Muscle outlines from Body Muscles by Ivan Vulović, Apache 2.0 — regrouped and recoloured for Muscle Train.
Sit tall, grounding your sit bones. Hinge forward from your hips, keeping your back straight, until you feel a stretch in your hip. Flex the foot of the crossed leg, pulling toes toward your shin. Apply gentle pressure to the bent knee to deepen the stretch. Hold, breathing deeply, then release and switch sides.
Maintaining a straight back throughout the stretch is crucial for isolating the hip flexor and preventing lower back strain, so engage your core to support your spine. Initiate the forward movement by hinging at your hips, not rounding your back, which will maximize the stretch and protect your spine. Actively flex the foot of the crossed leg, drawing your toes towards your shin, to increase the intensity of the hip flexor stretch. Ensure you're sitting squarely on your sit bones to promote stability and proper alignment during the stretch. Focus on deep, diaphragmatic breathing to relax your muscles and enhance the sensation of the stretch, inhaling to prepare and exhaling to deepen.
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