The quadriceps are four large muscles at the front of your thigh that cross over your knee joint. When your quadriceps are tight, they will squeeze the knee joint, leading to compression, loss of range of motion, and pain. Doing these exercise will liberate the compression on the knees and help you regain full and safe range of motion.
1. Stand next to your chair, holding the back for balance. Keep your back straight.
2. Tuck your hips under while bending your standing leg.
3. Raise your outside leg and, with your hand on your ankle, slowly pull your ankle toward your bum. If you have trouble reaching your ankle, use a stretch band or a small towel to comfortably pull your ankle (as shown in the photo). This will permit you to keep your back straight during this sequence.
4. When your muscles won’t stretch any more gently, release your leg; no stretch should last longer than 5 seconds. Note: As you are pulling in a stretch, you will feel the muscles slowly relaxing and releasing into the stretch. At the point they stop releasing, shift into the next movement. Holding beyond that point can be counterproductive and actually tighten your muscles.
5. Repeat the stretch 3 times with each leg.