Wide-Knee Seated Forward Bend

How to do it

1. Sit with the knees bent and legs comfortably wide, placing the hands on the floor for support.
2. Lean forward gradually, allowing gentle spinal and hip flexion without pulling the chin to the chest.
3. Descend only through a comfortable range and hold for 20 to 30 seconds.

Form cues

• Support the body with the hands rather than forcing depth.
• Stop for back pain, tingling or radiating symptoms.

Why this exercise helps

Sitting with the knees comfortably wide places the hips in abduction and may create a stretch through the inner thighs as the torso leans forward. Hand support lets you regulate the depth and return without relying on momentum, and some people find a gentle forward-bent position comfortable for the lower back. The exercise does not diagnose the source of back stiffness or require a particular spinal shape. Stop if you feel tingling, numbness, or symptoms traveling into a leg, and seek assessment if those symptoms persist.

Stop or modify if

• Rounding the upper back and collapsing the shoulders to add depth. Let the hips drive the fold; the spine follows naturally without forcing the torso down.
• Pulling the chin to the chest. Keep a neutral or slightly lengthened neck so the whole spine hinges at the hips rather than flexing at the upper back.
• Forcing the knees wider than is comfortable. Start with a moderate stance and widen only when the inner thighs can relax into the position.

Modifications and progressions

• Sit on a folded blanket or cushion to reduce the demand on hip and posterior-chain flexibility if maintaining an upright starting position is difficult.
• To progress, gradually reduce hand support so the torso descends further as hip and back range allows over several weeks.
• For a static alternative, rest the forehead on stacked fists and breathe into the stretch rather than trying to reach further.

Muscles worked

Stretches: erector spinae, hip adductors

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