How is this different from the Side Lunge Stretch or the Frog Pose?

The Side Lunge Stretch stretches the same straight leg from a standing squat, so the bent leg has to hold you up, while this version rests on a knee and both hands. The Frog Pose bends both knees and opens both hips at once, so it works the shorter adductors more and leaves the gracilis slack.

Where should I feel the stretch?

Along the inner thigh of the straight leg, from the groin toward the knee. If you feel it mainly behind the knee or in the inner knee joint, shorten the stance or soften the knee slightly until the pull moves back into the thigh.

Should the toes of the straight leg point forward or up?

Point them forward with the inside edge or sole of the foot on the floor, as shown. Resting on the heel with the toes up is a common alternative if it is kinder to the knee, as long as the kneecap points the same way as the toes.

How long should I hold it?

Hold for 10 to 30 seconds and repeat 2 to 4 times on each side, aiming for about 60 seconds of total stretching per leg, on at least 2 to 3 days a week. Older adults often do better with longer holds of 30 to 60 seconds.

Can I do it before training?

Yes, but keep the holds short or turn it into a dynamic warm-up by slowly rocking the hips back toward the kneeling heel and forward again for several reps. Longer static holds fit best after training or in a separate mobility session.

Should I stretch a groin strain?

Not while it is fresh or sore. Aggressive stretching can aggravate a new adductor strain or an irritated adductor tendon, so wait until a clinician clears it, then stretch gently and pain free alongside the strengthening work, such as the Copenhagen Plank, that groin rehab is built on.

Kneeling Adductor Stretch

What Is the Kneeling Adductor Stretch?

Kneeling Adductor Stretch is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the hips and groin, lengthening the adductor muscles along the inner thigh of the straight leg. It is a beginner-level movement done on the floor with one knee down, the other leg extended straight out to the side and both hands on the floor in front for support.

The stretch comes from moving the straight leg away from the body's midline while the pelvis stays square. The adductor longus and adductor magnus do most of the lengthening, and because the knee stays straight, the gracilis, the one adductor that also crosses the knee, is pulled taut as well. Sitting the hips back toward the kneeling heel bends the hip of the straight leg further, and an ultrasound study of 16 healthy men found that the back part of the adductor magnus was stretched only when the leg was spread with the hip bent at least 30 degrees, and most at 90 degrees, while the adductor longus stretched about equally at every hip angle tested.

The kneeling base makes the stretch easy to control. The hands and the kneeling leg carry most of the body weight, so the depth can be set in small steps without having to balance, which is harder to do in a standing Side Lunge Stretch. Only one leg is stretched at a time, so it is also a useful way to find and work on a side that feels tighter than the other, unlike the Frog Pose or the Butterfly Stretch, which open both hips together.

The stretch suits anyone whose sport or training asks for wide stances, side steps or quick changes of direction, such as soccer, ice hockey, martial arts and lateral lunging, as well as lifters who want more room to squat with a wider stance. It needs only a mat and a pad under the knee. Anyone who finds kneeling uncomfortable, or who cannot yet straighten the leg out to the side without strain, can start with the Lying Adductor Stretch or the Butterfly Stretch.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Adductor Longus: Primary
Adductor Magnus: Primary
Semimembranosus: Low
Semitendinosus: Low
Deltoid: Minimal
Erector Spinae: Minimal
Gluteus Medius: Minimal
Rectus Abdominis: Minimal

Instructions

Kneel on a mat on all fours with a pad under your knees.
Extend one leg straight out to the side, roughly in line with the kneeling knee, with the knee straight, the toes pointing forward and the inside edge of the foot on the floor.
Keep the kneeling thigh upright with the hip over the knee and the foot resting behind it.
Place your hands flat on the floor in front of the kneeling knee, about shoulder-width apart, with your arms straight.
Lean your chest forward over your hands with a flat back and your eyes on the floor.
Slowly ease your hips back toward the kneeling heel, or slide the straight foot a little wider, until you feel a gentle stretch along the inner thigh of the straight leg.
Hold for 10 to 30 seconds while breathing slowly, keeping your back flat and the kneecap of the straight leg facing forward.
Bring your hips back over the kneeling knee, draw the straight leg in and repeat on the other side.

Common Mistakes

Rounding the lower back
Letting the back round to get lower tilts the pelvis, where the adductors attach, and takes the stretch out of the inner thigh.
Forcing the leg wider
Sliding the straight foot out until the groin grips or trembles turns a stretch into a strain risk and stresses the inner knee.
Rolling the straight leg
Letting the kneecap and toes of the straight leg turn in different directions twists the knee and changes the line of the stretch.
Bouncing into the stretch
Pulsing the hips up and down uses momentum instead of a controlled hold and makes the adductors resist the stretch.
Kneeling on a hard floor
Skipping a pad under the kneeling knee makes the knee the limiting point long before the inner thigh is stretched.
Holding the breath
Bracing and holding the breath keeps the muscles tense, while slow breathing lets the inner thigh relax deeper into the hold.

Injuries

Kneeling Adductor Stretch is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The kneeling knee carries part of your weight, so put a folded mat, pillow or towel under it. The other common strain points are the inner knee of the straight leg, which takes stress if you push the foot out too far or let the leg roll, and the groin itself when the stretch is forced or bounced. Keep the kneecap and toes of the straight leg pointing the same way and stop well short of the point where the inner thigh grips or trembles.

Keep your back flat and your weight shared between your hands and the kneeling knee. Rounding the lower back to get lower shifts the strain away from the inner thigh, and leaning too far onto the hands can load the wrists, so make fists or rest on your forearms if your wrists complain. If the inner knee of the straight leg aches, shorten the stance or soften that knee slightly.

To make it easier, try the Lying Adductor Stretch, the Butterfly Stretch or the standing Side Lunge Stretch, which keep weight off the knee. To progress, move on to the Frog Pose, the Seated Wide-Leg Forward Fold or the Cossack Squat. Stop if you feel sharp pain, pinching in the front of the hip, or numbness or tingling, and avoid stretching a fresh groin strain or a painful adductor tendon until a clinician clears it.

Overview

Primary Focus: Hips & groin
Equipment: Body weight
Modality: Stretching
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is this different from the Side Lunge Stretch or the Frog Pose?: The Side Lunge Stretch stretches the same straight leg from a standing squat, so the bent leg has to hold you up, while this version rests on a knee and both hands. The Frog Pose bends both knees and opens both hips at once, so it works the shorter adductors more and leaves the gracilis slack.
Q: Where should I feel the stretch?: Along the inner thigh of the straight leg, from the groin toward the knee. If you feel it mainly behind the knee or in the inner knee joint, shorten the stance or soften the knee slightly until the pull moves back into the thigh.
Q: Should the toes of the straight leg point forward or up?: Point them forward with the inside edge or sole of the foot on the floor, as shown. Resting on the heel with the toes up is a common alternative if it is kinder to the knee, as long as the kneecap points the same way as the toes.
Q: How long should I hold it?: Hold for 10 to 30 seconds and repeat 2 to 4 times on each side, aiming for about 60 seconds of total stretching per leg, on at least 2 to 3 days a week. Older adults often do better with longer holds of 30 to 60 seconds.
Q: Can I do it before training?: Yes, but keep the holds short or turn it into a dynamic warm-up by slowly rocking the hips back toward the kneeling heel and forward again for several reps. Longer static holds fit best after training or in a separate mobility session.
Q: Should I stretch a groin strain?: Not while it is fresh or sore. Aggressive stretching can aggravate a new adductor strain or an irritated adductor tendon, so wait until a clinician clears it, then stretch gently and pain free alongside the strengthening work, such as the Copenhagen Plank, that groin rehab is built on.