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Ankle-on-the-Knee Stretch

beginner · stretch

Ankle-on-the-Knee Stretch

Setup

Lie on your back on a mat with both knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Execution

  1. Cross your right ankle over your left knee, making a figure-4 shape.
  2. Reach both hands through the gap between your legs or around the back of your left thigh.
  3. Pull your left thigh toward your chest, keeping your neck and shoulders relaxed as you pull.
  4. Hold for 20-30 seconds, feeling the stretch in the right glute and hip.
  5. Release gently, switch legs and repeat on the other side.

Breathing

Breathe slowly and evenly while holding; use each exhale to draw the leg a little closer to your chest.

Quick cues

  • Pull with the arms, not the neck.
  • Shoulders and neck stay relaxed.
  • Hold 20-30 seconds each side.
  • Stretch to tight, not to pain.

Common faults

  • Fault: Pulling the neck toward the knee, straining the neck and shoulders

    Fix: Thread the hands through the leg gap to pull, and keep the head and neck resting on the floor.

  • Fault: The opposite hip lifting and twisting off the floor

    Fix: Press both hips evenly into the floor before pulling the leg toward the chest.

  • Fault: Only holding a few seconds and letting go because it feels uncomfortable

    Fix: Ease off the pull slightly and hold the full duration at a stretch you can tolerate.

Equipment

bodyweight, mat

Muscle groups

glutes