Intermediate

Standing Figure-Four Pose

This is a portable hip opener that doubles as a balance drill. Crossing one ankle over the opposite thigh and sitting back stretches the glutes and outer hip of the crossed leg, while the standing leg fires to keep you steady. It is excellent for runners and desk-bound trainees who need glute mobility and single-leg control.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Glutes
Type
Balance, Stretching, Yoga
Muscles worked
Target
Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius
Secondary
Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis
Tertiary
Tibialis Anterior, Erector Spinae

How to do it

  1. 1

    Begin standing tall and shift your weight onto the left foot.

  2. 2

    Cross the right ankle over the left thigh just above the knee, flexing the right foot.

  3. 3

    Bend the standing knee and sit the hips back as if lowering into a one-legged chair.

  4. 4

    Keep the chest lifted and hinge slightly forward to deepen the stretch in the right hip.

  5. 5

    Bring the hands to the heart or reach them forward for balance, and hold steadily.

  6. 6

    Press through the standing foot to rise, then switch sides.

Tips

  • Flex the lifted foot to protect the knee and keep the crossed shin engaged.
  • Sit the hips back and down rather than collapsing the chest toward the floor.
  • Fix your gaze on a still point to steady the balance before you sink deeper.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The standing heel peels off the floor as the hips travel back, which tips you onto the ball of the foot and makes the balance far harder than the stretch needs it to be.
  • The tailbone tucks under as you sit down, and a rounded low back takes the slack out of the glute you came here to stretch; hinge at the hip and keep the back long.
  • The standing knee tracks inward as the hips lower, and one leg is carrying all of you for breaths at a time here; steer it back out over the middle of the foot.
  • Depth gets chased before the balance arrives, so the hold turns into a string of hops and recoveries; sit an inch lower only once you can stay still for a full breath.
  • A hand presses the crossed knee toward the floor for extra stretch, which twists the hip rather than opening it; let the weight of the leg and the sit-back do that work.

Frequently asked

How long should I hold standing figure-four pose on each side?
Five slow breaths, about 30 seconds, per side, and two rounds each way. It suits a daily habit, especially after running or a long day at a desk. Progress by sitting the hips lower or hinging the chest a little further forward rather than by holding longer, since balance fades before the stretch does. If the standing leg starts shaking, come up, reset and go again; a shaky hold teaches the hip to grip rather than release.
How do I make standing figure-four pose easier or harder?
Easier: hold a wall, a chair back or a doorframe, cross the ankle over the thigh and stay almost upright rather than sitting back, and keep the standing leg nearly straight. Harder: sit lower toward a one-legged chair pose, fold the chest a little further forward over the crossed shin, close the eyes, stand on a folded blanket, or move slowly in and out of the sit instead of holding still.
What is standing figure-four pose good for, and when is it a poor choice?
It stretches the glutes and outer hip of the crossed leg while the standing leg works to keep you upright, so you get hip mobility and single-leg control in one shape. Runners and people who sit all day tend to need both. It is a poor choice if the crossed knee objects to the position, since that joint sits in a twisted support, and a poor one when you want a deep, relaxed glute stretch, which the floor version gives you without the balance. It builds very little strength.

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