Supine Figure-Four Stretch

oec:supine-figure-four-stretch

A supine mobility stretch targeting the deep hip rotators and glutes by pulling one flexed leg toward the chest with the opposite ankle crossed over the knee.

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: Lying Figure Four Stretch, Lying Figure-4 Stretch, Supine Piriformis Stretch, Reclined Pigeon Pose

How to do it

Setup

Lie flat on your back on a mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip-width apart.
Cross your right ankle over your left knee, allowing your right knee to point outward into a figure-four position.

Movement

Reach through the opening between your legs with your right arm and around the outside of your left leg with your left arm.
Interlace your fingers behind your left hamstring or over your left shin.
Gently draw your left knee toward your chest until you feel a moderate stretch in your right outer hip and glute.
Hold the position statically, maintaining relaxation throughout your upper body.
Slowly lower your left foot back to the floor and repeat on the opposite side.

Breathing

Breathe slowly and deeply into your abdomen, exhaling to encourage the hip muscles to relax deeper into the stretch.

Cues

Flex the crossed foot to protect your knee.
Keep your head and shoulders flat on the floor.
Sink your tailbone down rather than letting it curl excessively off the mat.

Common faults

Lifting the neck and shoulders off the floor to reach the thigh.: Use a strap or towel looped behind the supporting thigh so your head and upper back can rest flat on the mat.
Allowing the crossed ankle to invert or sickle passively.: Actively dorsiflex the ankle of the crossed leg to maintain alignment and stabilize the knee.

Safety

Avoid pulling aggressively if you feel sharp pain or torque inside the knee joint; ease off hip flexion until only a muscle stretch is felt.

Muscles

Piriformis stretched
Gluteus maximus stretched
Gluteus medius stretched

Joints

Hip: Flexion, External rotation, Abduction
Knee: Flexion

Details

Movement: Stretch
Modality: Flexibility, Mobility
Mechanics: isolation
Force: static
Laterality: unilateral
Kinetic chain: open
Level: beginner
Equipment: None
Record: Duration
Load: none, not applicable

Sources

wger: Lying Figure Four Stretch, by Davidgj32 (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

supine-figure-four-stretch.json