We may have heard this saying: Stretching helps to slim down the legs. Many people agree with this statement, but some people think that stretching will make the legs thicker. There is a view that stretching can slim down the legs mainly because it stretches the soleus muscle. So what do you think of the leg-slimming effect of stretching the soleus muscle? Let’s go take a look below!
The leg-slimming effect of stretching the soleus muscle
soleus Muscle stretching exercises have a very obvious effect of slimming the calves. There are two important muscles in the calf, one is called the gastrocnemius, which is what we usually call the calf. This muscle mainly helps us stand, walk, and jump. The other muscle is the soleus, deep in the calf. Can visually lengthen the calves. In most people, the gastrocnemius muscle is more developed than the soleus muscle. In this way, visually, the calf will be prominent and the leg will appear thicker. At this time, if you do some stretching exercises and exercise the soleus muscle, the two muscles will be balanced and the legs will be thinner.
Action 1: Holding the wall and stretching
1. Stand with your feet slightly open and hold the wall with your palms.
2. Open your feet front and back, bend the knee of the front leg, and lean your upper body forward. Keep your heels and head in a straight line. The rear heel should not leave the ground, but must be close to the ground.
Action 2: Sitting Stretching
1. The stretcher should sit in a comfortable position, bend the right knee and hold the right foot with both hands. Use the contraction of the leg muscles to bring the feet and toes as close to the body as possible.
2. Starting from the starting position, try to move the feet away from the body, isometrically contract the soleus muscle for 6 seconds, then relax and take a deep breath. With the exhalation, the leg muscles contract again to move the foot toward the body, increasing the stretch of the soleus muscle.