Hero Pose
Hero Pose
Muscle Group Stretched: Quads
Muscle Group Strengthened: n/a
Type of Stretch: Passive Static
Difficulty: All Levels
Being able to comfortably sit kneeling on the floor with your butt on your heels (“hero pose” in yoga, or sometimes referred to as “sitting seiza”) requires quite a bit of quad (and ankle!) flexibility. Luckily there are simple ways we can modify this pose to help the quads get a challenging stretch without going overboard and hurting our knees or feet. And for students who can already comfortably sit in this position without feeling a stretch, there are modifications to make it more challenging as well.
This quad stretch is also unique because it targets the three quad muscles that don’t cross the hip joint: our vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis and vastus medialis, while giving our usually tight rectus femoris a break flexing the hip.
How To
Step 1
Start kneeling on the floor. If you have tight quads or ankles, place a yoga block (or two, or three… use as many as you need to feel comfortable and in control) between your ankles. If it’s comfortable on your ankles, point your toes out behind you (it’s OK if your ankle is still partially flexed)
Step 2
Sit your butt back towards your heels - either onto your yoga block(s) or onto your heels, feeling a stretch through the front of your thighs (in your quads)
Hold for 20-30 seconds.
Modifications
Need to make it easier?
Bolster your butt even higher, sitting on 2-3 yoga blocks.
Want to make it harder?
Lean back with your torso to turn this into a reclined quad stretch (only recommended if you have no knee discomofrt and the seated stretch feels very mild).
Related Content
Flexopedia: Prone Quad Stretch
Flexopedia: Prone Quad Contract-Relax (PNF)
Flexopedia: Donkey Kicks
Blog Post: 5 Beginner-Friendly Quad Stretch
Blog Post: Advanced Quad and Hip Flexor Stretches for Contortion
