Seated Hip External Rotator and Hip Extensor Stretch

Hip Stretches:

Method:
Sit on the floor with the left leg extended straight out in front. Bend the right knee and place the right foot flat against the left inner thigh, as close as possible to the pelvic area. Place the hands on the floor next to the thighs. Bend the trunk over toward the left (straight) knee as far as possible until you start feeling a slight stretch (light pain). Keep the left knee down on the floor if possible as you bend over. As you bend over, reach out with your arms toward the left foot.

Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles on right side: Gluteus medius and minimus, piriformis, gemellus superior and inferior, obturator externus and internus, quadratus femoris, erector spinae, lower latissimus dorsi. Most-stretched muscles on left side: Semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, gastrocnemius.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Soleus, plantaris.

Bend the trunk in a forward direction from the hip joint. Keep the trunk as a straight unit; do not let the back curve (see figure below, right). Bending the trunk toward the right knee instead of the left knee reduces the stretch of the most-stretched muscles on the right side of the body and increases the stretch of the most-stretched muscles on the left side of the body. You can modify this stretch to include the lower-leg muscles (soleus, popliteus, flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus, posterior tibialis, gastrocnemius, and plantaris). To include these additional muscles, reach out with the left arm, grasp the left foot, and pull the toes slowly toward the knee (dorsiflexed position).