Lying Figure Four Stretch
What Is the Lying Figure Four Stretch?
Lying Figure Four Stretch is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the glutes and also stretches the deep hip rotators beneath them, including the piriformis. It is a beginner-level movement done on your back: one ankle crosses over the opposite thigh and that thigh is drawn toward the chest, which bends the crossed hip and turns it outward. You may also know it as the supine figure four, the reclined pigeon or the lying glute stretch.
It is one of the most accessible ways to stretch the back and outside of the hip. Lying down takes balance out of the picture and lets the floor support the head and lower back, so the stretch can be held relaxed while your arms set the depth. Trainers commonly place it in a cooldown after lower-body training or running, in a mobility block, or in a short daily routine for clients who feel stiff through the hips and buttocks after long periods of sitting.
The stretch lands mainly in the gluteus maximus and the small rotators under it, with some pull on the back of the gluteus medius. Drawing the bottom thigh closer to the chest bends the crossed hip further and deepens the stretch, while leaving the bottom foot on the floor or on a wall makes it gentler. The same leg shape appears in the Seated Piriformis Stretch and the Standing Figure Four Pose, and Pigeon Pose takes it to the floor with body weight driving the stretch, which asks more of the hips and knees.
It suits almost anyone, from new clients to runners and lifters, and is a sensible step before pigeon pose for clients whose hips or knees do not yet tolerate that position. If the bottom thigh is out of reach, keep that foot on the floor or loop a towel behind the thigh. Clients who cannot cross the ankle comfortably can start with the Lying Knee to Chest Stretch and build toward this one.
Muscles Worked
- Gluteus Maximus
- Primary
- Gluteus Medius
- High
- Gluteus Minimus
- Medium
- Brachialis
- Minimal
- Erector Spinae
- Minimal
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Minimal
Instructions
- Lie on your back on a mat with your knees bent, both feet flat on the floor and your head resting on the floor.
- Cross your right ankle over your left thigh just below the knee and let your right knee open out to the side.
- Flex your right foot, drawing the toes back toward the shin, to keep the ankle and knee steady.
- Lift your left foot off the floor and bring your left thigh toward your chest, with the left shin roughly parallel to the floor.
- Thread your right hand through the gap between your legs, bring your left hand around the outside of your left leg and clasp both hands behind your left thigh.
- Keep your head, shoulders and tailbone resting on the floor.
- Gently pull your left thigh toward your chest until you feel a stretch deep in the right buttock and outer hip.
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds while breathing slowly, easing a little deeper as the stretch releases.
- Release your hands, lower your left foot to the floor, uncross your legs and repeat on the other side.
Common Mistakes
Lifting the head and shoulders
Curling the upper body up to reach the thigh keeps the neck working and pulls attention away from the hip, so use a towel if the thigh is out of reach.
Letting the crossed foot go limp
A relaxed ankle lets the foot slide off the thigh and the knee twist, so keep the crossed foot flexed.
Tailbone curling off the floor
Pulling the thigh in too far rolls the pelvis up and shifts the stretch into the lower back instead of the buttock.
Forcing the stretch
Yanking the thigh in or pressing hard on the crossed knee moves stress into the knee rather than lengthening the hip.
Rolling toward one side
Letting the pelvis roll toward the crossed leg unloads the stretch, so keep both sides of the pelvis level on the floor.
Injuries
Lying Figure Four Stretch is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The floor supports your spine and head, and your arms control how deep you go, so the stretch is easy to scale. The main strain points are the knee of the crossed leg, which can take a twisting load when the hip lacks outward rotation, the lower back if the tailbone curls off the floor as the thigh is pulled in, and the neck if the head lifts to reach the leg.
Keep the crossed foot flexed, rest the ankle rather than the shin on the thigh just below the knee, and pull only until you feel the buttock, not the knee. If the knee still complains, leave the bottom foot on the floor or on a wall, or loop a towel behind the thigh so your head and shoulders can stay down. To progress, pull the thigh closer, hold a little longer or move on to Pigeon Pose.
Stop if you feel sharp pain in the knee, a pinch in the front of the hip, or pain, numbness or tingling running down the leg. Anyone recovering from hip replacement surgery should check with their surgeon first, because crossing the legs and bending the hip past 90 degrees are common restrictions in the early weeks after some approaches.
- Primary Focus
- Glutes
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Stretching
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Lying Figure Four Stretch
The Lying Figure Four Stretch is also known as:
- Reclined Pigeon Pose
- Eye of the Needle Pose
- Sucirandhrasana
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Does the Lying Figure Four Stretch really stretch the piriformis?
Yes, along with the gluteus maximus and the other deep hip rotators. A shear wave elastography study in 21 healthy young men found the piriformis was more stretched with the hip turned outward than inward, and most stretched with the hip bent to 110 degrees, fully turned outward and drawn 40 degrees across the body. The figure four supplies the hip bend and outward rotation, though its open knee means it is not the most intense position that study tested.
- Q: Should I hold behind the thigh or around the shin?
Clasping behind the thigh is the standard grip and keeps the pull off the bottom knee. Holding the front of the shin gives more leverage and is fine for healthy knees, but go back to the thigh if the knee feels squeezed.
- Q: How long should I hold the stretch?
Hold each side for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat 2 to 3 times, building up to about 60 seconds of total stretching per side. Older adults often do better with longer holds of 30 to 60 seconds.
- Q: Is the Lying Figure Four Stretch good for sciatica?
It is often included in programs for buttock pain and sciatica-type symptoms because it stretches the piriformis, which sits right next to the sciatic nerve. Not all sciatica starts in the hip, though, so if the stretch sends pain, numbness or tingling down the leg, stop and have it assessed.
- Q: How is it different from Pigeon Pose?
Both bend the front hip and turn it outward, but in Pigeon Pose your body weight drives the stretch, while here you lie on your back and your arms set the depth. That makes the figure four easier to control and kinder to tight hips and sensitive knees.
- Q: Can I do it every day?
Yes. It is a gentle static stretch, so doing it daily, for example after long periods of sitting or before bed, is fine as long as it stays comfortable.