5 reasons to focus on inner thigh exercises with your Pilates and fitness exercises
If I asked you to “name the parts of your legs,” what would you list? Quads? Hamstrings? Calves? Pimples? Feet? Ankles? Did I miss something?
What about the inner thighs? When was the last time you focused a little on working your upper and inner thigh muscles? To achieve healthy movement habits, a balanced body needs the benefit of strong, fit and flexible inner thigh muscles. How much love and attention are you giving to your whole leg? (Inner thighs included).
Every muscle in our body needs to have an adequate amount of strength and flexibility to function well. When we think about targeting the thighs, most of the focus is on the quads. (along the front of the thigh)and hamstrings (along the back of the thigh) since these two groups of muscles are necessary to bend and straighten the knee and help us to get up, sit down, climb stairs, etc …
And from there it is usually “I want to tone my hips.” Gold “I want a more attractive and tighter butt.” So we started to focus on exercises to target the glutes and outer thighs, and sometimes we completely forget about the value of the so important and sexy upper inner thighs!
When I work with new clients, I am amazed at how little muscle activity these muscles have. For many people, the inner thigh muscles are weak and tight. (if possible) which can result in restricted hip mobility, tight hamstrings, poor leg alignment, and added stress (wear, pressure and pain) in the knee joints. And if your knees don’t hurt, chances are your lower back will!
Above and / or below the inner thighs of weak and tight thighs, there is an increased risk of pain or injury. I think you’ve been training the inner thighs … I find that many clients, rather than involving the entire length of the muscle starting from where the leg meets the body, the tendency is to squeeze the legs together starting at the knees. , which only puts more stress on already stressed knee joints.
Whether you practice Pilates, Yoga, walk, run, play sports, lift weights, or just want to stay safe and healthy for your activities of daily living, here you go. Five reasons to find, feel and focus on stretching and strengthening the inner thigh muscles (adductor muscles).
1. IMPROVE THE BALANCE – The inner thighs are an important part of the leg to help maintain balance when standing and walking. As we age, there is a tendency to stand up and walk one step wider, thinking that this helps our balance. But this “wider” posture only further weakens the inner thighs and makes us less stable. Maintaining strong internals so it’s easy to stand and walk with your legs closer together will help you stay more centered for better balance.
2. HEALTHY HIP MECHANICS – The inner thighs stabilize the leg as it rocks back and forth for a healthy stride for walking and running. They are also critical for support and movement for lateral movement (side to side). Sports like basketball, tennis, racquetball, and horseback riding would be impossible without strong inner thighs.
3. KNEES WITHOUT PAIN – The supportive balance between the inner thighs and the outer hip muscles is what stabilizes the leg for healthy, pain-free movement in the knee. The knee joint can only flex and extend, but the leg can move in all directions from the hip. Without adequate support on the inner and outer thighs, the risk of medial or lateral knee injury (pain) can be increased.
4. BETTER ANKLE MOBILITY – Do you have stiff ankles, tight calves, pain in the heel … a contributing factor may be what is happening at the other end of the leg? The inner thighs are just as important as what happens to your feet. The inner thigh muscles contribute to the way you stand, rolling in or out at the ankle. With the right amount of support and flexibility at the hip end of your leg with your inner thighs, you can help improve posture, reduce foot pain, and keep your ankles healthy with better mobility to prevent sprains and strains, Achilles tendonitis and other debilitating ones. foot, knee and hip problems.
5. ENJOY MORE BASIC SUPPORT – Of course your inner thighs are not part of your core … BUT what you do or don’t do can drastically affect your ability to maintain good posture and enjoy healthy movement habits. For a strong, well-lifted core, good inner thigh support coupled with proper pelvic floor function is an important foundation for hip placement and a healthy, well-aligned spine.
Just knowing that the inner thighs must be working will not cause them to turn on and start working properly … It will take an intentional approach to improve mind-body connection, deliberate muscle engagement, and fit. Accurate your movement habits during exercise and activities of daily living to activate the inner thighs for proper support.
Understanding how to use the inner thighs correctly along with how they relate to the rest of the body to improve balance, healthy hip mechanics, pain-free knees, better ankle mobility, and more core support is part of the process. of retraining your body for Better health. When you understand the value of better body mechanics, you are one step closer to better health.
What are your inner thighs doing for you? Does it help you stay strong, healthy, and in balance? Or do you feel challenged to stand tall, find it difficult to balance on one leg, or are you struggling to maintain good health and struggling with foot, knee, hip or back pain?
What can YOU do to take action and start incorporating the right inner thigh exercises into your weekly workouts to retrain your body for better posture and develop healthy movement habits?
Is it time for you to find, feel, and focus on your inner thighs?