Hip flexor stretch
The hip flexor stretch works on the muscles at the front of your hip that lift your thigh (hip flexors, mainly iliopsoas). This version is done standing. You take a long step back and push your hips forward until you feel a stretch at the front of the back hip. It is common in programs for people who sit for long hours, often alongside lower back and hip exercises.
How to do the hip flexor stretch
- Stand tall with your feet hip width apart and your hands on your hips. Stand next to a wall or the back of a chair if you want something to hold.
- Take a long step back with one leg. The back leg is the side you are stretching.
- Bend your front knee and let the back heel come up off the floor. Both feet point forward, and the front knee stays over the front foot.
- Lift your chest and push your hips forward, feet staying where they are, until you feel a stretch at the front of the back hip. The back knee may bend a little. That is fine.
- Hold the stretch still while you breathe normally.
- Step the back foot forward to stand tall again. Relax, then repeat or switch sides.
What you should feel
A stretch at the front of the hip and top of the thigh on the back leg. Your front thigh works to hold you up, which is normal. You should not feel it in your lower back.
Common mistakes
- Arching the lower back to get further forward. Then the movement comes from your spine and the stretch at the hip fades.
- Leaning the upper body forward over the front knee. Keep your chest lifted.
- Taking a short step back, so there is no room to push the hips forward.
- Bouncing into the stretch instead of holding it still.
How often
Stretches like this are often held for 20 to 30 seconds and repeated 2 to 3 times on each side, once or twice a day. Your physio will adjust it for you.
Stop and check with your physio if
- You feel a sharp or pinching pain in the front of the hip or the groin.
- Your lower back aches or pinches as you push your hips forward.
- Pain, numbness or tingling spreads down the front of the thigh.
- Your front knee hurts as you bend it and push your hips forward.
From the clinic
Not feeling much? Before you push further forward, tuck your tailbone under a little, as if you were flattening your lower back. You will often feel the stretch at the front of the hip straight away, with much less movement. If you still feel nothing, make the step back a bit longer.
A long, narrow stance like this tests your balance. If you feel wobbly, keep one hand on a wall or a sturdy chair. There is also a kneeling version with the back knee on a cushion, which your physio may suggest if balance is the problem. It is not suitable if kneeling hurts your knee.
If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try this stretch. Taking the back leg behind the line of your body stretches the front of that hip, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations, especially when the hip was replaced from the front.
If the tightness is more in the front of your thigh than your hip, the standing quad stretch may suit you better.
Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.
This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.
