90 To 90 Stretch
90 To 90 Stretch Exercise Description
The 90 to 90 Stretch is a floor-based hip mobility drill that places the front hip in external rotation and the back hip in internal rotation at the same time. With both knees bent to roughly 90 degrees, the position targets the gluteal muscles and deep lateral rotators of the front hip while biasing the internal rotators of the rear hip. Maintaining a tall, neutral spine and hinging from the hips directs the stretch to the hips rather than the lower back. Gentle torso rotation lets you emphasize either external rotation (over the front shin) or internal rotation (toward the back thigh). This stretch is commonly used to improve rotational range of motion in the hips and to refine movement quality for lower-body patterns that rely on clean hip mechanics. Move within a comfortable range and prioritize smooth, controlled motion over depth.
- Muscle Groups: Glutes, Hips
- Target Muscles: Gluteus Maximus, Piriformis
- Assisting Muscles: Gluteus Minimus, Tensor Fasciae Latae
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Internal Obliques, Multifidus
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Hips, Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Unilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Stretching
- Functional Grouping: Hip Extensors, Hip Rotators
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Deep Glutes, Glutes
- Movement Direction: Rotational
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The 90 To 90 Stretch Exercise
‘- Sit on the floor, upright, with space to each side for your legs.
– Set the front leg: knee bent about 90°, shin roughly perpendicular to your torso, foot in line with the knee.
– Set the back leg: knee bent about 90° to your side, thigh angled behind the hip, shin pointing back.
– Stack rib cage over pelvis; keep a neutral spine and relaxed shoulders. Place hands on the floor for light support.
– Press both sit bones toward the floor; keep kneecaps pointing in the same direction as their shins.
– Inhale tall; exhale and hinge forward from the hips over the front shin without rounding the low back.
– Return upright, then rotate your torso toward the back thigh and gently hinge to bias internal rotation.
– Keep the motion in the hips; avoid twisting through the lumbar spine or collapsing the knees inward.
– Exit slowly, then switch leg positions to stretch the other side.
90 To 90 Stretch Tips
‘- Bend both knees to about 90° so the front shin is roughly perpendicular to your torso and the back shin points behind you.
– Line up the front foot with the front knee to keep the leg organized and supported.
– Stack your rib cage directly over your pelvis and maintain a tall, neutral spine throughout.
– Use your hands on the floor only for light support so your hips do most of the work.
– Gently press both sit bones toward the floor to ground your pelvis.
– Keep each kneecap pointing in the same direction as its shin to align the hips and knees.
– Inhale to grow tall, then exhale as you hinge from the hips over the front shin without rounding your lower back.
– When rotating toward the back thigh, keep the motion coming from the hips rather than twisting through the lumbar spine.
– Move slowly and within a comfortable range, prioritizing smooth, controlled motion over how far you go.
90 To 90 Stretch Beginner Introduction
The 90 to 90 Stretch is a floor-based hip mobility exercise that places each hip in a different rotated position, with both legs bent at right angles. In this setup, the front leg encourages the outer hip and glutes to lengthen, while the rear leg emphasizes the inner hip muscles. The torso stays upright and long, and the bend forward originates from the hips, so the sensation centers more around the hips than the lower back. Hands on the floor offer light balance support without taking the work away from the hips.
Small, controlled turns of the upper body change where the stretch is felt most. Angling the chest toward the front shin highlights outward rotation, while turning toward the rear thigh brings more attention to inward rotation. This calm, deliberate motion helps refine how the hips rotate, which can carry over to lower-body movements that rely on smooth, coordinated hip action, such as squatting, stepping, or change-of-direction activities.