Leg Stretches to Help Relieve Leg Pain, Fatigue and Tightness

When your legs are tired or tight, you don’t feel like doing anything, much less heading to Curves for your full body workout. Whether it’s thigh muscle pain, a pulled hamstring, or tight calves, leg pain is no fun. Once you’ve ruled out illness or injury as a cause, you can treat leg tightness and fatigue with at-home remedies. One of the best things you can do to relieve leg pain or tightness is simply stretch. Leg stretches such as hamstring stretches and calf stretches can do wonders for sore legs.

Tired legs, explained

Our legs naturally get tired as a side effect of getting older. Leg fatigue isn’t usually a cause for concern, but it’s something to keep an eye on. Possible causes of tired legs include the following:

• Poor circulation, caused by a medical condition, such as varicose veins, peripheral artery disease (PAD), and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)
• Too much or too little exercise. Both a sedentary lifestyle and overtraining can contribute to leg fatigue
• Being overweight or obese. The more weight your legs must carry, the more tired they will be
• Restless leg syndrome. When your legs move throughout the night, they may be fatigued when you wake up in the morning.¹

Leg stretches to relieve stiffness and fatigue

Doing the proper leg stretches can relieve tight muscles and increase flexibility. Here are some leg stretches to try when your legs are feeling tired or sore:

Standing hamstring stretch:

• Start standing upright
• Place your right leg about six inches in front of you. Slightly bend your left knee
• Placing your hands on your right leg, lean forward slowly, keeping your back straight
• Hold for 10-30 seconds
• Repeat on the other side and perform this hamstring stretch two to three times²

Lying hamstring stretch:

• Lie on your back with your feet flat on the ground, knees bent
• Bring your right knee to your chest and extend your right leg, keeping your knee slightly bent. You can use a resistance band to deepen the stretch
• Hold for 10-30 seconds
• Repeat with the other leg and repeat two to three times with each leg³

Standing calf stretch:

• Stand arm’s length away from a wall and place your palms flat against the wall
• Keeping your right leg back with your knee straight and your heel flat on the floor, start to bend your elbows and the knee of your left leg.
• Move your hips forward until you feel a stretch in your right calf
• Hold for 30 to 60 seconds
• Switch legs and repeat⁴

Sitting calf stretch:

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you
• Place your right foot into the loop of a resistance band and hold both sides of the resistance band with your hands
• Pull your toes toward your shin until you feel the calf stretch
• Repeat on the left side⁵

General tips for tired legs

Beyond the above leg stretches and strengthening exercises, the following tips will help with sore legs and leg fatigue:

• Wear proper footwear with good arch and ankle support
• Follow a healthy eating plan and drink the recommended amount of water per day
• When your legs feel tired, take a break
• Limit your intake of salt, sugar, and alcohol, and quit smoking if you currently smoke
• Lose weight if you are overweight or obese, and maintain a healthy weight
• Try compression socks and massage
• Take a warm bath with Epsom salts
• Practice the RICE Method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) when you experience leg fatigue¹⁷

If the symptoms of sore or tired legs don’t abate with rest, see your doctor.

Consult your Curves Coach

Your Curves Coach can suggest additional leg stretches and strengthening exercises to help with sore, tired legs. Plus, MyCurves On Demand has an entire category devoted to Stretching and Recovery. Ask your Curves Coach for details or visit online at curves.com/mycurves-on-demand.

Sources:

1. Tired legs: Causes and how to get relief (medicalnewstoday.com)
2. Tight Hamstring: Treatment, Causes, Prevention, and More (healthline.com)
3. Tight Hamstring: Treatment, Causes, Prevention, and More (healthline.com)
4. Calf stretch exercise – Mayo Clinic
5. 7 Essential Calf Stretches Everyone Should Be Doing | SELF
6. 5 Quad Stretches To Help You Avoid Injury And Boost Performance (womenshealthmag.com)
7. 4 Best Stretches for Your Quads – How to Stretch the Quad Muscles (menshealth.com)
8. 19 Hip Stretches That Will Help Your Tight Muscles Loosen Up and Your Body Move Better | SELF
9. 19 Hip Stretches That Will Help Your Tight Muscles Loosen Up and Your Body Move Better | SELF
10. 19 Hip Stretches That Will Help Your Tight Muscles Loosen Up and Your Body Move Better | SELF
11. Leg Stretches: Improve Flexibility (healthline.com)
12. Leg Stretches: Improve Flexibility (healthline.com)
13. How To Do Standing Side Bends + Benefits | Dr Workout
14. A Better Butterfly Stretch for Tight Hips (healthline.com)
15. 90/90 Stretch: Benefits, Tips, and How-To (healthline.com)
16. Frog Pose Benefits: How to Get the Most from Mandukasana (healthline.com)
17. Tired Legs: Causes, Treatment, Prevention, and More (healthline.com)