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Exercise guide
Wide-Legged Forward Fold
A standing fold from a wide stance with the hands on the floor, lengthening the hamstrings and the inner thighs while the spine hangs long.
What this exercise works
- Muscles
- adductors · hamstrings · erector spinae · gastrocnemius
- Goals
- mobility
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Category
- Stretching
- Difficulty
- beginner
Demonstration
Step 1
How to perform the movement
- Stand with the feet wide apart and the outer edges parallel.
- Place the hands on the hips, lift the chest and hinge forward from the hip joints.
- Bring the hands to the floor under the shoulders and let the head hang.
- Hold the fold for the prescribed time, shifting the weight slightly into the balls of the feet.
- Bring the hands back to the hips and come up with a flat back.
Technique cues and common mistakes
- Micro-bend the knees so the fold comes from the hips rather than the lower back.
- Keep the feet parallel; turning them out takes the stretch out of the inner thighs.
- Rest the hands on blocks when the floor is out of reach.