8 Hip Flexor Stretches Using Active Flexibility
8 Hip Flexor Stretches Using Active Flexibility
90% of the time I work with students who are trying to get their splits, it’s pesky hip flexors that are holding them back from closing those last couple of inches.
(pssst - if that’s you, I do have a whole recorded workshop on exercises to get your flat splits!)
Whether you’re looking for splittier legs on the floor or in the air, or just looking for a good variety of hip flexor stretches that aren’t “just do some lunges,” here are some of my faves that all have an active component - meaning you’re strengthening your muscles to support that lengthened hip flexor position.
1. Lying-Down Hip Flexor Stretch with Heel Reach
Active Muscles: Glutes & Quads
How To:
Start lying down on your back, with a yoga block, foam roller, or rolled up towel under your hips to give them a little lift
Extend one leg out nice and long, hug the other knee towards your chest. You should start to feel a bit of a stretch across the hip crease of that extended leg
Continue to hug that bent knee ALL the way into your chest - so much so that the bottom leg starts to levitate away from the floor
“Super straighten” that bottom leg by trying to reach your toes as far away as you can, as if you were trying to stretch your leg an inch or two longer just by reaching so actively through your toes
Once that leg is totally straight, then you can try and reach that heel back towards the floor (it may not actually move at all, but you should feel that glute squeezing!). Reminders: don’t let that bottom leg bend, and keep the top knee hugged all the way against your chest. Hold your active stretch for a slow count of 10
Switch legs and repeat!
Make it easier: Lose the yoga block, start with your butt on the floor. If you have tight hip flexors, you won’t need to elevate your hips to feel the stretch.
Make it harder: Lift your hips up even higher. Stack two blocks, or use a body wheel / yoga wheel.
2. Lying-Down Hip Flexor Stretch with Resistance
Active Muscles: Hip Flexors & Quads
How To:
Set up for your lying-down hip flexor stretch like you just did above (either with your hips on a block, or with your butt on the floor)
Hug one knee towards your chest, and sneak your extended leg’s foot under a unmoveable object, like under your couch. Having a partner hold down the top of your foot also works great. You want an object that is 6 inches or lower towards the floor - if you’re using something with higher clearance, like under your bed, smoosh a pillow or folded towel between the top of your foot and the furniture so your foot doesn’t have to lift so high off the ground before it hits resistance
Start to resist the stretch by pressing your free foot up into your furniture/partner, actively pushing up, trying to lift that straight leg, for a slow count of 10. Then relax for 20 seconds
Repeat pressing your foot up for 10 seconds, and relaxing for 20 seconds 2 more times, for a total of 3 rounds, then switch legs
Make it easier: Don’t use a yoga block, and start with your butt on the floor
3. Yoga Bridge (Glute Bridge)
Active Muscles: Glutes
How To:
Start lying on your back, with feet flat on the floor by your butt, knees bent up towards the ceiling
Slightly tuck your tailbone up towards the ceiling to flatten out your low back
Push your hips up towards the ceiling (keeping that tailbone tucked). You should feel a light to moderate stretch across your hip flexors as you squeeze your glutes to press your hips up. If you don’t feel a stretch, think about tucking that tailbone even more.
Slowly lower hips/butt back to the ground, then repeat for a total of 10 reps
4. Lunge with Knee/Heel Squeeze
Active Muscles: Hip Flexors & Hamstrings
How To:
Step out into a low lunge with your front knee stacked on top of your front ankle, and back knee resting on the ground
You can place your hands on yoga blocks or your thigh for support
Keep your torso lifted (avoid leaning forwards). Think about pulling your belly away from your front thigh, or stacking your shoulders on top of your hips
Add some activation: squeeze your front heel and back knee towards each other (you won’t actually move, but the goal is to engage your front-leg hamstrings by trying to slide that heel back, and your back-leg hip flexors by trying to slide that knee forwards). Hold that squeeze/tension for 10 seconds
Then relax, see if your lunge feels more comfortable now that your muscles aren’t actively resisting the stretch!
5. Low Lunge Hip Circles
Active Muscles: Glutes & Quads
How To:
Start in your low lunge (see above)
Lean forwards and place one hand on either side of your front foot (if your hands don’t reach the floor, you can put them on blocks)
Tuck your back toes and straighten your back leg, lifting your back knee away from the floor
Trying to keep your back leg straight, do 5 vertical hip/booty circles in one direction (almost as if you are hula hooping around your waist)
Do 5 booty circles in the other direction
6. Low Lunge Knee Taps
Active Muscles: Glutes & Quads
How To:
Start in your low lunge (see #4 above), then lean forwards and place your hands on either side of your front foot, either on the floor or on blocks if your hands can’t reach the floor
Tuck your back toes and straighten your back leg, lifting your back knee away from the floor, coming into a low standing lunge (still leaning forwards)
Trying to keep your hips in the same spot (don’t let them rise up or drop down), slowly bend your back knee and lower it to tap the floor. The goal is to just barely tap the floor with your knee, not settle your weight. Then straighten the back leg back to your low standing lunge. That’s 1 rep
Repeat for 6-12 knee taps on one leg, then switch legs
Make it harder: The higher you lift your torso, the more weight you’ll be sinking into your hips for your legs to resist. If you lift your torso all the way up with your hands on your thigh for support (or hands on your hips), that back leg will have to work extra hard!
7. Lunge Knee Straightens
Active Muscles: Glutes & Quads
How To:
Start in your low lunge (see #4 above), but add a yoga block (on the shortest/flattest setting) or a foam roller under the top of your back foot
Keeping your chest lifted (avoid leaning forwards), press the top of your foot into the block as you straighten your leg. Then drop your back knee back to the ground back to your low lunge. That’s one rep. Do 6-12 knee straightens on one leg, then switch legs
8. Split Knee Straightens (Advanced)
Active Muscles: Glutes & Quads
Only recommended if your split is 4 inches or closer to the ground. If your split isn’t that low yet, stick to the lunge version above.
How To:
Start in a (square!) split, and add a yoga block or a foam roller under the top of your back foot
Keeping your torso lifted (leaning forwards = cheating, try and keep your shoulders stacked over your hips) straighten your back leg by pressing the top of your foot into the block and engaging your quad. Then relax letting your knee come back to the floor.
Repeat for 6-12 knee straightens on one leg, then move to the other leg
Make it harder: Work your oversplits! You can add a second block on top of the first block under your back foot (meaning you have to lift that knee even higher as you straighten the leg), or you can add a block under your front foot (or calf) so your front leg is in an oversplit as well.
