Gentle Hip Flexion Stretch for Hip Pain, Back Pain, and Hip Impingement

If you have trouble getting into a deep squat because hip flexion hurts, this is the gentlest exercise you can do to improve your range of motion. If even bringing your knee toward your chest feels blocked — whether in the front or back of your hip — this method will help. This is a key movement, especially if you've been given that scary-sounding “hip impingement” diagnosis.

The Mindset Shift You Need

One way to think about hip flexion problems is: “My body just isn’t made for it, so why try?” But that mindset doesn’t lead to progress.

A better way: treat it like learning a handstand or cartwheel. If it’s uncomfortable at first, that doesn’t mean your body isn’t built for it — it just isn’t trained for it yet. By exposing your body to the movement gradually, at a safe intensity, you give it a chance to adapt and improve.

Your hip flexion can improve the same way — patiently, gently, and with progressive exposure.

The Gentle Hip Flexion Exercise

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Bring one knee toward your chest slowly and carefully (avoid skinny jeans — seriously).
3. If you can’t reach, use a strap, belt, or towel looped under your thigh or shin.
4. Stop when you feel a gentle stretch in your glutes (back of your hip) — not jamming in the front of your hip. If you feel front-of-hip jamming, back off slightly.

Add Gentle Contractions

• While holding the knee toward your chest, gently push your leg back down into your hands (firing glutes and hamstrings). Hold for 3–5 seconds, then relax and see if you can go slightly deeper without pain.
• You can also switch it up: use your hands to resist while trying to pull your knee in toward your face (firing hip flexors).

Adjust Leg Position

If midline hip flexion is too stiff or painful, try bringing your knee up slightly to the side. This can make the stretch more accessible while still targeting key hip muscles.

Watch for Cheating

When your hip hits a limit, your body may try to “cheat” by tilting your pelvis or twisting your low back. Keep your pelvis stable so the stretch stays in your hip.

Progressions and Variations

• Start with the knee slightly out to the side, then work toward midline over time.
• Once you can control midline, you can experiment with crossing slightly past it — but go slow to keep the stretch in your glutes, not your back.
• Try different “vectors” of resistance: pushing the femur back along its length, dragging the knee toward the floor, or resisting in rotation.
• Intentionally add a slight twist to the pelvis once you have control, to challenge muscles in new ways.

Recap

Key points for this gentle hip flexion work:

• Lie on your back and bring one knee toward your chest with control.
• Use props if needed.
• Stop at a comfortable limit in your glutes — avoid front-of-hip jamming.
• Add gentle contractions in various directions.
• Explore positions: out to the side, midline, slightly past midline.
• Match your effort and frequency to your body’s tolerance.

How Often Should You Do This?

Start with 2x per week in the first week. If you feel fine and not overly sore, increase to 3–4x per week. Advanced movers who tolerate it well can even do it daily. Always listen to your body — if it feels sketchy or painful the next day, back off.

Pair this with hip flexor and quad stretches to balance your hip mobility in both directions.

Why This Matters for Hip and Back Health

If you have poor hip flexion, your body will often compensate by flexing your spine instead. While that’s not inherently dangerous, it can increase injury risk when lifting heavy or doing dynamic movements. Likewise, if your hip flexors are too stiff and limit hip extension, your low back may extend excessively to make up for it.

By building your hip’s ability to move well in both directions, you reduce strain on your spine and improve your freedom to move without pain — whether that’s for squats, sports, dancing, climbing, etc. 

Next Steps

If you’d like a full program to retrain and rebuild your hips, check out my Healthy Hips program. It’s money-back guaranteed and packed with exercises, stretches, and strategies to help you get your hips feeling healthy again.

Click here to learn more about Healthy Hips.

And if you want ongoing ideas, motivation, and behind-the-scenes content, join me on Patreon: patreon.com/uprighthealth.