seated piriformis stretch
The piriformis is a muscle deep underneath the glute muscles in your hip. It runs from the sacrum out to the hip bone and is often tight. For people who sit a lot or have any hips issues, the piriformis commonly acts up and can even put pressure on the sciatic nerve. So it’s important to maintain good flexibility in the hip region.
- DIFFICULTY
- Easy
- Moderate
- Challenging
Which Muscles Are Worked?
How to do seated piriformis stretch Properly
Step by Step Guide
Begin sitting in a chair and scoot to the front of the chair. Have one foot planted on the ground and cross the other leg over top.
Use your hands to grab the shin and thigh of that top leg and gentle pull it in toward the opposite shoulder and chest region. Pull until you feel a deep stretch in your hip.
Hold for about 30-seconds.
Repeat for the desired repetitions on that leg. Repeat on the other leg.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is pulling the knee straight in toward the chest. That will only put a slight stretch on the lower back and hip. But to isolate that piriformis, some rotation must be added to the hip which is why you want to pull toward the opposite shoulder on a diagonal more.
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