How long should you hold the Bretzel stretch when you are new to the exercise, and how many rounds?

Five to eight slow breaths per side, for one or two rounds, is a reasonable start. The shoulder should rotate a little closer to the floor session by session; forcing the position or yanking the trailing heel skips that process.

How do I make the Bretzel stretch easier or harder?

Easier: skip the trailing-heel pull and rotate only the upper back and chest. Harder: pull the heel closer to the glute and let the top shoulder travel nearer the floor as your range allows.

What is the Bretzel stretch good for, and when should you skip it?

It opens thoracic rotation while lengthening the hip flexor and quad in one hold, a favorite for restoring rotation lost to sitting. It is a poor choice with current knee pain from the trailing-leg bend or a recent low-back flare, since the combined positions ask a lot of both areas at once.

Intermediate

Bretzel Stretch

The Bretzel packs a lot into one position: it opens thoracic rotation while lengthening the front of the hip and the quad. Holding both ends and breathing into the twist makes it a favorite for restoring rotation lost to sitting. It looks like a pretzel, which is exactly where the name comes from, and it rewards patience over force.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Back, Quads
Type: Stretching
Browse by muscle: Erector Spinae, Abdominal External Oblique

How to do it

1
Lie on one side and draw the top knee up toward the chest, holding it down with the bottom hand.
2
Reach back with the top hand to grab the ankle of the bottom leg and pull the heel toward the glute.
3
Anchor the bent top knee to the floor so the hips stay pinned.
4
Rotate the upper back and shoulders toward the ceiling, opening the chest away from the knee.
5
Breathe slowly and let the mid-back rotation deepen with each exhale.
6
Hold for several breaths, unwind carefully, and repeat on the other side.

Tips

Keep the top knee pressed to the floor so the rotation stays in the mid-back.
Only pull the trailing heel as far as the quad allows without cramping.
Let the breath do the work; exhale to sink a little deeper into the twist.

Variations

Common mistakes

The bottom hand releases its hold on the top knee partway through, letting the anchor slip and the hips drift out of position.
The head cranks hard to look back over the shoulder, straining the neck instead of letting the gaze follow the rotation naturally.
Forcing the shoulder flat to the floor on the very first attempt, rather than building the range over sessions, asks a stiff thoracic spine for more than it has earned yet.
The top knee slides out of its ninety-degree bend or lifts off the floor, losing the stable base the whole position depends on.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold the Bretzel stretch when you are new to the exercise, and how many rounds?: Five to eight slow breaths per side, for one or two rounds, is a reasonable start. The shoulder should rotate a little closer to the floor session by session; forcing the position or yanking the trailing heel skips that process.
How do I make the Bretzel stretch easier or harder?: Easier: skip the trailing-heel pull and rotate only the upper back and chest. Harder: pull the heel closer to the glute and let the top shoulder travel nearer the floor as your range allows.
What is the Bretzel stretch good for, and when should you skip it?: It opens thoracic rotation while lengthening the hip flexor and quad in one hold, a favorite for restoring rotation lost to sitting. It is a poor choice with current knee pain from the trailing-leg bend or a recent low-back flare, since the combined positions ask a lot of both areas at once.

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