The psoas is a muscle that connects the lumbar or base of your spine to the front of your hips or pelvis. It can be a common cause of back, hip and knee pain. And it frequently ends up tight because of constant sitting – cyclists are likely to find this a particular issue from the seated cycling posture. You can learn more about the anatomy of the psoas and even how it affects the adrenal glands and your digestion.
An easy and friendly way to stretch the psoas uses the basic lunge.
- Start from standing with your feet hip-width apart.
- Bend your knees and squat down and then step your right foot back.
- Make sure your front knee is over the top or behind your ankle. Not in front of your foot.
- Your front foot should be flat. Press your front foot firmly in to the ground.
- Then lift your chest and hands up.
- Lift your back thigh up, but keep your front knee bent.
- Don’t let your hips sag down.
- Then bring your left hand to your left hip.
- Tip your right hand slightly to the left side.
- Think about lifting the right side of your rib cage. You should feel a stretch in the inner front of your right thigh – the psoas.
- If it’s hard to feel the stretch, squeeze your buttocks to push your pelvis slightly forward.
- Remember to switch sides
You can also try this with the back knee down in your lunge which will require less effort to balance.
If you do find this a difficult stretch to feel in your psoas, it may be that your psoas is too elongated and needs to be strengthened.
Stretching the psoas with a basic lunge
