Figure-4 stretch

Type

Stretches and recovery

Equipment

No equipment

Area

Lower back

Level

Gentle

Starting dose in Remedy

2 holds of 30 seconds per side

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with both knees bent and feet flat.
2. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee.
3. Reach through and hold behind the thigh of the uncrossed leg.
4. Gently pull that thigh toward your chest until you feel a stretch in the buttock of the crossed leg.
5. Hold, then switch sides.

Form cues

• Cross ankle over opposite knee.
• Gently pull the uncrossed thigh toward you.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the head and shoulders off the floor. Use a strap or towel if you cannot reach.

Easier and harder versions

• Remedy keeps this one steady and changes the work around it instead.

Why it helps a sore back

Tight glutes are a common complaint alongside low back stiffness, and this stretch reaches them without loading the back.

How Remedy uses it

In the app it is called Supine Figure-4 Stretch. Remedy is more likely to pick it if you say your back is bothered by sitting too long. A typical starting dose is 2 holds of 30 seconds per side, and the program adjusts reps as the weeks go on. Every exercise in the app has a demonstration video.

General fitness information, not medical advice. Stop any exercise that causes sharp pain, or pain, numbness, or tingling spreading down a leg.