As part of our yoga series, we present you with yoga exercises at regular intervals that are tailored to the needs of climbers. The exercises will be presented by Prana and Petra Zink. In today's issue, Petra shows you the quad stretch exercise, which you can use to intensively stretch your front thighs and your hip flexor muscles.
A guest contribution by Petra Zink - presented by Prana
In today's issue we focus on legs and hips. The quad stretch is an intense stretch for the front thighs (quad) and hip flexors.
The following exercise stretches the relevant muscles and gives the hip joints a deep massage. And if the hip joint can move freely, you can step up and spread out wide when climbing.
Clothing that moves with you
You know that moment when you pull your pants up the waistband so you can spread your legs wider to reach the kick? If so, is the Electa Leggin climbing tight of prana a case for you. The leggings are made of quick-drying, breathable stretch fabric and offer great freedom of movement, whether on the rock, in the hall or on the yoga mat. Speaking of yoga mat: Prana has with the Green Yoga Mat one made from FSC-certified rubber. It is elastic, well padded, non-slip and easy to roll.
But back to clothing for climbing training or the yoga session: That Everyday top Made of high-performance fabric and four-way stretch is durable yet soft against the skin and will stay in place through complex asanas.
How the quad stretch exercise works
Exercise info
This pose is an intense stretch for the front thighs (quad) and hip flexors.
Starting position: four-legged
- Starting position: quadruped, feet touching the wall. Before doing so, bring the mat across the wall and put on a blanket if necessary.
1st position
- Bring your back knee back a half foot length from the wall and bring your back of your feet up against the wall.
- Set up the second leg at a right angle and move your hands up.
- If necessary, put something soft between the back of your foot and the wall.
2st position
- Bring the pelvis further back towards the wall.
- Front foot moves forward and presses into the ground.
- straighten upper body.
3st position
- Briefly tilt your pelvis forward and place your toes on the wall.
- If necessary, readjust the distance lengths.
- At the end bring your hands to the floor and put both lower legs down.
- Duration: 5-7 breaths per position and side.
End position
- Final position: heel seat.
- Caution: For lower back pain. The exercise is not suitable for knee injuries, especially if bending the knees is uncomfortable.
Book with yoga exercises for climbers
In the book “Yoga for climbers and mountaineers” introduces the yoga teacher, sports scientist and enthusiastic alpinist Petra Zink 54 selected yoga exercises that are dedicated to the stressed parts of the body of mountain athletes: wrists, shoulders, back, hips.
Readers from Germany and Austria can order the book here.
All articles in the yoga series
You can find all articles in the yoga series at the following link.
About Petra Zink
Petra Zinc is a yoga teacher and sports scientist. She was a competitive athlete herself and has trained young athletes to Olympic champions. She is currently developing exercise and health concepts for tourism and business with a focus on yoga, health and mindfulness.
She lives out her great passion for the mountains with her husband in her adopted home of Carinthia and on trips through Europe and North America. The combination of yoga and mountain sports has increasingly developed into an attitude to life, she passes on her enthusiasm and knowledge in numerous workshops and yoga retreats (www.petrazinc.com).
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Credits: Cover picture Stefan Koechel