Three Legged Down Dog Leg Lifts

Flexopedia > Hamstrings & Hip Flexors

Three Legged Down Dog Leg Lifts

Muscle Group Stretched: Hamstrings, Calves, Hip Flexors

Muscle Group Strengthened: Glutes

Type of Stretch: Active Dynamic

Difficulty: All Levels

Suggested Prerequisites: none

These active leg lifts in your Down Dog pose are a great way to strengthen the glutes in the lifting leg to add a hip flexor stretch, and stretch the hamstrings in the base leg at the same time. Talk about multitasking!

How To

Step 1

Start in a downward dog (knees can be bent, or straight, as long as your back is flat).

Step 2

Extend one leg behind you, straightening the leg and pointing the toes. Keeping both hip bones pointing to the floor (they’re going to want to lift!), lift the straight leg as high as you can, you should feel a strong squeeze in the glutes in that hip (you may also feel the hamstring stretch in the standing leg intensify). Hold that leg lifted as high as you can for a moment, then lower it back down to the floor.

Repeat for 8-12 leg lifts, making sure that only your leg is moving, and your hip bones aren’t tilting to the side.

Modifications

Need to make it easier?

Add blocks under your hands to shift more weight into the back leg, instead of into the wrists.

Bend the base knee even more.

Bend the lifting leg.

Want to make it harder?

Add ankle weights to the lifting leg.

Related Content

• Flexopedia: Downward Dog

• Flexopedia: Standing Split Kicks

• Blog Post: Why Are My Hamstrings Tight? (and How to Fix Themm)

• Blog Post: Can't Touch Your Toes? 8 Hamstring Stretches for Beginners

• Blog Post: How to Tell if Hamstring “Tightness” is Nerve or Muscle Tension