I interview trainers regularly as part of my job. Often, when an exercise comes up repeatedly and is recommended by multiple experts, I\u2019ll end up trying it for myself.<\/p>\n
This is exactly what happened when three trainers mentioned the figure-four stretch to me in the space of a week: I had to see what all the fuss was about.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n I don\u2019t strength train consistently due to an energy-limiting illness, and when I do, I tend to experience lingering muscle soreness for up to a week afterwards.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n I try to counteract this with a good five minutes of stretching after a weightlifting session, but most of my favorite stretches (like half-pigeon, lateral lunge and forward fold) target the hips, calves and hamstrings, but don\u2019t fully stretch the area I focus on most: my butt.<\/p>\n Thankfully, the figure-four is a glute-stretching masterclass, and I was amazed at how much of a difference it made to my post-workout recovery. You can do it seated, but I chose to do a lying version of the stretch.<\/p>\n How to do the stretch<\/p>\n Time: 30secs to one minute each side<\/p>\n What I found<\/p>\n I did the stretch after a lower-body workout, and the two mornings following my exercise session. Here’s what I found.<\/p>\n I could easily deepen the stretch<\/p>\n By pressing down on the knee of the targeted side, I felt even more of a release in my glutes.<\/p>\n I tend to move progressively deeper into stretches after about 30 seconds, so this was a helpful way for me to up the intensity and make it even more satisfying.<\/p>\n I did this very gently, to avoid over-stretching, feeling a deep release in my pelvis and glute muscles.<\/p>\n\n