Seated Piriformis Stretch
oec:seated-piriformis-stretch
A seated mobility exercise that targets the deep external rotators of the hip by hinging forward over a crossed leg.
Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.
Also called: Seated Figure-Four Stretch, Chair Piriformis Stretch, Seated Glute Stretch
How to do it
Setup
- Sit upright near the edge of a sturdy chair or bench with both feet flat on the floor.
- Lift one leg and rest the outside of that ankle across the opposite thigh, just above the knee, creating a figure-four shape.
- Keep the foot of the crossed leg lightly dorsiflexed to protect the knee.
Movement
- Sit tall with a neutral spine and inhale deeply.
- Hinge forward at your hips, bringing your chest toward your crossed shin while keeping your back flat.
- Hold the position when you feel a moderate stretch in the outer hip and glute of the crossed leg.
- Breathe smoothly and hold for the designated duration before gently returning upright and switching sides.
Breathing
Maintain slow, deep nasal breathing, allowing your hip muscles to relax deeper into the stretch with each exhalation.
Cues
- Lead with the chest, not the nose.
- Hinge from the hips, do not round the back.
- Keep the crossed foot flexed.
Common faults
- Rounding through the thoracic or lumbar spine to reach further forward.
- Keep your chest proud and hinge exclusively from the hips.
- Allowing the crossed ankle to sickle or roll into extreme inversion.
- Keep the ankle flexed in slight dorsiflexion to keep the joint stable.
Safety
- Avoid forcing the knee downward if you experience sharp knee or hip discomfort; reduce the forward hinge angle.
Muscles
Joints
- Hip: Flexion, External rotation
- Lumbar spine: Isometric stabilization
Details
- Movement
- Stretch
- Modality
- Flexibility, Mobility
- Mechanics
- isolation
- Force
- static
- Laterality
- unilateral
- Kinetic chain
- not applicable
- Level
- beginner
- Equipment
- Chair or Flat bench or Box
- Record
- Duration
- Load
- none
Sources
- wger: Seated Piriformis Stretch, by Pete-E automation (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.