Kneeling Lunge with Side Bend

Flexopedia > Hip Flexors, Back

Kneeling Lunge with Side Bend

Muscle Group Stretched: Hip Flexors (especially the psoas), Back

Muscle Group Strengthened: n/a

Type of Stretch: Passive Static

Difficulty: All Levels

Suggested Prerequisites: none

This variation on the classic kneeling lunge gives the psoas muscle (one of your primary hip flexors) an extra stretch. Your psoas muscles connect the vertebrae from our lumbar spine to the front/inside of your thigh bone (which is what helps us lift our leg when they contract). To help lengthen these muscles even more in a lunge, we can lean to one side, pulling the top of the muscle that connects to the vertebrae in our spine even longer.

How To

Step 1

Start in a kneeling lunge with your left leg in front (left knee stacked over the front ankle, both hip bones pointing forwards, torso lifted so that shoulders are stacked on top of the hips). Tuck your tailbone and flatten out your low back to increase the stretch in the front of the back leg (the right leg) - those are your hip flexor muscles.

Step 2

Keeping your tailbone tucked and chest facing forwards, raise your right hand overhead as you lean across to the left. Your left hand can brace against your left hip, front thigh, or a block on the floor (if you can reach) for balance.

Hold for 15-30 seconds.

Modifications

Need to make it easier?

Cross your arm over your chest when you lean to the side. If the side lean feels like an intense stretch in your shoulder or your ribs, cross your arm in front of your chest as you tilt to the side.

Want to make it harder?

Do it in a standing lunge. A standing lunge is more active (because you have to keep your quads engaged), so can feel more challenging to add the side stretch to.

Related Content

• Flexopedia: Kneeling Lunge

• Flexopedia: Standing Lunge

• Flexopedia: Couch Stretch

• Blog Post: Help! My Knee Hurts in a Lunge

• Blog Post: Build a Better Hip Flexor Stretch