Stretching the adductors: what is it for?
Small anatomy point. When we talk about the adductors, we refer to a group of five muscles that are found on the inside of the thighs: four of them start from the pubis and then insert themselves at the level of the femur (this large bone which is located in the thigh ) and the fifth leaves from the pubis to fit on the tibia (the large calf bone).
Adductors: what are they for? The adductor muscles first play a role in stabilizing posture: "they help stabilize the pelvis and the hips" specifies Mathieu Bourgeois, sports coach. These are the adductor muscles that allow the legs to be brought back towards the axis of the body when they are apart; they also (but not only) which allow us to perform a rotational movement at the level of the pelvis.
Stretching your adductor muscles, what for? “When you spend the day in a seated position, in front of a computer for example, you “block” the adductor muscles in an unnatural position, which can lead to the development of pain – in the knees, for example, explains the coach stretching the adductor muscles, this allows you to restore movement to the area, to promote its vascularization, but also to relieve the tendons and joints subjected to almost permanent tension when the muscles are contracted all day. "
Stretching the adductors is therefore a good response to knee pain (gonalgia): "the tissues are more resilient, so the risk of injury (of pubalgia, for example) is lower".
In addition, from a fitness point of view, "regularly stretching your adductors is interesting when doing weight training since it allows you to do deeper squats, which are therefore more effective for building muscle" adds the pro.
Stretching of the adductors: the 4 favorite exercises of the sports coach
To know. Stretching the adductors is good. But stretching "in strength" is even better: "the idea is to stretch the muscle while strengthening it, explains Mathieu Bourgeois. It's a way of improving the resilience of the adductor muscles, which are then less likely to 'get stuck' even if you stay in the same position for a long time."
And also... "There is no point in stretching your adductors "from time to time": to see a real improvement, you have to practice a little daily, for example between 5 and 10 minutes a day, in the morning when you get up or in the evening when you go to bed.”
Sit on a yoga mat with your back straight, gaze towards the horizon, legs straight. Bring your feet towards your pubis so as to "stick" your soles against each other. Your knees are wide open. Your shoulders should not be forward. Gently, make small movements with your knees, like the wings of a butterfly. Hold the posture for 30 to 45 seconds and remember to breathe well.
The coach's advice. "The butterfly stretch is excellent for stretching all the adductor muscles: if you feel comfortable, feel free to drop weights on your knees, starting with 500 grams on each side."
Lie on your back on a yoga mat, arms alongside your body and shoulders in line with your pelvis, and press your buttocks against a wall, feet up vertically on the wall – your body should form an L. Gently, open your legs by sliding them on the wall until they form a V, hold the posture for 15 seconds then close. Repeat 10 times, holding the open posture for 30 seconds on the last repetition.
The coach's advice. "Be careful to perform a well-controlled movement, the idea is not to go fast! If you feel comfortable with this exercise, do not hesitate to put weights on your ankles, starting with 500 grams of each side. "
Standing on a slightly slippery floor, stand at the edge of a table. Go down a little by opening your legs (as if you wanted to do a split) and contract the muscles of the buttocks and thighs hard for 20 seconds when you cannot go lower. Release, try to lower a little more for 20 seconds, then contract again for 20 seconds. Go back up without bending your knees by "pressing" on the ground.
The coach's advice. "This stretch, inspired by PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) aims to convince the brain that it can improve the flexibility of the body: because the reason why you can't do a big difference is that there is a "safety" at the level of the brain to protect the pelvis and the posture. This exercise is to be performed very gently, every day. "
Lying on your back on a yoga mat, spread your legs a little and bend your knees so that your feet are on the ground. Throw the right leg back and grab your thigh with your hands: gently pull your thigh, keeping the right leg as straight as possible. Hold this posture for at least 30 seconds without forgetting to breathe well. Repeat the exercise on the other side and do 10 repetitions on each side.
Thanks to Mathieu Bourgeois, sports coach at La Sèche.
Also read:
⋙ 3 easy exercises to sculpt your inner thighs
⋙ Thigh gap: 10 exercises to melt your inner thighs
⋙ Stretching the glutes: the 4 best exercises recommended by the coach
