Supine Wall Straddle
Supine Wall Straddle
Muscle Group Stretched: Adductors
Muscle Group Strengthened: n/a
Type of Stretch: Passive Static
Difficulty: All Levels
Suggested Prerequisites: none
Similar to the legs up the wall stretch, this back-lying straddle lets us use the wall to support our legs into a gentle passive inner thigh stretch. This is a great alternative to middle splits or frogger stretches for students who experience knee discomfort in those stretches because we take all the weight out of our knees in this stretch.
How To
Step 1
Start lying on your back and scoot your butt aaaaaaaall the way up against a wall. You should feel your “sits bones” (the little boney nubs at the bottom of your hips) pressing into the wall (unless you’re working on a gentler variation, see below for modifications).
Step 2
Open your legs out to the side into a straddle, keeping your back flat on the floor. If you have tight hips, keeping a slight bend in the knees may make this feel gentler. If it feels comfortable to straighten the legs, go ahead and straighten them.
If you’d like to hold a deeper stretch, you can use your hands to pull your legs down the wall to open them into a wider straddle than “just” gravity can pull them alone (this works best if your feet aren’t slippery, so wearing sneakers or no socks will help hold those heels on the wall best for this variation).
Hold this passive stretch for 20-60 seconds.
Modifications
Need to make it easier?
Scoot your butt a little farther away from the wall. If you have tight hamstrings and usually can’t sit up with a flat back on the floor in a seated straddle, starting with your butt an inch or two away from the wall will make this more comfortable
Slightly bend your knees.
Support the weight of your legs with your hands holding your outer thighs.
Want to make it harder?
Lift your torso and start to reach your belly towards the wall. Start with propping yourself up on your elbows, if that’s easy, you can prop yourself up on your hands. Just make sure you’re keeping your back flat and not rounding as you try to reach your belly toward the wall.
Related Content
Flexopedia: Legs Up the Wall
Flexopedia: Seated Wall Straddle Pancake
Blog Post: Knee Pain in Middle Splits? Try These Adjustments
Blog Post: 10-Minute Middle Split & Straddle Routine
