Beginner

Reclined Butterfly Stretch

The reclined version of the classic butterfly lets you fully relax the hips while gravity draws the knees toward the floor. Because there is no need to hold yourself upright, the adductors release more easily than in the seated version. A gentle, restorative hip opener to close out a session.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Thighs
Type
Stretching
Muscles worked
Target
Adductor Longus, Adductor Magnus
Secondary
Sartorius

How to do it

  1. 1

    Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat.

  2. 2

    Bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees drop out to the sides.

  3. 3

    Slide your heels toward your body for more stretch or away for less.

  4. 4

    Rest your arms at your sides and let the knees settle toward the floor.

  5. 5

    Hold and breathe, then use your hands to bring the knees back together to finish.

Tips

  • Never push the knees down with force; let them lower on their own.
  • Place a pillow under each knee if the inner-thigh stretch is too intense to relax into.
  • Move the heels closer to your hips to increase the stretch.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The low back arches off the floor as the knees fall open, which tips the pelvis and lets the stretch escape into the back.
  • The heels get drawn in so close that the position is intense from the first second, and nothing relaxes in a position you are bracing against.
  • The head is left flat with the chin pointing up, so the neck keeps working while everything else is trying to switch off; a folded towel under the head fixes it.
  • Sitting straight up at the end without bringing the knees together first gives the inner thighs a sudden contraction after several minutes of letting go.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold the reclined butterfly stretch?
This one rewards time rather than depth: three to five minutes in a version you can forget about, breathing slowly. If the hips will not stay quiet that long, prop both knees and stay for two. It makes a good last position of the day, and there is no reason to repeat it within a session.
How do I make the reclined butterfly stretch easier or harder?
To make it easier, lie along a rolled blanket or bolster set under your spine, which opens the chest and lets the hips hang with less effort. To make it harder, loop a strap around your hips and over the tops of the feet and snug it slightly, so the position holds itself and no muscle has to work.
What is the reclined butterfly stretch good for?
It is a restorative hip and groin opener that asks nothing of you but time, which makes it a good way to close a session or a day, and an easy option for anyone who finds sitting upright on the floor uncomfortable. It is a poor choice before training, where several passive minutes leave the hips feeling soft rather than ready, and if the low back or sacrum feels compressed, prop the knees higher rather than staying in it.

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