Being a fitness writer is a great gig that allows me to fill my time trying out new gear and workouts on the job, but although it's an active role, I still spend a lot of my time sitting behind a laptop screen writing. As a result, I'm not as nimble as you may think and have to keep up with my mobility to stave off tight hips and muscles.
While I make time for full routines like a 15-minute yoga flow, I more often than not only manage to do the odd stretch first thing in the morning or during short screen breaks during the work day.
My most recent stretching muse is the figure-four stretch, which is designed to unlock tight glutes, hips and lower backs. A triple whammy for a desk-slumping worker like me. The stretch specifically targets the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and the smaller hip rotator muscles that often get tight from sitting.
I've used the four-figure stretch in the past as a cool-down exercise after runs and at the winding-down section of a yoga session, but isolating the exercise to just work on this move and this move only made me appreciate just how beneficial the move can be.
How to do it
One of my favorite online trainers, Heather Robertson, reminded me of this move when I came across her demonstration on Instagram. If you want to see it in action, check out Robertson performing the stretch below, and right underneath, you will find step-by-step instructions on how to try it yourself.
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
- Bend your right knee and cross your right ankle over your left thigh, just above the knee, forming a “figure four” shape.
- Keep your right foot flexed to protect your knee.
- Gently hinge forward from your hips, keeping your back straight, until you feel a stretch in your right glute and outer hip.
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, breathing deeply, then switch sides.
You can also try this stretch standing up, but make sure you have something sturdy to hold onto for support until you feel balanced.
I added the Figure-4 stretch to my routine — here’s what happened
As I mentioned above, I spend my weekdays sitting at a desk for nine hours, but outside of this, I run four times a week and spend most weekends hill walking. Safe to say, I need to work on my lower-body mobility to keep everything pain-free and ready for my weekly activity.
In efforts to do a little something about this, I added the figure-four stretch to my morning routine every day for a month, spending about five minutes each session, and here's what happened.
I realized my glutes were much tighter than I thought
Although the gluteus maximus is the biggest and heaviest muscle in the body, I rarely give my glutes much thought, even though they quietly do a lot for me every day.
As a runner, my glutes are a huge source of power and stability, keeping my hips steady with every stride. The same applies if you play any sport, because strong glutes provide power, stability, and control for virtually all lower-body movements.
They help drive running, jumping, and changing direction, support the hips and pelvis during dynamic movements, and reduce strain on the knees and lower back, which lowers your risk of injury.
Getting into the figure-four stretch was a friendly but sharp reminder that my glutes deserve some attention. A few minutes on the mat in this position felt a little tight at first, but left me with a welcome sense of release. If you, too, have been overlooking your glutes, try this stretch for a week and see if you notice any difference.
It's a good little hip mobility booster
The figure-four stretch targets external rotation of the hip, which tends to get tight after long hours of sitting. Taking a few minutes to loosen this area can ease that stiff, “stuck” feeling, make everyday movements feel more comfortable, and help you move with better form during exercise.
Hip mobility is also closely tied to healthy aging. When the hips stay flexible and strong, it is easier to balance, walk, squat, and bend without strain. Losing that mobility over time can make simple activities and jobs more difficult and increase the risk of injury.
If you're new to working on your hips, the figure-four stretch is a great place to start. Once it feels comfortable, you can build on it by adding deeper openers like the pigeon pose or combining it with lunges and other mobility moves to create a more complete routine.
It helps even out imbalances
Most of us have one side that feels tighter or stronger than the other, whether that comes from sitting in the same position at a desk, favoring one leg in sports, or just the way the mechanics of your body are.
The figure-four stretch works one side at a time, so you get the chance to compare how each side feels. If one side of your lower body feels tighter, you can spend a little extra time there to gently encourage balance between both sides. Over time, this back-and-forth approach can help bring your body into better alignment.
For runners and gym-goers, that can mean better form and less risk of overuse injuries. For anyone more sedentary, it can ease the stiffness that builds up when one hip or glute takes more of the load. It can also make getting into more of an exercise routine feel easier if tightness around your hips and glutes has been holding you back.
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