Stretches for Lunges

[sampaguita]

I'm having difficulty with lunges -- a day after I attempt a lunge, I end up with pain in my inner upper thighs, despite warming up before skating.

Is there any specific warm-up or stretching routine that I can do to avoid this injury?

Thanks a lot!

[Clarice]

I don't know that I would call that an injury.  That kind of pain just shows that you're working muscles that you don't normally use.  Do you ever do lunges off ice?  I do them a lot during my workout class at the gym, generally while holding weights.  Yes, I'm usually sore the next day, but it's a good kind of sore, if you know what I mean.

[sampaguita]

No, it's definitely an injury - it's not a feel-good sore like the one i feel in my hamstrings after stroking. I think I strain my muscles when doing lunges because i need to warm them up in a different way. I'll definitely try lunges off-ice, but do you still need a special warmup routine for the inner thighs?

[jjane45]

Quite curious about this too. To me lunges are similar to splits, maybe some split warm up routines? Be very careful with this type of pain, losing spirals for a year is not fun.

[nicklaszlo]

I have a similar issue, but only when I stretch, not when I skate.  It is deep inside the right leg, so I can't tell exactly where it is.  It isn't very severe.

[FigureSpins]

Always warm up for lunges by doing them at a standstill.  Off-ice or even on-ice (at the wall) will help loosen up the muscles.  If you're not wearing skates, you can put a blade guard or cushion under the heel of your forefoot to simulate the heel of your skate.

Be sure that you're not putting weight on the dragging leg.  That is incorrect - weight should be on the forward leg/foot.  If you are weighting the dragging leg, it puts more stress on the abductor muscles inside the upper thigh and groin areas.  Blade dragging is usually an indicator, as is unintentional curving while performing the action.  Think about keeping the dragging foot directly behind the skating foot so that you split properly front-to-back.  YOu might be tearing the muscle by letting the dragging leg drift to the side.

Ice and anti-inflammatories are the usual treatment for these pulls.

[Doubletoe]

Excellent advice from FigureSpins.  Also, since it sounds like you may be pulling the groin muscle and/or inner hamstring, you might want to start doing straddle stretches http://www.aradiafitness.com/admin/photostorage/wall-straddle-stretch.jpg and butterfly stretches http://trainerconfidential.com/2010/03/08/basic-lower-body-stretches/to get those muscles more flexible so you don't pull them whenever you do lunges. But do those deep stretches *after* skating, when your muscles are still warm (and make sure to hold each position for at least 30 seconds, timed with a stopwatch).  As for pre-stretching, it's not good to stretch cold muscles, so just do some very light stretching at the boards after warming up a little, but before doing your lunge.  

[jjane45]

Thank you for sharing, Doubletoe and FigureSpins!

Be sure that you're not putting weight on the dragging leg.  That is incorrect - weight should be on the forward leg/foot.  If you are weighting the dragging leg, it puts more stress on the abductor muscles inside the upper thigh and groin areas. 

I must watch out for these areas much more then. Never had problems with regular lunges, but bending back during lunge indeed shifts more weight to the dragging leg. Thank you again!

[sampaguita]

Thanks for the excellent advice, FigureSpins and DoubleToe! I am guilty of putting weight on the dragging foot, unfortunately. Will practice on getting rid of that habit.