Mobility and stretches

Knees to chest stretch

Kit
No kit
Works
lower back · glutes
Also
hamstrings · hip flexors · abs

The knees to chest stretch is a floor drill where you lie on your back and draw both knees toward your ribs, rounding the lower spine gently. It releases the lower back and glutes and settles your breathing, which makes it useful at the start of a session or as the last thing you do. It suits anyone, including people who sit for long stretches of the day.

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Form

How to do knees to chest stretch

  1. 1Lie on your back with your legs straight and your head resting on the floor, arms by your sides.
  2. 2Bend one knee at a time and bring both knees up over your hips, then wrap your arms around your shins or behind your thighs.
  3. 3Draw your knees slowly toward your chest until you feel a gentle stretch across the lower back, keeping your head and shoulders relaxed on the floor.
  4. 4Breathe out as you pull in, and let your tailbone settle down so your lower back flattens rather than lifting off the floor.
  5. 5Hold the position calmly and keep breathing, easing slightly deeper on each exhale for the length of the effort.
  6. 6To come out, release your arms, lower one foot at a time to the floor and straighten your legs.

Watch for

Common mistakes

  • Yanking the knees in hard and holding your breath.

    Fix: Pull only to a mild stretch and keep a slow, steady breath going throughout.

  • Lifting the head and shoulders off the floor to meet the knees.

    Fix: Keep the back of your head down and let the legs do the travelling.

  • Letting the hips roll up so the lower back arches off the floor.

    Fix: Aim the knees toward your armpits rather than straight up, and keep your tailbone heavy on the ground.

Variations

Easier and harder

HarderFigure 4 stretchNo kit

Sessions

Put it in a workout

None of the fixed workouts uses it. Pick a workout for your kit, or start today's session on /gym.

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