Hips and lower back

Half Happy Baby

A gentle hip stretch with your back fully supported.

How to do it

1. 1

   Lie on your back with both knees bent

   Feet on the floor and the head resting on the floor or a small pillow. Only one leg goes anywhere in this version, so the other one keeps you steady.

2. 2

   Draw one knee up towards your chest

   Bring it up outside the ribs rather than straight up the middle. Keep the back of your waist heavy on the floor.

3. 3

   Hold the outside of that foot, or the thigh

   Holding behind the thigh gives the same shape with far less pull. A strap looped around the foot works too if the reach is long.

4. 4

   Let the shin come towards vertical

   Draw gently rather than pulling, and let the knee soften downwards. The other foot stays on the floor with the knee bent, or the leg can stretch long if that is comfortable.

5. 5

   Stay for 2 to 3 minutes, then change sides

   Let the leg get heavier as the minutes pass instead of pulling it further in.

What to watch for

The lower back peeling away from the floor as you draw the knee closer. Keep the back of the waist in contact and let the knee come only as far as that allows. If the reach itself is what lifts you, hold behind the thigh instead of the foot.

Ways to adjust it

• Hold behind the thigh
• Strap around the foot
• Bend the opposite knee
• Pillow under head

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.