HOW: In a standing position, bring your feet in at about shoulder width apart.  Keeping your knees straight, bend forward at the hips and attempt to touch your toes or the ground in front of your toes. Go as far as you can comfortably stretch with no pain. Hold that for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. 

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t bend your knees, keep them straight.

HOW: Get set up laying flat on your back. On the side you plan to mobilize – hug that knee towards your chest and support that thigh with your hands wrapped behind your knee. To perform the exercise, kick your knee straight while simultaneously pointing your foot and toes down, reverse the motion at your knee and foot, and repeat. View video for more tips and modifications

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch/pulling sensation in the back of the leg you’re moving. You may feel this from your low back all the way down into your foot. 

 

COMPENSATION: Try to keep the rest of your body still and your knee in the same position that you start in. View video for other tips and details.

HOW: While laying face up on the floor cross one leg over and across the other. The closer you bring your foot to your butt on the leg that is on the floor the further you will stretch your opposite hip. If this is not enough of a stretch, you can thread the needle by elevating your leg that was on the floor and hugging your shin bone in towards your chest. If the crossed leg is slipping you can hold onto it with your opposite hand.

 

FEEL: You will feel a deep stretch in the back hip on the leg that is crossing. The closer you hug your legs in the stronger the stretch. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your arms slightly out from your side to achieve the 30 degrees of abduction, don’t have them right at your side.

HOW: Get set-up seated and assume a slump position by letting your upper body round and slump forward. While maintaining this position, kick your leg straight and point your foot down as you simultaneously look up with your head and neck. Reverse the motion back to starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL: You may feel a stretch and a pull from your low back all the way to your foot on the side you’re kicking, if you get significant numbness and tingling or pins and needles or you already have these symptoms and they get exacerbated, back off and don’t kick as far.

 

COMPENSATION: Maintain the slump position, keep both leg and head movements happening at the same time, don’t move too fast. Do not point your foot up, that is a different nerve exercise.

HOW: Start on your hands and knees. Your arms directly below your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Find your neutral spine by slightly arching your back and then reverse that arch to create a dip in your back.  Once you’re back to neutral, push into the ground with your hands and lift your hips back and up while straightening out your knees. Try to touch your heels to the ground making your feet are flat on the ground. Your arms will be straight as well as your back. In this position, let one knee bend and shift your weight to the other side. Try to put your heel on the ground and hold that stretch.  Alternate to the other side after the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your low back and hips.  You should also feel a stretch in your calves. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your arms straight and back flat as you go into the downward dog. Keep your knee straight as you stretch your calf.