Piriformis
Exercises that target the piriformis, grouped by whether they stretch or strengthen it.
The piriformis is a small muscle deep in the buttock running from the sacrum to the top of the thigh bone. With the hip extended it rotates the leg outward and helps stabilise the hip. It gets outsized attention because the sciatic nerve runs right beside — sometimes through — it.
It commonly becomes tight or overactive when the larger glutes are weak and it is left helping with rotation and stability it was not built for — a form of synergistic dominance. That strain can contribute to deep buttock or referred posterior-hip discomfort.
It responds to targeted stretching (figure-4 positions) combined with strengthening the gluteus maximus and medius so it is not left doing their job. See the hip mobility and glute-activation exercises. (It is one of several deep Hip External Rotators.)
