My favorite summer activities officially begin when the calendar flips to May. It’s prime time for open water swimming, running, biking, hiking and anything else that gets me outside and moving. But my first step is getting my legs in shape.
“Legs are the foundation for most activities,” says Vijay Daryanani, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. “They house some of the body’s largest muscles, and building healthy legs can improve performance, prevent injury and increase endurance.”
Four leg muscle groups to build for summer activities
Four muscles do most of the leg work: quadriceps, gluteus maximus (buttocks), hamstrings and calves. Here’s a look at each one.
Quadriceps (quadriceps). The quadriceps, also known as the thigh muscles, are a group of four muscles (hence the prefix “quad”). They extend your leg at the knee and power every leg movement: standing, walking, running, kicking and climbing.
Glutes. The glutes (your buttocks) are the largest muscles in the body and keep you upright and help the hips and thighs propel your body forward.
Hamstrings. The hamstrings are a group of three muscles that run along the back of your thighs from the hip to just below the knee. They allow you to extend your leg straight behind your body and assist with hip and knee movements.
Calves. Three muscles make up the calf, which is located at the back of the lower leg, starting below the knee and extending to the ankle. They work together to move your foot and lower leg and propel you forward when you walk or run.
Focus on muscle strength and length
Strength and length are the most important focus for building summer-ready legs, says Daryanani. “Strengthening leg muscles increases strength and endurance, and lengthening them improves flexibility, thus protecting against injury.”
If you’re new to exercise or starting again after a break, start by getting your legs used to daily movement. “Start by walking around your house or up and down stairs for several minutes each day without stopping,” says Daryanani.
After that, get into a walking routine. Walk at a moderate pace for 20 to 30 minutes each day. You can focus on walking a specific distance (such as a mile or two) or taking a certain number of steps by tracking them on your smartphone or fitness tracker. Not only will you build leg strength, but you’ll also reap a wide range of health benefits.
There are many different exercises to build leg muscle, some of which are geared toward specific activities or sports. Below is a three-move routine that targets the four major leg muscles. Add it to your regular workout, or do it several times a week as a leg-only routine. (If you have mobility issues, especially knee or ankle problems, talk to your doctor before starting.)
To stretch your leg muscles and increase your flexibility, try this daily stretching routine that includes several lower-body stretches.
Dumbbell Squats
Muscles worked: Glutes and hamstrings
Reps: 8-12
Sets: 1-2
Rest: 30-90 seconds between sets
Starting position: Stand with your legs apart. Hold a weight in each hand, arms at your sides and palms facing in.
Movement: Slowly bend your hips and knees, leaning forward no more than 45 degrees, and lower your buttocks down and back about 8 inches. Pause. Slowly straighten up.
Tips and techniques:
Don’t round or arch your back excessively.
Make it easier: Perform the movement without holding weights.
Make it harder: Lower yourself at a normal pace. Pause briefly. Stand up quickly.
Reverse Lunge
Muscles worked: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings
Reps: 8-12
Sets: 1-3
Rest: 30-90 seconds between sets
Starting position: Stand straight with feet together and arms hanging by your sides, holding dumbbells.
Movement: Step back onto the ball of your left foot, bend your knees, and come into a lunge. Your right knee should be aligned over your right ankle and your left knee should be pointing toward (but not touching) the floor. Push off with your left foot to stand up and return to the starting position. Repeat, stepping back with your right foot to perform the lunge on the other side. This is one rep.
Tips and techniques:
Keep your spine straight as you go into the lunge.
Don’t lean forward or backward.
As you bend your knees, lower your back knee directly to the floor with your thigh perpendicular to the floor.
Make it easier: Do lunges without weights.
Increase the difficulty: Step forward into the lunges or use heavier weights.
Calf raises
Muscles worked: Calves
Reps: 8-12
Sets: 1-2
Rest: 30 seconds between sets
Starting position: Stand with your feet flat on the floor. Hold onto the back of a chair for balance.
Movement: Raise yourself as high as you can on the balls of your feet. Hold briefly, then lower yourself down.
Make it easier: Raise your heels less high off the floor.
Increase the difficulty: Do single-leg calf raises. Tuck one foot behind the other calf before rising onto the balls of your feet; do sets for each leg. Or try doing calf raises without holding on to a chair.