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Lower back, hips, knees and ankles

Low Lunge: Classic

Opens your hip flexors while gently stretching the front of your hip and thigh: this is one of the most important poses for counteracting the effects of prolonged sitting.

Hip Mobility30 to 60 seconds
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How to do it

  1. 1

    From all fours, step one foot forward

    Bring the foot between your hands and line the front knee up over the ankle. Lower the back knee to the mat and let the top of the back foot rest down.

  2. 2

    Lift your chest and set your pelvis

    Before you sink anywhere, draw the lower ribs down and lengthen the tailbone towards the back knee. This is what keeps the movement in the hip.

  3. 3

    Ease the hips forward until you feel the hip

    Go slowly and stop at the first clear sensation at the front of the back hip rather than the strongest one. Hands can stay on the floor, on blocks or on the front thigh.

  4. 4

    Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then change sides

    To make it easier, shorten the step, put blocks or a chair under your hands, or slide a blanket under the back knee.

What to watch for

The sensation should stay in the front of the back hip and thigh. If it turns into a pinch low in your back, the pelvis has tipped and the back has arched, so draw the ribs down and take a shorter step. Anything shooting or tingling down the front of the thigh means come out.

Ways to adjust it

  • Short stance
  • Blocks
  • Chair
  • Blanket under back knee
  • Heel elevation

If this one is too much today

Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits. See all Low Lunge versions in one place, ordered from gentlest to strongest.

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.

One movement is a start. A session is the thing.

A few questions about your body and how it is today, and Vinys builds a session around it, including which movements to leave out.

Start your first session

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.