How to do it
Squeeze the glute to tuck the pelvis FIRST, then shift forward. The stretch belongs at the front of the hip, never in the low back.
Default dose
3 × 30s · each side
This is the library's default dose. Each person's programme is set after assessment, around the grade of their finding and their own conditions and limits.
Muscles involved
- stretching Iliopsoas (hip flexor), Rectus femoris (quadriceps)
Muscle colours in the animation: orange working, blue stretching, amber holding still. These muscles were measured on the 3D model.
Where it sits in a programme: Lengthen
The second phase is lengthening: stretching a muscle or tissue that has shortened, so the joint regains the range it needs for a better posture.
Which postural findings it is prescribed for
It appears in the example programme on these pages:
Take care
- In the acute phase of a fresh injury, this exercise is taken off the programme.
- If the movement causes pain or makes pain worse, stop and contact the clinic or your doctor.
Source
Textbook:
- Kendall FP, McCreary EK, Provance PG, Rodgers MM, Romani WA. Muscles: Testing and Function with Posture and Pain. 5th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005.
The classic reference for muscle testing and the posture types — sway back, flat back, lordosis — with the short and weak muscles of each. - Bandy WD, Irion JM, Briggler M. The effect of time and frequency of static stretching on flexibility of the hamstring muscles. Phys Ther. 1997;77(10):1090-6.
Trial: a 30-second static stretch did as well as 60 seconds and better than 15.