Exercise library
Mobility and Stretching
Hip flexor stretch (half-kneeling)
How to do it
- 1Kneel on one knee with the other foot flat in front of you, both knees at roughly 90 degrees.
- 2Squeeze the glute of your kneeling leg, tighten your lower abs, and push your pelvis forward slightly. Don't arch your back. Stay upright.
- 3Lift the arm on your kneeling-leg side straight up toward the ceiling, keeping your ribs down.
- 4Lean slightly deeper into the stretch (pain permitting) while maintaining a neutral spine. A subtle lean toward the opposite side can increase the stretch.
Why this exercise
Tight hip flexor muscles can pull your spine into extension. The psoas major in particular can pull your lumbar spine into excessive arching (hyperlordosis) and contribute to anterior pelvic tilt. Reducing tension in the hip flexors helps reduce this pull on the spine.
Make it easier
- Keep your arm down instead of reaching overhead
- Decrease depth of the stretch
Make it harder
- Increase depth of the stretch
- Reach and lean farther