90/90 Stretch
What Is the 90/90 Stretch?
90/90 Stretch is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the glutes and the hips and groin, stretching the back of the front hip and the front and inside of the back hip at the same time. It is a beginner-level movement done seated on the floor with both knees bent to about 90 degrees, one leg in front of the body and the other out to the side.
The two legs work in opposite directions. The front hip is bent and turned out, which lengthens the gluteus maximus and the deep rotators behind the hip such as the piriformis. The back hip is turned in with the thigh out to the side, and the stretch there is felt across the front and inner hip, where the psoas and the adductors cross the joint. That combination is what sets it apart from Pigeon Pose and the Lying Figure Four Stretch, which stretch the turned-out hip only. Most people find one side, and often the back hip, noticeably tighter, so the position doubles as a quick check of how the two hips compare.
It is a common part of warm-ups and mobility sessions for lifters, runners and field and court athletes, and it is the static base of the 90/90 Hip Switch and the Shin Box Switch, which rotate the legs from one side to the other. Sitting tall with the hands on the floor spreads the stretch across both hips. Hinging the chest forward over the front shin with a long back moves more of it into the front glute, while turning the chest to face the back thigh moves it toward the back hip.
It suits beginners, desk workers and anyone looking for more hip rotation, and it needs nothing but floor space. If the hips cannot settle near the floor or the torso will not stay upright, sitting on a folded towel or yoga block and keeping the hands on the floor make the position workable, and the Lying Figure Four Stretch gives a gentler front-hip stretch lying on the back. The aim is an even, upright seat on both hips, not how low the knees or chest go.
Muscles Worked
- Adductor Longus
- Primary
- Gluteus Maximus
- Primary
- Gluteus Medius
- High
- Gluteus Minimus
- Medium
- Sartorius
- Low
- Erector Spinae
- Minimal
Instructions
- Sit on the floor and bend your right leg in front of you so the thigh points forward, the knee is bent to about 90 degrees and the outside of the leg rests on the floor with the shin crossing in front of you.
- Place your left leg out to the side so the thigh points to your left, the knee is bent to about 90 degrees and the foot points behind you, with the inside of the knee and shin on the floor.
- Put both hands flat on the floor on either side of your front thigh to support your torso.
- Sit tall with your chest lifted and your shoulders square to your front shin, letting both hips settle as close to the floor as they comfortably go.
- Hinge slightly forward from your hips while keeping your back long, until you feel a stretch in the glute of the front leg and across the front and inside of the back hip.
- Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, breathing slowly, without pressing either knee toward the floor or letting the back hip lift.
- Return to upright, bring both knees up to the center and lower them to the other side so the left leg is in front, then repeat.
Common Mistakes
Slumping or rounding forward
Letting the back round, or curling the spine to get the chest lower, moves the stretch out of the hips and loads the lower back instead.
Letting the back hip lift
Shifting the weight onto the front hip so the back hip comes off the floor takes the back hip out of internal rotation and loses half the stretch.
Forcing the knees or shins down
Pressing a knee or shin toward the floor beyond the range the hip allows twists the knee joint rather than stretching the hip.
Bouncing into the stretch
Pulsing up and down replaces a relaxed hold with momentum and makes it hard to keep the seat even on both hips.
Skipping the tighter side
Stretching only the side that feels easy leaves the stiffer hip, usually the one that needs the work most, unchanged.
Injuries
90/90 Stretch is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The knees are the main strain points: both are bent and both shins rest on the floor, so when a hip runs out of rotation the twist tends to move into the knee, which is built to rotate very little. Never press a knee or shin toward the floor to look more open, and keep the ankles relaxed in line with the shins rather than letting the feet sickle. Slumping or rounding forward to go deeper shifts the load onto the lower back, so keep the spine long.
The back hip is turned inward, a position that can provoke a pinch at the front of the hip in people with hip impingement. Skip the stretch, or try it only after a clinician has cleared it, if you have hip impingement, a hip or knee replacement, a meniscus tear or arthritic knees or hips.
To make it easier, sit on a folded towel or yoga block, open the knee angles a little wider than 90 degrees and keep both hands on the floor, or use the Lying Figure Four Stretch for the front hip alone. To progress, hinge the chest forward over the front shin with a long back, take the hands off the floor, or move on to the 90/90 Hip Switch and the Double Pigeon Pose. Stop if you feel sharp pain, pinching in either hip, pain in a knee, or numbness or tingling down the leg.
- Primary Focus
- Glutes and hips & groin
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Stretching
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the 90/90 Stretch
The 90/90 Stretch is also known as:
- Shin Box Stretch
- Deer Pose
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is the difference between the 90/90 Stretch and the 90/90 Hip Switch?
The 90/90 Stretch is a static hold in one position, then the other side. The 90/90 Hip Switch and the Shin Box Switch move the knees from one side to the other in a controlled rhythm, so they suit a dynamic warm-up, while the hold suits building range at the end of a session or in a mobility routine.
- Q: Why does one side feel much tighter than the other?
Most people have more rotation in one hip than the other, and the 90/90 position shows the difference quickly because both hips rotate at once. Do both sides every time and give the tighter side the same or a little more time rather than skipping it.
- Q: What if I can't sit upright with both hips on the floor?
That usually means the hips do not yet have the rotation the position asks for. Sit on a folded towel or yoga block, open the knee angles a little wider than 90 degrees and keep your hands on the floor, then lower the support as the position gets easier.
- Q: How long should I hold the 90/90 Stretch?
Hold each side for 30 to 60 seconds, breathing slowly, and repeat two or three times. Doing it at least two or three days a week builds range, and daily practice is fine.
- Q: Can I do the 90/90 Stretch with hip impingement?
Check with a clinician first, because the back hip is turned inward, a position that can pinch the front of an impinged hip. If you have the all-clear, keep the range small, sit on a support and stop at any pinching.
- Q: Should I sit upright or lean forward?
Start upright, since that spreads the stretch across both hips and is easier to hold well. Once that is comfortable, hinge the chest forward over the front shin with a long back to deepen the front glute stretch, or turn the chest toward the back thigh to work the back hip more.