Beginner

Seated Cross-Body Glute Stretch

This hits the deep glute and the rotators underneath it, the tissue that stiffens up after heavy hip work or long sitting. Hugging the shin and steering the knee toward the far shoulder wraps the stretch around the back of the hip. It is gentle, controlled, and easy to hold for a full minute.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Glutes
Type
Stretching
Browse by muscle
Gluteus Maximus
Muscles worked
Target
Gluteus Maximus
Secondary
Gluteus Medius

How to do it

  1. 1

    Sit tall on the floor or a bench with a long spine.

  2. 2

    Lift one shin and cradle it with both arms, one hand under the knee and one under the ankle.

  3. 3

    Draw the shin up and across your torso, guiding the knee toward the opposite shoulder.

  4. 4

    Pull only until you feel a deep, even stretch in the back of that hip.

  5. 5

    Hold for 30 seconds while breathing steadily, then switch legs.

Tips

  • Keep your back tall rather than rounding forward over the shin.
  • Move the knee toward the far shoulder, not straight up, to reach the deep glute.
  • Ease off if you feel any pinch in the front of the hip joint.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • One hand pulls the knee while the other pushes the ankle the opposite way, which levers the knee joint instead of rotating the hip.
  • The far hip lifts as the leg comes across, so the pelvis follows the shin and the stretch stops before it starts.
  • On a hard floor, stiff hips leave you tipped back onto the tailbone, and the hold becomes a battle to stay upright; sit up on a folded blanket or the edge of a bench.
  • The shoulders creep toward the ears as you hug the shin, and that tension keeps the hip from letting go.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold the seated cross-body glute stretch?
Count breaths rather than seconds: ten to fifteen slow ones per side, which comes to a minute or more, and one round each side is usually enough. It is comfortable enough for daily use, and it works at a desk or on a bench between sets, which is most of its appeal.
How do I make the seated cross-body glute stretch easier or harder?
To make it easier, hold behind the thigh instead of cradling the shin and bring the knee only partway across. To make it harder, draw the shin higher toward the chest as you steer the knee toward the far shoulder, or hinge the chest a few degrees forward from the hips while keeping the spine long.
What is the seated cross-body glute stretch good for?
It reaches the deep glute and the rotators underneath it while you stay upright, which makes it one of the few hip stretches you can do fully dressed at a desk or between sets without getting on the floor. It is a poor choice if you cannot sit tall without rounding, where the lying figure four does the same job with the floor supporting your pelvis, and it will not go as deep as pigeon when you have the time and the space.

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