I interview trainers regularly as part of my job. Often, when an exercise comes up repeatedly and is recommended by multiple experts, I\u2019ll end up trying it for myself.<\/p>\n
This is exactly what happened when three trainers mentioned the figure-four stretch to me in the space of a week: I had to see what all the fuss was about.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n I don\u2019t strength train consistently due to an energy-limiting illness, and when I do, I tend to experience lingering muscle soreness for up to a week afterwards.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n I try to counteract this with a good five minutes of stretching after a weightlifting session, but most of my favorite stretches (like half-pigeon, lateral lunge and forward fold) target the hips, calves and hamstrings, but don\u2019t fully stretch the area I focus on most: my butt.<\/p>\n Thankfully, the figure-four is a glute-stretching masterclass, and I was amazed at how much of a difference it made to my post-workout recovery. You can do it seated, but I chose to do a lying version of the stretch.<\/p>\n How to do the stretch<\/p>\n Time: 30secs to one minute each side<\/p>\n Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.Cross your right ankle over your left leg, just above the knee, flexing your right foot.Slowly bring your left knee toward your chest, lifting the left foot off the floor and clasping your hands around the back of your left thigh.Pull your left knee toward your chest, pausing when you feel a stretch in your right glute and hip.What I found<\/p>\n I did the stretch after a lower-body workout, and the two mornings following my exercise session. Here’s what I found.<\/p>\n I could easily deepen the stretch<\/p>\n By pressing down on the knee of the targeted side, I felt even more of a release in my glutes.<\/p>\n I tend to move progressively deeper into stretches after about 30 seconds, so this was a helpful way for me to up the intensity and make it even more satisfying.<\/p>\n I did this very gently, to avoid over-stretching, feeling a deep release in my pelvis and glute muscles.<\/p>\n