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Hip flexor stretch for people who sit all day
Your hip flexors are the muscles across the front of your hip. Harvard Health notes that sitting for long periods causes them to tighten and shorten, which can leave your hips feeling stiff when you stand up. A half-kneeling stretch is a common way to ease that feeling.
The idea that sitting shortens the hip flexors is widely repeated by clinicians, but it rests mostly on expert opinion rather than large trials. Use this as a comfort stretch, not a cure for back pain. Changing position every 30 to 45 minutes, as one physical therapist at HSS recommends, matters as much as stretching.
How to do it
- Kneel on your right knee with a cushion beneath it and your left foot forward.
- Tuck your tailbone slightly and shift forward until you feel a stretch at the front of your right hip.
- Hold with your torso tall, then switch sides.
Dose: Hold 20 to 30 seconds per side, and repeat once or twice. Harvard Health suggests building up to about 60 seconds in total per side.
Tip: Squeeze the glute of the kneeling leg to deepen the stretch without arching your back.
Common mistakes
- Arching the lower back instead of tucking the tailbone. The stretch should be at the front of the hip, not in the lower back.
- Leaning the torso forward. Keep it tall.
- Bouncing. Hold still and breathe.
- Kneeling on a hard floor. Use a folded towel or cushion, and skip this stretch if kneeling hurts your knees.
When to stop and see a professional
Stop and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist if you notice:
- numbness, tingling or weakness in an arm, hand, leg or foot
- pain that spreads (radiates) down an arm or leg
- pain that started after an accident, fall or other injury
- loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness between your legs (seek emergency care)
- pain that keeps getting worse, wakes you at night, or comes with fever or unexplained weight loss
Do this with Mo, a 5-minute guided routine app
Mo the sloth guides short daily posture, neck and back exercises, with gentle reminders and a pain check-in. Learn more about Mo.
Related guides
- Hip hinge
- Sit-to-stand
- Standing hamstring stretch
- Seated figure-four stretch
- Desk stretches you can do at work
- Lower back pain from sitting: 3 gentle floor moves
- Cat-cow stretch for lower back stiffness
- Open book stretch for upper back stiffness
- Mo: Posture & Back Pain Relief app