The Thighs
The longest, heaviest bone in the body is the thigh bone (femur), the top of which helps to form the hip joint and the bottom which helps to form the knee joint.
The femur is surrounded by many muscles, including those on the front (quadriceps) and back (hamstrings) that assist the knees in providing range of motion. The green pin heads below signify the labeled muscles.
Due to their relationship with the knees, movements that strengthen the quadriceps and hamstrings also benefit the knees. Visit this post about the knees for some of those strengthening moves.
Two other groups of thigh muscles, perhaps not as well known, are those that bring the leg in towards the body’s midline (adductors as in adding to or coming closer to the center) and those that bring the leg out away from the body’s midline (abductors as in abducting or moving away from the center).
Considering that muscles criss-cross and entwine throughout the body it should come as no surprise that the following two strengtheners impact the thigh muscles as well as the muscles of the pelvis.
Clamshell. Imagine a clam opening and closing its shell; that’s the movement done with the upper thigh in this breath-based flow. Begin lying on one side resting your head on your lower arm and placing the other hand in front for balance. Bend the bottom knee, sliding it forward along the floor at a diagonal of about 45°. Stack the other leg on top, knee to knee and big toe to big toe. Take a few breaths to settle.
On an inhale slowly lift the upper knee in the direction of the sky as the thigh and leg open, feet staying together like a hinge. Slowly float the knee back down on the exhale. Inhale to open, exhale to close, slow, steady movements. When you are ready to rest take a moment to notice any sensation, then try a clamshell flow on the other side.
Not your regular leg lifts. Lie on one side, stacking the legs and placing the upper arm in front for stability. Use your breath to settle, flexing both feet and eventually inhaling the top leg slowly upwards, exhaling to slowly lower down. Tune into sensation as you repeat this breath-based movement, coming to stillness when you are ready.
Relax for a full breath then lightly bend the upper knee, turning it upwards so you can place the foot on the floor in front of the bottom leg. It’s now the lower leg’s turn! Flexing through the bottom foot inhale to slowly lift the leg upward, exhaling to slowly lower. Notice any sensation of this movement as you continue flowing with your breath. Rest when ready, take a few breaths, then roll onto the other side to explore both types of leg lifts.