Stretch guide · Hips

Kneeling hip flexor stretch: how to do it

A simple stretch for the front of the hip, the area that gets tight when you sit for most of the day. You need a bit of floor and something soft for your knee.

Hold 30–60 seconds each side
Intermediate
Front of hip and thigh
No equipment

How to do it

Kneel on one knee. Put your right knee on the floor and your left foot flat in front, so both knees are bent at about a right angle. Put a folded towel or cushion under the knee on the floor.
Tuck your pelvis. Gently squeeze the buttock on the kneeling side and draw your tailbone down, as if you were flattening your lower back. You may already feel the front of your right hip start to stretch.
Shift forward. Keeping your body upright, ease your hips forward a few centimetres until you feel a stretch along the front of the right hip and thigh. It doesn't need to be a big movement.
Reach up. For more length, raise both arms overhead and stand tall through your chest. Breathe slowly and hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
Switch sides. Come back to upright, swap legs, and repeat with the left knee down.

The kneeling hip flexor stretch in Stretch 3D, the first stretch in the Hips Unlock routine.

What it stretches

Your hip flexors are the muscles at the front of the hip that lift your knee towards your chest. The main ones are the iliopsoas, deep in the hip, and the rectus femoris, the part of the quadriceps that crosses the hip.

When you sit, these muscles stay in a shortened position for hours at a time, which is why the front of the hip often feels tight when you stand up after a long day at a desk or in the car. This stretch takes them the other way, into length.

Main muscles: IliopsoasRectus femoris
Where you feel it: Front of the hip and thigh, on the kneeling side

How often to do it

Once a day is plenty, and it fits well into a short routine. If you sit a lot, doing it after a long stretch at your desk or before bed works well. A few minutes most days helps more than one long session now and then.

Once a dayMost days beats now and then
30–60 sOn each side
After sittingOr as part of winding down

In the app: Hips Unlock routine, about 4 minutes, with seated pigeon and butterfly

Common mistakes

Arching your lower back

If you lean into your lower back, you'll feel it there instead of in the hip. Keep the pelvis tucked and the ribs down.

Lunging too far

Pushing a long way forward usually means the back is doing the work. A small shift with a tucked pelvis stretches the hip more.

Bouncing

Ease in and hold still. Bouncing makes the muscle tighten up rather than relax.

Holding your breath

Breathe slowly through the hold. Each out-breath is a good moment to settle a little deeper.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

Keep your hands on your front thigh instead of overhead.
Use a thicker cushion under the knee.
Hold a chair or wall for balance.

Harder

With arms overhead, lean gently away from the kneeling side.
Hold for the full 60 seconds each side.
Follow it with a seated pigeon stretch for the back of the hip.

Look after yourselfThis guide is for general fitness and flexibility, not medical advice. You should feel a stretch, never pain. If your knee hurts on the floor, use more padding or try a standing lunge instead. If you have a hip, knee or back injury, or you're pregnant, check with a health professional first.