How to do it
You need: A low step, stool, or chair.
Stand tall and place one heel on a low step or stool in front of you, with that leg straight and the toes pointing up. Keep the standing leg slightly bent.
- Keep your back straight and your chest lifted.
- Hinge forwards from your hips towards the raised foot until you feel a gentle stretch behind the thigh.
- Keep the raised leg straight and its toes drawn back towards you.
- Hold the stretch, breathing steadily, then slowly come back upright.
Form cues
- The bend comes from your hips, so your back stays long and flat, not rounded.
- You feel the stretch in the middle of the back of the thigh, not behind the knee.
- The stretch is a steady pull you could hold and talk through, not a strain.
Common mistakes
- Rounding your back to reach further forwards.
- Locking the standing knee hard.
- Bouncing to get deeper into the stretch.
Safety: Stop and message your physio if you feel tingling or pins and needles down the back of the leg, which points to nerve rather than muscle tightness.