Inner thigh stretches, from seated to lying down

The inner thighs are easy to forget until they complain. The adductor muscles run from the pelvis down the inside of each thigh and draw the legs together. Long hours sitting with the knees close, a lot of walking or running, and sports with quick side steps can all leave them feeling tight. A gentle inner thigh stretch, which most people also call a groin stretch, gives them some slow attention.

The seven stretches below run from seated to lying down. Pick three or four and do them when you are warm, after a walk or at the end of a class.

When should you see a doctor or physio first?

Stretch gently, or not at all, and see a doctor or physiotherapist if:

• you felt a sudden sharp pain in the groin during sport, with bruising or swelling (a possible strain);
• you have pain deep in the hip joint or the front of the groin that catches or clicks;
• you notice a lump or bulge in the groin, or pain when you cough;
• you have had recent hip, knee or pelvic surgery.

The right sensation is a broad, mild pull along the inside of the thigh. Pain at the knee or inside the hip joint means come out.

How long should you hold an inner thigh stretch?

Five to eight slow breaths, about 30 seconds, then rest and repeat once or twice. On a rest day, the propped floor versions can be held for two or three minutes with the muscles relaxed. Never bounce the knees.

The routine: seven inner thigh stretches

1. Butterfly. Sit on a folded blanket, bring the soles of the feet together and let the knees fall out. Hold the ankles, sit tall and breathe. Blocks under the knees let the legs rest. The full set-up is on the Butterfly Pose page with props under the knees. Eight breaths.
2. Side lunge. Stand with the feet wide, toes forward. Bend the right knee and shift the hips to the right, keeping the left leg straight and the left foot flat. Hands on the right thigh or a chair. Five breaths each side.
3. Wide-legged forward fold. Feet wide, toes turned slightly in. Hands on the hips, lengthen the spine and fold forward from the hips, hands on blocks or a chair seat. Knees soft. Six breaths.
4. Garland squat. Feet wider than the hips, toes turned out, lower into a squat with the heels on a folded towel if they lift. Press the elbows gently into the inner knees. Garland Pose on a block is easier for most knees. Five breaths.
5. Frog on the forearms. On hands and knees, slide the knees wide with cushions under them, ankles in line with the knees. Lower onto the forearms and ease the hips back only a little. Frog Pose with padding under the knees shows how far is enough. Five to eight breaths.
6. Reclined butterfly. Lie on your back with the soles of the feet together and the knees wide, a cushion under each thigh. Hands on the belly. One to three minutes.
7. Legs up the wall, wide. Lie with the legs up a wall and let them slide apart into a wide V until you feel the inner thighs. Bend the knees if the stretch gets strong. One to two minutes.

Common mistakes

• Pushing the knees down with the hands. In Butterfly, let gravity work. Pressing on the knees moves the strain into the knee joint.
• Rounding the back to go deeper. In seated and folding stretches, a long spine matters more than how low you go.
• Twisted knees in the squat. Keep the knees pointing the same way as the toes.
• Going straight to Frog. It is the deepest shape here. Start with Butterfly and the side lunge.

Make it easier or harder

Easier: sit higher, on two blankets, in every seated stretch. Use the lying-down versions (6 and 7) if the knees or lower back complain. A chair under the hands helps in the side lunge.

Harder: in the side lunge, lower the hands to the floor. In Butterfly, fold forward from the hips with a long spine. In Frog, stay longer rather than wider. If the side splits are a goal, the patient progression towards the splits builds on stretches 3 and 5.

Which stretches pair with the inner thighs?

The front of the hip often feels tight at the same time, and the low lunge stretches for the hip flexors balance this routine well. For the back of the legs, add a strapped hamstring stretch lying down. When these feel easy, the middle splits routine with a supported straddle slide takes the same muscles further.