Supported Standing Figure Four Stretch
What Is the Supported Standing Figure Four Stretch?
Supported Standing Figure Four Stretch is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the glutes and also stretches the deep hip rotators, including the piriformis. It is a beginner-level movement done standing beside a bench, with one hand on the backrest for balance and the ankle of the other leg crossed over the standing thigh just above the knee.
The crossed leg forms a figure four: the hip is bent, the knee is turned out, and the thigh rolls outward. That shape lengthens the gluteus maximus, the back fibers of the gluteus medius and minimus, and the small rotators underneath them, which is where the stretch is felt, on the back and outer side of the buttock. Bending the standing knee to lower the hips increases the bend in the crossed hip and makes the stretch stronger, and a slight forward lean from the hips adds a little more.
The bench is what sets this version apart. With a hand on the backrest, balance is taken care of, so the standing leg only has to hold a shallow squat and your attention stays on the stretch. The Standing Figure Four Pose uses the same leg shape with no support, which turns it into a single-leg balance challenge, while the Standing Pigeon Stretch rests the ankle on the bench seat instead of your own thigh and deepens through a forward hinge. A sturdy chair back, rail or countertop works in place of the bench.
It fits into a warm-up after some light movement, a cool-down, or a short break from long periods of sitting, and it needs no floor space. It suits beginners, older adults and anyone who finds getting down to the floor difficult. If crossing the ankle over the thigh while standing is too much, the Seated Piriformis Stretch and Lying Figure Four Stretch open the same hip with the body fully supported.
Muscles Worked
- Gluteus Maximus
- Primary
- Gluteus Medius
- High
- Gluteus Minimus
- Medium
- Soleus
- Minimal
- Tensor Fasciae Latae
- Minimal
Instructions
- Raise the backrest of an adjustable bench and stand beside it, with the bench on your left.
- Place your left hand on top of the backrest and let your right arm hang relaxed at your side.
- Shift your weight onto your left foot and bend that knee slightly.
- Lift your right leg, turn the knee out to the side, and rest the outside of your right ankle across your left thigh just above the knee.
- Draw the toes of your right foot back toward the shin so the ankle stays firm on the thigh.
- Keeping your chest up, bend your left knee and sit your hips back until you feel a stretch in the right glute and outer hip.
- Keep your hips level and your left knee tracking over the middle of your left foot.
- Hold for about 30 seconds while breathing slowly, sitting a little lower as the stretch eases.
- Press through your left foot to stand, lower your right leg, then turn around and repeat on the other side.
Common Mistakes
Forcing the crossed knee down
Pressing the lifted knee toward the floor with the free hand forces rotation the hip does not have and moves the strain into the knee.
Slack lifted foot
Letting the crossed ankle go limp allows it to roll over the thigh, which puts sideways stress on that ankle and knee.
Rounding the back
Curling the spine to get lower takes the stretch out of the crossed hip and puts it into the lower back instead of hinging from the hips.
Standing knee caving in
Letting the standing knee drift inward past the foot loads the inside of the knee and usually means you are sitting deeper than that leg can control.
Leaning onto the bench
Tipping your weight onto the backrest pushes the hips sideways and out of level, so the crossed hip loses its stretch.
Bouncing into the stretch
Pulsing up and down for extra depth makes the muscles resist and adds strain at the crossed knee, while a still hold lets the hip relax into range.
Injuries
Supported Standing Figure Four Stretch is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. There is no external load, the bench takes care of balance, and you choose how deep to go. The places that can complain are the two knees: the crossed knee twists when the hip lacks the outward rotation the position asks for, and the standing knee can ache if you sit deeper than it comfortably holds.
Keep the crossed foot flexed so the ankle does not roll over the thigh, and let the crossed knee settle only as far as the hip allows instead of pushing it down with your free hand. Keep the standing knee tracking over the middle of the foot. Check that the bench is stable and the backrest is locked in place before resting your hand on it, and keep that hand in contact throughout so a wobble never turns into a fall.
To make it easier, bend the standing knee less, or switch to the Seated Piriformis Stretch or Lying Figure Four Stretch. To progress, sit lower, hinge the chest forward from the hips with a long spine, or let go of the bench and move to the Standing Figure Four Pose.
Stop if you feel sharp pain in either knee, a pinching pain deep in the front of the hip, or tingling, numbness or pain that travels down the leg. Anyone recovering from a hip replacement or other hip surgery should follow their surgeon's movement precautions before crossing the leg into this position.
- Primary Focus
- Glutes
- Equipment
- Bench
- Modality
- Stretching
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Does the Supported Standing Figure Four Stretch stretch the IT band?
Not in any meaningful way. The IT band is a thick band of connective tissue, and a study combining cadaver dissection with testing in live subjects found it firmly attached to the thigh bone along its length and measured it lengthening by less than half a percent, leading the authors to recommend aiming stretches at the muscle that pulls on it, the tensor fasciae latae. This stretch works a different area, the glutes and deep rotators at the back of the hip.
- Q: How long should I hold the stretch?
For most adults, ACSM guidance is to hold a stretch for 10 to 30 seconds and repeat it 2 to 4 times per side, for about 60 seconds in total. Older adults tend to benefit from longer holds of 30 to 60 seconds.
- Q: How is it different from the Standing Figure Four Pose?
The leg position is the same, but the hand on the bench removes most of the balance demand, so the standing leg works less and you can relax into a longer hold. Once it feels steady, letting go of the bench turns it into the Standing Figure Four Pose.
- Q: Can I do it without a bench?
Yes. Any stable support at about waist height works, such as the back of a sturdy chair, a countertop, a railing or a wall, as long as it will not slide or tip when you lean a hand on it.
- Q: Why do I feel it in my knee instead of my hip?
The hip may not rotate outward far enough yet, so the knee twists to make up the difference. Stand a little taller, keep the crossed foot flexed and never press the knee down, and if the knee still hurts at any depth, stop and have it checked.
- Q: Can the Supported Standing Figure Four Stretch help sciatica?
It can ease tightness through the buttock, but it does not treat sciatica on its own. Pain that travels below the knee, numbness, tingling or weakness should be assessed by a clinician, and stop the stretch if it brings those symptoms on.