This exercise is done by lying on your back. If the floor is not carpeted use a thin foam mattress. Do NOT perform this exercise on a bed, as very few provide adequate support.

If lying on your back in this position is painful, try lowering yourself into the lying position, but keep BOTH knees bent (flexed). [1] Hold onto the knees for additional support if necessary.

[2] Clasp one knee to the chest. When secure, lower the other leg until the back of it is on the floor. [3] Getting into the start position this way avoids arching (hyper-extending) the lower back and any associated pain. You are now ready to begin the exercise.

Note, if you feel an uncomfortable pinching sensation in the groin of the bent leg when bringing the knee to the chest, ensure that no overly-tight material at the top of the leg is the cause. If loosening clothing does not remove the irritation, let the leg go away from the chest to arm’s length and fall further to the outside line of the body. Then bring the knee back to the body again, but this time in line with the armpit. Some people trap the tendons and muscles of the hip flexors when the pull the knee straight back to the chest. Bringing the knee into roughly the same position but from the side usually avoids this problem.

Now GENTLY pull the knee into the chest (or armpit) using both hands as shown. [*1] You may feel the stretch variously from behind the leg (top part of the hamstring) to inside the leg (the adductors) and you may also feel the stretch in the bottom muscles (gluteals) on the bent-leg side.

After holding the stretch for about 10 breaths, let the leg go to arm’s length. Hold the outside of the thigh with the hand of the opposite should as shown. [*2] Roll leg GENTLY & SLOWLY across the body. Note, as soon as it passes over the vertical centerline of the body, TAKE SOME WEIGHT on the bottom leg, and SHIFT THE BOTTOM HIP across in the opposite direction. This ensures that the spine, as seen from above, remains straight. Most floor rotation exercises do not include this refinement, and as a result the spine is both rotated and hyper-extended (arched) in the final position. The two movements together often causes more pain in an already sore back.

[*3] Take the top leg across SLOWLY as far as it will go. The limit is when the opposite shoulder begins to lift off the floor. You may hold onto a sturdy table-leg to hold the shoulder down but do NOT force the stretch. Concentrate on breathing and relaxing. Notice that as you breathe in the leg tends to rise and as you breathe out it tends to go closer to the floor. You may rest the knee of the bent leg on a cushion if the end position is quite a way from the floor. This will enable you to hold the position comfortably. As you become more flexible, reduce the thickness of the cushion. Hold the final position for about 10 breaths, and return the leg to the starting position - second photograph [*2]

Rather than returning the leg to the floor, bring the other knee up and change your hands over to it. Allow the first leg back down to the floor. This will avoid hyper-extending the lower back and make the exercise more comfortable. Repeat all directions for the second leg, taking care to note which side is tighter. Begin with (and repeat the movement for) the tighter side, the next time you stretch.

Once you are comfortable with the stretch, a C-R(contraction - resistance) version may be tried. In the final stretch position, hold the top of the leg and VERY GENTLY try to press it up against the resistance of your hand for a few seconds.

Note: use the back and waist muscles, rather than the hip muscles, to press back. This will maximize the stretch in these muscles. Relax, breathe in, and on an outward breath, slowly press the leg closer to the floor.