Pigeon Pose

Pigeon Pose is a hip-opening stretch that targets the glutes, deep hip rotators, and piriformis of your front leg. It also gives the hip flexors of your back leg a gentle lengthening. It is a unilateral mobility drill you can do anywhere with just your bodyweight.

Start on all fours. Bring one knee forward and place it behind the same-side wrist. Angle that shin across your body so your foot tucks in near your opposite hip. Extend your back leg straight behind you with the top of your foot resting on the floor. Keep your hips level and facing forward.

Hinge your chest forward over your front leg, walking your hands out in front of you. Lower your torso only as far as you can while keeping your hips square. Breathe slowly and settle into the stretch. Hold for time, then switch sides.

Breathe deeply and steadily throughout. To make it easier, place a folded mat or towel under the hip of your front leg if it floats off the ground. To deepen the stretch, walk your hands farther forward and rest on your forearms or forehead.

Fault: The front shin is placed straight across the body, forcing the knee to twist. Fix: Angle the front shin so the foot tucks toward the opposite hip, which takes pressure off the knee.

Fault: The hips rotate toward the front leg or one hip drops toward the floor. Fix: Keep your hips square and facing forward; support the floating hip with a pad if it does not reach the floor.

Fault: The chest stays upright and the stretch is only felt in the back-leg hip flexor. Fix: Hinge the chest forward over the front leg until you feel the stretch in the glute and hip rotators of that leg.