9 Groin Stretches Fitness Pros Recommend

The groin is made up of your lower abs, inner thighs, and hip adductor muscles, says yoga instructor Jenni Hackworth. If you sit for too long or do lower body workouts, this area can feel tight and sore — and might even pull or strain. These groin stretches will keep it flexible.

Leg Swings

Hackworth recommends stretching the groin 3x a day if you sit a lot. She also says to do dynamic groin stretches like these before a workout.

- Plant one foot.

- Swing your other leg back and forth to open hip adductors.

- Swing for 30 seconds.

- Repeat on other leg.

Seated Adductor Stretch

Pilates pro Gia Calhoun suggests stretching the groin after lower body workouts, too.

- Sit with your legs as wide as possible.

- Keep legs straight, kneecaps up, walk your hands forward on floor.

- Feel a stretch in inner thighs.

- Take 5 deep breaths.

Garland Pose

Hackworth likes this static stretch to open the hips and groin.

- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.

- Squat down, separate thighs by pressing elbows into inner knees.

- Bring hands together, lengthen through top of head.

- Hold for 30 seconds.

Lizard Pose

Here’s another static stretch from Hackworth.

- Get into runner’s lunge, hands on floor.

- Plant one foot outside hand.

- Keep back toes on mat, sink hips as low as you can get.

- Front knee stays in line with toes.

- Come down to forearms.

- Hold 30 seconds per leg.

Child’s Pose

Trainer Jack Dickson recommends this move.

- Kneel on the floor with your feet together.

- Slowly spread your knees apart and sink down to floor.

- Focus on feeling a stretch in the inner thighs.

- Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.

- Repeat 3x.

Cossack Squat

Trainer TJ Mentus says this can be done as a dynamic move or static hold.

- Stand, legs apart.

- Keep one leg straight, sit hips back, squat to side.

- Bent knee is in line with toes. Other foot points up.

- Switch side to side 10x, or hold for 30 seconds per side.

Butterfly Pose

Yoga instructor Devan Carlsen suggests stretching the groin area a few times a day with this pose.

- Start seated on ground. Soles of feet together.

- Slowly let knees open to floor.

- Hold for 2 minutes, breathe.

- You can also lie back or fold forward.

Frog Pose

Try to move slowly into this stretch, says Carlsen.

- Start on all fours.

- Bring knees out wide.

- Turn feet to sides so inner edges press into floor.

- Lower down onto forearms.

- Rest your head on pillow or stacked hands.

- Hold 2-5 minutes, take deep breaths.

Leg Up Stretch

Pilates pro Elaine Morrison likes this stretch to reach the inner thighs.

- Place one leg up on a railing or piece of furniture.

- Keep leg straight as you reach body towards toes.

- Feel stretch in inner thigh.

- Hold for a few seconds.

- Repeat with other leg.