Donkey Kicks
Donkey Kicks
Muscle Group Stretched: Quads, (potentially Hip Flexors)
Muscle Group Strengthened: Hamstrings
Type of Stretch: Active Dynamic
Difficulty: All Levels
Donkey kicks are a great way to actively stretch your quads - instead of using our arms or a strap to pull our heel toward our butt, we contract our hamstrings to move through the range of motion.
How To
Step 1
Start kneeling on all fours, with hands underneath shoulders. Extend one leg behind you, trying to lift the leg to hip height. Don’t let your back arch as you lift your leg, try to keep your spine in a neutral position
Step 2
Keeping your knee lifted at hip height, bend the lifted knee, squeezing your heel towards your butt. You’ll feel a contraction in the back of your thigh (in your hamstrings), and a stretch in the front of your thigh (in your quads), then extend that leg back out straight. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 8-12 reps.
Modifications
Need to make it easier?
Don’t lift the knee as high. Keeping the knee closer to the floor will still stretch 3 of your 4 quad muscles just the same as if the knee is lifted higher (just the rectus femoris will get an easier stretch).
Want to make it harder?
Lift the knee higher than hip height (but still without arching your back). This will put you into hip extension which gives you a stretch in your hip flexors, and will be more challenging for your rectus femoris, the quad muscle that crosses your hip joint and your knee.
Related Content
Blog Post: 5 Beginner-Friendly Quad Stretches
Blog Post: Advanced Quad and Hip Flexor Stretches for Contortion
