Seated Figure-4 Stretch
Cross your ankle over the opposite knee, sit tall, hinge forward at the hips until you feel the buttock open. Hold 45 seconds each side. You should feel a deep stretch through the buttock and outer hip of the crossed leg. Should never be felt in the knee. If the knee complains, flex the foot more strongly or use the supine version.
The seated figure-4 is the desk-friendly version of the supine piriformis stretch. It works particularly well for office workers whose sciatic symptoms flare after extended sitting, because the hip flexion required puts the piriformis on stretch in the exact position where it has been shortened all day. The trade-off is that the lumbar flexion involved makes it less appropriate for true discogenic sciatica.
Illustration. Follow the steps for the actual technique.
How to do it
- 1
Sit on a sturdy chair with both feet flat on the floor
Sit tall
- 2
Cross your right ankle over your left thigh, just above the knee
Figure-4 the legs
- 3
Flex your right foot (toes back toward your shin) to protect the knee
Foot flexed
- 4
Keeping your back long, hinge forward from the hips, not the lower back
Hinge from hips
- 5
Hold 45 seconds, breathing into the right buttock. Switch sides
Breathe and release
The evidence
The seated figure-4 is the desk-friendly version of the supine piriformis stretch. It works particularly well for office workers whose sciatic symptoms flare after extended sitting, because the hip flexion required puts the piriformis on stretch in the exact position where it has been shortened all day. The trade-off is that the lumbar flexion involved makes it less appropriate for true discogenic sciatica.
Citation: Cass SP (2015). Piriformis syndrome: a cause of nondiscogenic sciatica. Current Sports Medicine Reports
Common questions
How long should I hold the Seated Figure-4 Stretch?
Hold the Seated Figure-4 Stretch for 45 seconds on each side, breathing slowly. Then switch sides.
What should I feel during the Seated Figure-4 Stretch?
A deep stretch through the buttock and outer hip of the crossed leg. Should never be felt in the knee. If the knee complains, flex the foot more strongly or use the supine version.
Is the Seated Figure-4 Stretch right for disc-bias or piriformis-bias sciatica?
The Seated Figure-4 Stretch targets piriformis-bias sciatica: deep buttock pain that worsens with prolonged sitting, without a clear electric pattern running down the leg. It keeps the lumbar spine neutral, so it is not the first choice for disc-bias sciatica, where symptoms instead centralise with back extension.
When should I stop the Seated Figure-4 Stretch?
If hinging forward shoots pain down the leg, stop. Forward flexion irritates discs; this site's disc-bias routine uses different stretches for that pattern.