Quad Muscles: How to Keep them Strong and Balanced

Strong and balanced is the best way to avoid misalignment and chronic pain in the body. Opposing leg muscles play on essential role in achieving and maintaining the best version of our bodies – – and therefore our lives.

There are many reasons for the arrival of chronic posture problems

First is an anterior tilt where the pelvis tips down or forward. Tight quad muscles can pull on the hip bone, causing the pelvis to move out of alignment leading to lower back muscle tightness or pain.

Quad muscles, commonly known as thigh muscles, and hamstring muscles, on the back of the thigh, are opposing muscles. Tight quad muscles can result in weak hamstring muscles.

Both examples affect the alignment of your pelvis, posture, and may lead to pain!

The quad muscle is really comprised of 4 muscles. One of the four muscles crosses the hip joint and affects movement. If the quad is super tight, it pulls on the hip bone, tipping the pelvis into an unintended anterior tilt.

How your spine is affected

The spine is located between the two hip bones on the back of the body. The lumbar spine becomes misaligned as the arch in your back increases resulting in very tight back muscles and pain. As the spine over-arches, the hamstring muscles become weaker or overstretched.

Hamstring muscles

The hamstring muscles attach to your “sitting bone.” Correctly toned hamstring muscles pull your pelvis down and back. Having that right balance of tone between the quad and the hamstring muscles helps keep the pelvis in optimal alignment. Stretching your quad muscles and strengthening the hamstrings keeps everything in balance allowing both muscles to support the proper position of the spine and the pelvis.

Sitting too long can affect our knees and may cause arthritis?

It’s true! Spending significant time ‘sitting’ leads to tight quad and lower back muscles. For many people, tight quad muscles can lead to an elevated knee cap. Keeping the knee cap elevated changes the spacing in the knee and may lead to arthritis.

Your gait is also affected by tight quad muscles

Many people think that super strong quad muscles are necessary to move the leg forward while walking. The ‘glute’ muscles are responsible for gliding the leg forward with almost no effort. These muscles facilitate walking for more extended periods.

When the quads are too tight, they tend to be responsible for moving the leg forward in a ‘clawing’ motion versus a gliding motion. Clawing takes more effort and is not the best way to walk.

How can you determine whether your quad muscles are too tight?

Try a modified camel pose

• Stand on your knees with hands on your hips
• Keep your body and head in one long line from the knees to the top of the head
• Toes can be curled or uncurled
• Slowly lean back while noticing the stretch in the quad muscles (upper thighs)
• Observe how quickly you feel the stretch in the quad muscles

One way to stretch your quad muscle is to try lizard pose

• From a downward-facing dog position, raise one leg straight up to the ceiling
• Step that foot forward to the outside of the hand on the same side
• Lower down to your forearms, letting your hips sink towards the floor (If your quad muscles are tight, you can stay on your hands instead of your forearms)
• Hold for 30-40 seconds

Another technique to stretch the quad muscles is to perform the classic quad stretch

• Stand with your feet side by side
• Bend one knee bringing the heel to your buttocks, while keeping the knees lined up
• Reach around with the same hand holding the foot, bringing the heel to the buttocks (You may want to hold onto a wall)
• Hold for 30 seconds.

Nature intended for our muscles to be strong and balanced, especially for opposing muscles. Strong and balanced is the best way to avoid misalignment and chronic pain in the body.

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