Does the Seated Piriformis Stretch actually stretch the piriformis?

It stretches the piriformis together with the gluteus maximus and the other deep hip rotators. An ultrasound study of healthy young men found the piriformis was under more tension with the hip turned out than turned in, and the most tension with the hip turned out, bent to 110 degrees and drawn across the body. The figure-four turns the hip out and the forward fold bends it further, but the thigh stays out to the side, so treat it as a general deep buttock stretch rather than the most targeted piriformis position.

Will this stretch fix piriformis syndrome or sciatica?

Not on its own. It is often included in programs for deep buttock pain because it is gentle and easy to do, but most sciatica comes from the lower back rather than the piriformis, and a hip stretch does nothing for a disc or nerve-root problem. Pain, numbness or tingling that runs down the leg should be assessed by a clinician before stretching becomes the plan.

How long should I hold the stretch?

Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat 2 to 4 times on each side, for about a minute of total stretching per side. Older adults often find longer holds of 30 to 60 seconds more comfortable. Stretching on at least 2 or 3 days a week is the usual recommendation, and doing it daily is fine.

Can I do it at my desk?

Yes. Any sturdy chair without wheels works, as long as you can sit with both feet flat on the floor and your knees at about hip height. It is a simple way to break up long periods of sitting.

Is the seated or the lying figure four better?

Neither is better, since both stretch the same area. The Lying Figure Four Stretch lets the floor support the back, which suits people whose lower back rounds when they fold forward, while the seated version needs no floor space and is easier to get into and out of.

Seated Piriformis Stretch

What Is the Seated Piriformis Stretch?

Seated Piriformis Stretch is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the glutes, stretching the gluteus maximus and the small deep hip rotators underneath it, including the piriformis. It is a beginner-level movement done sitting on a bench or sturdy chair, with one ankle crossed over the opposite knee in a figure-four shape and the torso folding forward over the crossed shin.

The stretch is used to ease a stiff, tight feeling in the buttock and outer hip and to keep the hip comfortable turning outward, the position the crossed leg is placed in. Because it needs nothing more than a seat, it is one of the easiest hip stretches to fit into a workday after long periods of sitting, into a cooldown after squats, lunges or running, or into a mobility routine for clients who cannot comfortably get down to the floor.

Crossing the ankle over the knee turns the hip out, and folding forward from the hips bends it further, which is where the stretch builds. Sitting tall gives the gentlest version, and the closer the chest comes to the crossed shin, the stronger the pull through the back of the hip. The same figure-four shape can be done lying on the back as the Lying Figure Four Stretch, standing with a bench for support as the Standing Pigeon Stretch, or on the floor as Pigeon Pose, which takes more hip mobility. The Pretzel Stretch is a different movement, a twisting floor stretch rather than a figure-four.

The name comes from the piriformis, but the stretch is not a treatment for piriformis syndrome or sciatica. Most sciatica starts in the lower back rather than in the buttock, and pain, numbness or tingling that runs down the leg needs a clinician's assessment rather than a harder stretch. For everyone else it suits beginners, desk workers, older adults and lifters alike, and anyone who struggles to rest the ankle on the knee can start with the lying version, where the floor supports the back.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Gluteus Maximus: Primary
Gluteus Medius: High
Adductor Magnus: Low
Erector Spinae: Low
Gluteus Minimus: Low
Thoracolumbar Fascia: Minimal

Instructions

Sit on the front half of a flat bench or sturdy chair with both feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, and your knees bent to about 90 degrees.
Lift one leg and rest the outside of that ankle on the opposite thigh just above the knee, so your legs form a figure four.
Flex the foot of the crossed leg and let its knee fall out to the side as far as is comfortable.
Hold the crossed shin near the ankle with one hand and rest the other hand on the shin of the supporting leg.
Sit tall, then fold forward from the hips, bringing your chest toward the crossed shin until you feel a stretch deep in the buttock of the crossed leg.
Keep both sit bones on the seat and let your head and neck relax as you fold.
Breathe slowly and hold for 20 to 30 seconds, easing a little further forward only as the stretch fades.
Use your hands to push back up to sitting, uncross the leg, and repeat on the other side.

Common Mistakes

Folding from the spine
Curling the lower back forward instead of tipping the pelvis moves the stretch into the back and away from the buttock of the crossed leg.
Letting the crossed foot go slack
A relaxed foot lets the ankle roll and the knee twist, so keep the foot flexed with the ankle resting just past the opposite knee.
Forcing the knee down
Pushing hard on the crossed knee once the hip has reached its limit strains the knee rather than stretching the hip.
Bouncing in the fold
Bouncing in and out of the fold makes the muscles guard against the stretch, so ease into a position and hold it still.
Lifting the crossed hip
Letting the hip of the crossed leg rise off the seat or the torso lean sideways takes tension off the buttock, so keep both sit bones on the bench.

Injuries

Seated Piriformis Stretch is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The seat supports the body the whole time, and the intensity is controlled simply by how far forward you fold.

The knee of the crossed leg is the most common complaint. When the hip has turned out as far as it can, forcing the knee down or the chest forward twists the knee instead, so keep the foot of the crossed leg flexed, rest the ankle just past the supporting knee rather than the foot, and back off if the knee is what you feel rather than the buttock. The lower back can also take over when you curl the spine instead of folding from the hips, and a pinching feeling at the front of the hip in the deepest part of the fold usually means the joint has run out of room, so stop short of it.

To make it easier, sit tall without folding forward, or switch to the Lying Figure Four Stretch or the Lying Knee to Chest Stretch. To progress, move on to the Standing Pigeon Stretch or Pigeon Pose once the seated fold feels easy. Anyone who has had a hip replacement should check with their surgeon first, since crossing the legs, turning the hip out and bending it past 90 degrees can each be restricted in the months after surgery, depending on the approach used.

Stop if you feel sharp pain, pinching at the front of the hip, or numbness, tingling or pain that spreads down the leg. Buttock pain that radiates into the leg should be assessed by a clinician rather than stretched through.

Overview

Primary Focus: Glutes
Equipment: Bench
Modality: Stretching
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the Seated Piriformis Stretch actually stretch the piriformis?: It stretches the piriformis together with the gluteus maximus and the other deep hip rotators. An ultrasound study of healthy young men found the piriformis was under more tension with the hip turned out than turned in, and the most tension with the hip turned out, bent to 110 degrees and drawn across the body. The figure-four turns the hip out and the forward fold bends it further, but the thigh stays out to the side, so treat it as a general deep buttock stretch rather than the most targeted piriformis position.
Q: Will this stretch fix piriformis syndrome or sciatica?: Not on its own. It is often included in programs for deep buttock pain because it is gentle and easy to do, but most sciatica comes from the lower back rather than the piriformis, and a hip stretch does nothing for a disc or nerve-root problem. Pain, numbness or tingling that runs down the leg should be assessed by a clinician before stretching becomes the plan.
Q: How long should I hold the stretch?: Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat 2 to 4 times on each side, for about a minute of total stretching per side. Older adults often find longer holds of 30 to 60 seconds more comfortable. Stretching on at least 2 or 3 days a week is the usual recommendation, and doing it daily is fine.
Q: Can I do it at my desk?: Yes. Any sturdy chair without wheels works, as long as you can sit with both feet flat on the floor and your knees at about hip height. It is a simple way to break up long periods of sitting.
Q: Is the seated or the lying figure four better?: Neither is better, since both stretch the same area. The Lying Figure Four Stretch lets the floor support the back, which suits people whose lower back rounds when they fold forward, while the seated version needs no floor space and is easier to get into and out of.