Lie on your back with both knees bent slightly. To stretch the left buttock, grab your left knee with your left hand and bring it towards your right shoulder. It should at least come to the midline of your body. Then grab your left ankle with your right hand and twist it toward your right shoulder also. You should feel the stretch in your buttock area.
To stretch the left psoas, kneel on the left knee with the right foot out in front and the knee bent to about 90 degrees. There are three steps to this exercise.1) Place the lower left leg slightly out to the side without turning the pelvis.2) Begin by shifting your weight backward so that your hip is behind your knee. Do a pelvic tilt in this position, that is, rock the pelvis backward to lift the pubic bone up toward your ribs and tuck the buttock under. Your rib cage should remain directly above your pelvis.3) While maintaining the pelvic tilt, push your hips forward but don’t leave your rib cage behind. Do not allow your low back to arch. Move forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your hip and/or thigh. To get more stretch, side bend your trunk away from the down leg, in this case bend to the right.
Lie on your side with the leg you want to exercise on top. Bend both knees and keep knees in line with trunk, or slightly forward. Lift the top the knee up while keeping the foot in contact with the bottom foot, then return down slowly. Do not go so high as to move the pelvis or the back.
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Rock your pelvis back and forth to find your “neutral” position. This exercise may be more comfortable if performed with the pelvis rocked all the back into a “pelvic tilt” or flat back position. Keep enough tension in your abdominal muscles to prevent the back from moving. Push through your legs to lift your hips up as high as you can without arching your back. This exercise can be performed as a static hold, or up and down as repetitions. You should feel the muscles in your buttock and the back of your thighs working. It should not cause pain in the back and your back muscles should not be working hard.
Stand facing wall with both hands on wall & with one leg forward with a bent knee & the other leg back with knee straight, place a sock/towel under the arch of back foot (a); keep back foot’s heel on the floor & both feet pointing straight forward toward the wall; then lean into the wall until you feel a stretch in your calf; (b) repeat with back leg bent
Standing on a step or a curb; keep uninvolved foot centered on step & place involved foot back off the edge of the step, but keeping the ball of foot on the step & knee straight; gently lower heel until a stretch is felt; repeat with bent knee
Lying on back with both knees bent; hold back of one thigh with both hands; attempt to straighten knee until you feel a stretch in the back of thigh; it is not necessary for the knee to be completely straight to effectively stretch. Repeat with opposite leg.
Stand with one foot/heel resting on step & knee straight; keeping back straight, lean forward at hips until you feel a stretch behind the thigh.
With one leg straight and one leg bent, slowly bend forward from hips over outstretched leg.
Lie on back with both knees bent, cross one leg over the other and let knee fall out; bring both legs toward chest while pushing the top knee out/down, until a stretch is felt in buttock area; for an increase in stretch, place hand on outside of knee and gently push.
Lie on back with both knees bent, bring one knee towards chest; now pull knee towards opposite shoulder; then use other hand to twist ankle toward the same shoulder.
Standing on one leg, place other foot onto chair or table, keep knee below hip; keep a pelvic tilt to avoid
arching of low back and slowly bend knee of standing leg until stretch is felt in front of other thigh.
Sit on end of table/surface & lay back down with both knees bent up to chest; hold one knee to chest & let the other leg drop down over edge of table/surface; hold; pull leg back up to chest & repeat with opposite leg.
(a) Standing with one foot on step/chair & other foot on floor; pelvic tilt, tighten abdominals & keep back straight; move hips/trunk forward toward foot on step until you feel a stretch in front of hip on standing leg or (b) kneeling with one leg forward repeat above.
Standing with uninvolved leg crossed in front of involved leg; then lean hips toward involved leg & shoulders away from involved leg until a stretch is felt.; keep back straight & do not twist back
In a half kneel position (weight through one knee and the other leg bent with weight through foot) place forward foot out towards side of body; slowly move weight towards that leg until stretch is felt at inside of back leg.
Sitting or lying down with both legs bent in front; slowly push knees towards floor until a stretch is felt in inner thighs.
Lay on your back with your knee bent and the opposite leg crossed over. Without allowing your pelvis or trunk to move, let your knee come across midline as far as possible until you feel a stretch. Vary the angle that the knee is bent to feel the tension in a different part of the hip.