Each glute stretch position serves a different purpose. Whether you need quick relief at your desk or a deep post-workout release, matching the position to the situation can help you stretch smarter — not harder.
Jump ahead to each stretch type:
Seated Glute Stretches – for office stretching and those moments you can’t get up!
Standing Glute Stretches – for warming up and quick relief
Supine Glute Stretches (lying down) –
The Anatomy Behind the Stretch
Before diving in, it helps to know that your glutes aren’t one-size-fits-all. You’ve got three main muscles doing different jobs:
- Gluteus Maximus – big and powerful, used in hip extension and hip stabilization.
- Gluteus Medius – it’s main purpose is hip abduction/stabilization of your pelvis, and assists in both internal and external rotation of the hip.
- Gluteus Minimus – stabilize your pelvis, Hip abduction but primarily involved in internal rotation of the hip.
- External rotators of the hip – help rotate the leg outward and some action in hip extension. This includes the following muscles: Piriformis, Gemellus superior, Obturator internus, Gemellus inferior, Obturator externus, Quadratus femoris
Tightness in any of these muscles can show up as hip stiffness, low back pain, or even knee issues. You can read more about their pain patterns in Trigger Points in the Glutes.
Now, here are the stretches to fix your issues.
Seated Glute Stretch: Quick and Convenient
Anytime you catch me sitting, I’m doing a hip opener. Sitting can shorten muscles so quick. That’s why a sitting glute and hip stretch is so helpful.
Best for: Office workers, post-flight tightness, light daily maintenance
Hits: Primarily glute max and deeper rotators (like piriformis)
How to do it:
- Sit tall in a chair.
- Cross one ankle over the opposite knee (like a figure four).
- Gently lean forward, keeping your spine long and neutral.
You should feel the stretch in your outer glute. Add a forward fold to deepen it, but avoid rounding the spine.
Pro tip: Use your hand to push your knee away to open up space in the hip joint. It feels really good!
Get more stretches like this in my Ultimate Guide to Stretching!
Standing Glute Stretch: Balance + Strength
Best for: Warm-ups, improving hip control, runners
Hits: Glute max, glute med, and piriformis depending on depth and angle
Standing glute stretches combine mobility and stability. They’re ideal when you don’t have space to lie down or want to activate your balance system.
Standing Figure 4:
- Stand tall and cross one ankle over your opposite knee.
- Sink into a half-squat (like a seated position).
- Push your hips back and keep your chest upright.
You may need to hold onto a wall or chair for support. Feel the stretch in the glute of the raised leg — right where those stubborn glute trigger points like to live.
Standing Knee Hugs:
- Stand tall and pull one leg up to your chest, holding onto your upper shin.
- Use your arms to move your knee across your body or perform circles with your leg.
These two options are great for warming up your body, but if you’re looking for more relief read my deep glute stretch article (videos included).
or you want to release trigger points in the glutes you can find all of my glute articles here!
Supine Glute Stretch: Deep and Restorative
Best for: light stretch Post-workout, before bed, short term sciatica relief
Hits: Glute max and piriformis (depending on leg position)
BTW “Supine” just means lying on your back.
Basic Supine Figure Four Stretch:
- Lie on your back with knees bent.
- Cross one ankle over the opposite thigh.
- Pull the uncrossed leg toward your chest
The more you pull your uncrossed leg in, the more it targets the deep glute muscles and piriformis, making it an excellent move for those dealing with sciatica or low back pain.
Basic Supine Knee Hugs And Circles
- Lie on your back with one or both knees pulled into your chest.
- Change your knee position across your body or towards your armpit to change the location and severity of the stretch.
Happy Baby
This is like an ultimate version of the knee hug, but it looks a little different.
- Lie on your back with your lower back pressed into the floor.
- Use your hands to grip your feet or ankles, and pull your knees towards the floor.
Try to keep your tail bone all the way down to the floor while doing this stretch and ise your breath to slowly bring your knees towards the ground.
For my top glute and deep hip rotator stretches, learn more on the Glute Stretches for total relief article.
Bonus: There’s More To Relief Than Just Stretching.
These stretches are great tools to have if you need a quick stretch anywhere throughout your day.
But deeper stretches and other techniques are 100% necessary if you want to fully clean up your glute pain.
Check out my articles on glute trigger point therapy for the larger glute muscles or for getting into your smaller muscles that have trigger points, like the piriformis trigger points a lot of people deal with.
There are also options to foam roll and use a thera cane for your glutes (coming soon).
What’s Next?
It’s time to get rid of your pain with some consistent action!
Think about it, it took you how long to get to the painful point?
It is going to take some time to reverse it.
Stick with it and let me know if you have any questions!
Good Luck!
-Nick