What is a Couch Stretch & How Can it Benefit You

A couch stretch is an amazing exercise to loosen tight hips and can be done throughout the day. It lengthens and opens up the hip flexors, which are often tight and shortened due to lots of sitting down, cycling, running and lifting weights. It is so good for athletes to help aid your performance.

The couch stretch can be used on a piece of furniture or gym equipment to help you get into the position. It is supposedly created by one of the mobility greats, Kelly Starrett which is a favourite among athletes.

The benefits of a couch stretch include:

• Improves overall flexibility

• Relieves tightness and improves hip mobility

• Helps with overall ease of movement

• Decrease hip flexor tightness

• Allows you to have better posture in your daily activity

• Alleviate pain in your back, thighs, and knees

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Precautions to take when doing a couch stretch

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Since the stretch is a deep stretch, you’ll want to build it up and stretch slowly or have a lot of tightness.

If you have limited flexibility, work on easier lower back and hip stretches to create openness in your body. This gives you the mobility needed to do the couch stretch safely.

Creating a straight line up from the hip to the knee

Remember that the couch stretch is not a lunge. You need to focus on creating a straight line from your hip to your knee so that you’re not shifting forward as you would in a lunge. If you have access to a coach in a class or personal trainer make sure you get them to watch and ensure that you’re doing it correctly. To ensure you get the most out of the exercise, make sure you’re not rotating through the thoracic spine. Make sure that your hips are facing forwards, whilst not letting your knee open out to the side or collapsing to the center.

Don’t over arch your back in this position

Maintain a neutral spine in the position by refraining from slouching or leaning your torso over. Ensure that you focus on proper hip alignment by rotating your hips internally. Don’t allow your hips to open to the side.

If you suffer from knee pain or have concerns about your knee then don’t do this exercise

Avoid putting direct pressure on your back knee. Don’t do this exercise if it causes you sharp pains, make sure you see your physio. Ensure you use your back knee as an anchor to be able to ground and stabilise your body. Make sure you don’t allow your front knee to travel past your ankle.

Key takeaways

• Do the couch stretch daily. A few times per week, spend a bit of extra time on this stretch by repeating each side multiple times. You can also spend some extra time stretching out whichever side is least flexible.

• The intensity of the couch stretch means you may need to work up to it slowly over time. It’s OK to take it back a few steps if the stretch is too deep or causes pain.

• If you’re able to get feedback from a fitness professional to help you make sure your position is aligned. If not filmed yourself so you can review your body position which usually helps when trying to improve your form with any exercise.

Depending on where you are at with your range we have put together 3 progressions for you to try.

Click here to read Lizzie’s article on 3 Ways to Progress Your Couch Stretch