Lower Body Stretches
Keep your muscles loose and limber with these great lower body stretches. Learn the knee-to-chest stretch, seated butterfly stretch and more.
Quadriceps Stretch
Keep your legs flexible to ease walking and other daily tasks with this quadricep stretch.
Stretches the quadriceps and muscles around the hips and knees
Stretches the quadriceps and muscles around the hips and knees
- Brace yourself against the back of a chair or a wall with one hand and bend the opposite knee.
- Grab your leg just above the ankle and pull it backwards toward your buttocks, letting that knee drop toward the other.
- With your tummy tight, buttocks tucked, hold.
- Relax, then switch legs.
Knee-To-Chest Stretch
Increase your flexibility in your lower back, hips and buttocks with the knee-to-chest stretch.
Stretches lower back, hip muscles and buttocks
Stretches lower back, hip muscles and buttocks
- Lie on your back with your knees bent.
- Bring one knee into your hands and gently let your arms pull your knee toward your chest.
- Hold, then lower your bent leg.
- Relax, then repeat with the other leg.
Seated Butterfly
Stretch your inner thighs, groin, hips and muscles around your knees with a proper butterfly stretch.
Stretches inner thighs, groin and muscles around the hips and knees
Stretches inner thighs, groin and muscles around the hips and knees
- Sit up straight and tall with your knees bent.
- Drop your legs to the sides and bring the soles of your feet together.
- Grasp your feet and ankles and slowly lean forward, keeping your spine straight.
- Place your elbows on the tops of your thighs and gently press down until you feel a stretch.
- If you want more of a stretch, push down on the thighs with your elbows, to move your knees toward the floor.
Seated Hamstring Stretch
Stubborn hamstrings tight? Get proper step-by-step directions on how to do a seated hamstring stretch.
Stretches hamstrings, hips and calves
Stretches hamstrings, hips and calves
- Sitting up straight with legs extended in front of you, bend one knee up, then let that leg drop out to the side.
- Bend forward from the hips with your chest up, chin up.
- With your toes pointed up toward your nose on the extended leg, reach toward your toes.
- Hold, then switch legs.
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