HOW: Use a stretch strap, bath towel, or bed sheet. Wrap it around the arch of your foot, then lay down on your back in a relaxed and comfortable position. Keeping your leg completely relaxed, use your arms to pull the strap.

 

FEEL: You will feel a gentle stretch behind your thigh and/or knee.

 

COMPENSATION: Try to keep your knee straight as you pull on the strap to ensure a good stretch.

HOW: While laying on your back, bring one knee to your chest. Grab the inside of that knee and pull your knee up and out as far as it can, letting your knee slowly fall to the side. Keep your hips level on the ground.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your groin and hip region.

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t let the other side of your hips come off of the ground. Stay flat.

HOW: Lay face down with a towel or strap around your ankle. Use the strap to pull your ankle towards your butt. Make sure to keep the pelvis tilted posterior (tucking your tailbone to keep a flat low back) while performing this stretch.

 

FEEL: You will feel the stretch on the front of your thigh.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid arching your back as you perform this exercise. You can prevent this by tucking your tailbone underneath you prior to bending your knee.

HOW: Get set-up in a half-kneeling position with something under your knee for comfort. Tuck your tailbone, keep your low back flat and chest up, and shift your weight forward to get a stretch on the hip flexor. Then straighten your other knee, hinge at your hip with your chest up, and shift your weight backward to get a hamstrings stretch. Repeat.

 

FEEL: The side with the knee down is going to be the side you feel the hip flexor stretch on in front of your hip and maybe even down into the front of your thigh. The opposite leg you will feel the hamstrings stretch behind your thigh.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not arch or bend excessively at your back, move from your hips to drive the motion.

HOW:  Place one leg in front and across you. Your shin should be perpendicular to your body. Slowly sink down with your chest until you feel a pull in the back of the hip. You can rotate your body towards the leg in front of you to further the stretch.

 

FEEL:  You will feel a deep stretch in the back hip on the elevated leg.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid rotating and opening your chest away from the leg that is bent.

HOW: Start with your knees on the ground spread in a wide position. Your hands should be about shoulder width apart on the ground. Use your hands to push your hips back towards your heels and hold that stretch for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your inner thigh muscles. 

 

COMPENSATION: Make sure your knees are spread apart, not close together.

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: Grab the top of your ankle on the side you plan to stretch with the other arm that is free with the palm facing the ceiling. Try to pull your knee back as tolerated to help increase the stretch of the hip flexors. Perform a posterior pelvic tilt (decrease the arch in your low back) and then rotate your chest towards the ceiling.

 

FEEL: You will feel a stretch in the back of the hip towards the ceiling, the front of the thigh of the leg on the floor, and your mid-back.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your top leg’s knee on the ground as you attempt to open your chest.

HOW:  lay on your back facing up with one foot over the opposite leg. Use the elevated leg to help drop your knee in towards the floor. Reach with your arm towards the side that is getting stretched to maximize this stretch and avoid any compensation via rotating the entire body.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in the hip that his being pulled by the other hip. You may also feel a stretch in your low back.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep you mid back and shoulder stay on the ground during the stretch.

 

Note:  You may also feel a stretch in your low back (particularly with the first exercise). No worries, this is likely a stretch of the commonly tight Quadratus Lumborum muscle being stretched. Don’t push much through any irritation of the hip

HOW: Standing with a wall in front of you, place the balls of your feet on the wall with one foot. Keep the knee straight as you lean forward to hold the stretch for as long as prescribed, and then relax. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your ankle and even underneath your foot You should also feel your lower leg muscles working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep the knee straight, don’t bend it.

HOW: Place your foot up against the wall as high as you feel comfortable with your heel on the ground. Drive your knee towards the wall feeling a stretch in the calf and foot. Hold that stretch for as long as prescribed. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your foot and calf. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid moving your knee to each side, drive it straight forward towards the wall.