The figure four is an important and often performed hip/glute stretch, usually as part of a series of other lower body stretches, like the ubiquitous standing quadriceps stretch where you bend at the knee and grab the foot in one hand with the opposite arm over head and the hamstring stretch where you’re leaning forward over a straight leg supported by the bent back leg while reaching for the toes (you know what I’m talking about), performed on a kind of auto pilot as one of those stretches you’re supposed to do. However, many don’t know what muscle they’re actually stretching and/or how to perform it properly. Unless you’ve been diagnosed with an ailment perpetuated by tightness in the piriformis, are a yoga practitioner or an athlete of some sort, most don’t actually understand the importance of this particular stretching exercise. Often the cause for pain, hip tightness and reduced mobility, let’s take a moment to break down the piriformis muscle, figure four stretch techniques and variations and why it’s an important stretch.

The piriformis muscle is one of the deep muscles of the hip joint whose primary job is external rotation; think standing with straight legs & feet forward then turning the feet outward like a ballet dancer. The piriformis muscle rotates the femur during the hip extension (the kick back and abducts (brings the leg toward the midline of the body) the femur (thigh bone) during flexion (Rockette kick) of the hip. Piriformis tightness or injury can come from doing too much exercise and overtraining. It is a repetitive stress issue that affects athletes like runners and cyclists. On the other hand piriformis tightness can occur from doing too little activity like sitting at a desk all day. If not managed, a tight piriformis can lead to a more severe issue, Piriformis syndrome. Piriformis syndrome is an underdiagnosed condition defined by pain and numbness in your buttocks and down the back of your leg which occurs when the piriformis muscle in the buttocks presses on the sciatic nerve. 

The figure four stretch is the go to stretch to correct the issue of tightness and pain in the hips and increases mobility. To correctly perform the figure four stretch, place the ankle of the affected leg on the opposite thigh above the knee, then use your hand to gently push the knee of the affected leg away from your body holding for a few seconds then releasing. Repeat this 3-4 times. Daily.

This stretch should be performed regularly if you are an athlete or enthusiast who participates in repetitive motion physical activity of the lower body or sit for long periods of time to reduce the chances of feeling discomfort in the hip by way of the piriformis muscle.