the thigh.
And then you're going to breathe in as you ease off.
So, options here for how long you're going to hold it for, you have your 1 - 2 minutes
which I think is always a good time frame to work with.
Or maybe count 2 - 3 lots of 10 repetitions with your knee bend.
And then you're going to go over onto the other side.
Try one of those suggestions or all three.
Just really figure out which one works for you and where you get the best stretch.
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