The piriformis stretch works on a small muscle deep in the buttock that helps turn your hip outward. This version is done lying on your back. It is a regular in programs for a tight buttock and a stiff hip.

How to do the piriformis stretch

Lie on your back on a mat, legs out straight and arms relaxed by your sides.
Bend the knee on the side you want to stretch. Cross that foot over your straight leg and rest it on the floor on the far side of it.
Put the hand on the same side as the bent leg on your hip. It keeps that hip flat on the floor.
Take hold of the bent knee with your other hand.
Gently pull the knee across your body, toward the opposite side, until you feel a stretch deep in the buttock.
Keep both shoulders on the floor and breathe slowly. Hold, then ease off and switch sides.

What you should feel

A steady stretch deep in the buttock of the bent leg, sometimes spreading toward the outside of the hip. A pull is right. Pain is not.

Common mistakes

Pulling hard or bouncing. A gentle, steady pull does the job.
Letting the hip on the stretching side roll up off the floor as you pull. The hand on your hip is there to stop this.
Letting your shoulders and upper back lift or twist off the floor.
Holding your breath. Breathe slowly and let the buttock relax.

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 this to you.

Stop and check with your physio if

Pain spreads down your leg, or you get numbness or tingling in the leg or foot.
You feel sharp or pinching pain in the front of the hip or groin.
Your knee or lower back hurts in this position.

From the clinic

The piriformis sits close to the sciatic nerve, which is why it often gets the blame for buttock pain and leg symptoms. A tight piriformis is only one possible cause, though. If pain is running down your leg, get it checked rather than stretching harder.

If you feel a pinch at the front of the hip, make the pull smaller. Still pinching? Stop, and ask your physio for another way to stretch this muscle.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try the piriformis stretch. Pulling the bent knee across your body bends the hip and brings the leg over the middle of your body at the same time, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations.

Reviewed by the PocketPhysio by VirtueLife expert physiotherapy team. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.

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.

Piriformis stretch