Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
What Is the Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch?
Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the hip flexors at the front of the hips and groin and also stretches the front of the thigh. It is a beginner-level movement done in a half-kneeling position, with the back knee on the floor, the front foot flat ahead and the hips shifted gently forward to open up the front of the rear hip.
The main target is the iliopsoas, the deep hip flexor that runs from the lower spine and the inside of the pelvis to the top of the thigh bone, along with the smaller hip flexors that sit beside it. Because it is done low to the ground and needs no equipment, it is one of the most common hip flexor stretches in physical therapy clinics and gyms, and it fits easily into a cooldown after running, cycling or lower-body training, or into a short mobility break after long hours of sitting.
How you position the pelvis decides how much of a stretch you get. Squeezing the glute of the back leg and tucking the pelvis under lengthens the hip flexors before the hips move at all, while letting the lower back arch lets the pelvis tip forward and takes most of the stretch away. A 2024 trial in 26 healthy, physically active adults found that adding this pelvic tuck to the half-kneeling stretch reduced the hip flexor tension measured afterward, while simply shifting the hips forward made no measurable difference.
With the back knee bent to about 90 degrees, the rectus femoris at the front of the thigh gets a moderate stretch. Bending that knee further by resting the back foot on a bench, as in the Couch Stretch, moves much more of the stretch into the front of the thigh and makes it considerably more intense. Reaching the arm on the kneeling side overhead and leaning slightly away from it adds a stretch along the side of the trunk.
The stretch suits beginners, people who spend most of the day sitting and feel stiff at the front of the hip, and runners and field athletes who want more comfortable hip extension. Anyone who finds kneeling uncomfortable can pad the knee or do the same stretch standing in a split stance, and once the tucked position feels easy, the Low Lunge and Crescent Low Lunge take the hip further into extension.
Muscles Worked
- Tensor Fasciae Latae
- Primary
- Rectus Femoris
- High
- Sartorius
- Low
- External Oblique
- Minimal
- Gluteus Medius
- Minimal
Instructions
- Kneel on a mat or folded towel with your right knee on the floor, under or just behind your right hip, and the top of your right foot resting on the floor behind you.
- Step your left foot forward and set it flat on the floor, far enough ahead that your left knee sits above or slightly behind your ankle.
- Rest both hands on top of your left knee and lift your chest so your torso is upright.
- Squeeze your right glute and tuck your pelvis under, as if drawing your belt buckle up toward your ribs.
- Keeping that tuck, slowly shift your hips forward until you feel a stretch across the front of your right hip and upper thigh.
- Keep both hip bones facing straight ahead and your torso upright, without leaning forward or arching your lower back.
- Hold for about 30 seconds, breathing slowly and keeping the glute squeezed.
- Shift your hips back to release, then switch legs and repeat on the other side.
Common Mistakes
Arching the lower back
Letting the pelvis tip forward and the lower back arch moves the stretch out of the hip and puts pressure on the spine instead.
Relaxing the back glute
Without a firm squeeze of the glute on the kneeling side, the pelvis cannot stay tucked and the front of the hip never fully opens.
Leaning the torso forward
Folding forward over the front thigh bends the rear hip again and takes away most of the stretch.
Twisting the pelvis
Letting the hip on the kneeling side swing back or rotate open shortens the stretch, so keep both hip bones facing straight ahead.
Kneeling on a hard floor
Resting the bare knee on a hard surface presses the kneecap and often ends the stretch before the hip does.
Bouncing into the stretch
Pulsing the hips forward and back does not give the muscles time to relax and makes it harder to hold the pelvic tuck.
Injuries
Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. It is done low to the ground with no load, and you control how far the hips move forward, so problems usually come from the kneeling knee or from arching the lower back rather than from the stretch itself.
The most common complaint is pressure on the kneecap of the back leg, which a folded towel, a mat or a cushion under the knee usually solves. Letting the pelvis tip forward and the lower back arch shifts the position into the spine and can leave the lower back sore, so keep the rear glute squeezed and the pelvis tucked throughout. Set the front foot far enough ahead that the front knee stays above or behind the ankle. A pinching or deep ache at the front of the rear hip, rather than a stretch across the muscle, is a sign to ease off.
To make it easier, reduce how far the hips shift forward, hold a wall or chair for balance, or do the same stretch standing in a split stance if kneeling is painful. To make it harder, reach the arm on the kneeling side overhead, then progress to the Low Lunge, the Crescent Low Lunge or the Couch Stretch.
Stop if you feel sharp pain in the hip, groin, knee or lower back, or numbness or tingling down the front of the thigh. Do not stretch a hip flexor you have recently strained until it has settled, and anyone who has had hip replacement or other hip surgery should check which positions are allowed with their surgeon or physical therapist first.
- Primary Focus
- Hips & groin
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Stretching
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Why don't I feel the stretch in the front of my hip?
Usually the pelvis has tipped forward and the lower back is arching, which lets the hip flexors stay slack. Squeeze the glute of the kneeling leg, tuck the pelvis under and then shift forward only a little, and most people feel the stretch straight away.
- Q: Can I do this stretch before training or running?
Short holds are fine as part of a warm-up. A 2021 review of eight studies found that hip flexor stretching totaling 30 to 90 seconds per leg had no meaningful effect on jump, sprint or strength measures, while four to eight minutes per leg caused a small drop in performance, so save long holds for after training or a separate mobility session.
- Q: How long should I hold the stretch?
Hold each side for about 30 seconds and repeat it two to four times, so each hip gets roughly a minute in total. Doing this at least two or three days a week follows general guidance for static stretching, and daily practice is fine.
- Q: How is it different from the couch stretch?
The Couch Stretch rests the back foot on a bench or wall so the back knee bends much further, which moves more of the stretch into the front of the thigh and makes it more intense. The kneeling version keeps the back shin on the floor and is the easier place to start.
- Q: Why does my kneeling knee hurt?
That is pressure on the kneecap, not part of the stretch. Put a folded towel, mat or cushion under the knee, and if it still hurts, do the same stretch standing in a split stance instead.