How To Actually Stretch Your IT Band

If you have sharp pain or tightness on the outside of your knees or hips, there’s a good chance it’s caused by your IT band. This area of the body is notoriously tough to stretch, but never fear — there are plenty of trainer-approved IT band stretches that’ll help you get in there and set things right.

For a quick rundown, the IT band — short for iliotibial band — is a thick bunch of fibers that stretch from the outside of your hip down your thigh to the outside of your knee, and then over to the top of your shinbone, says Austin Martinez, MS, CSCS, ATC, a stretch expert and VP of education at StretchLab.

“If your IT band gets too tight, it can lead to swelling and pain around your knee,” he tells Bustle. The pain can also radiate up to your hip. Most often, the ache sets in after activities that require you to bend your knee repeatedly, like running, cycling, hiking, or walking long distances, Martinez says. Just got back from a three-mile hot girl walk? It’s possible your IT band will flare up.

This pain is referred to as IT band syndrome and it can take four to eight weeks to completely heal. To get back on track, it’ll help to stretch the area three times a week for about 30 minutes at a time, says Ronny Garcia, CPT, a certified personal trainer with Blink Fitness. Read on for everything you need to know about stretching your IT bands.

Why The IT Band Is Tough To Stretch

According to trainer Michael Hamlin, NSCA, CSCS, the IT band connects your hip muscles to your knee and plays a key role in stabilizing your knee during movement. Lots of leg bending can cause a flare-up, but this area can start to hurt if you have poor posture or muscle imbalances as well, he tells Bustle.

“Tightness in the IT band can also be caused by running or walking on uneven surfaces, which can cause the band to rub against the bone and become inflamed,” Hamlin says. But another common culprit is too much time spent sitting, he notes.

When you pair repetitive movement, sitting, or lots of walking with a lack of stretching — it’s so easy to skip your post-exercise cooldown, after all— that’s when the IT might seize up and limit your mobility, Garcia adds.

Because your IT bands are meant to act as a stabilizer while you move versus something that can be actively stretched like a muscle, it makes it extra tricky to keep the area limber. “Since it’s connected to other muscle groups, you have to stretch the muscles around the band itself,” Garcia tells Bustle.

How To Stretch Your IT Band

1. Foam Rolling

Hamlin recommends foam rolling your legs before a workout, for one. “Foam rolling beforehand can be a great way to limit injuries and create circulation to that area,” he says.

• Foam roll your thighs, glutes, and calves for 30 seconds each.
• Repeat for two to three sets on each side.

2. Side-Lying IT Stretch

Garcia says there’s a fine line between stretching your IT band and going too far, so ease into this stretch and stop it if really hurts.

• Lie on your side with your legs stacked.
• Bend your top knee and reach down to grab your ankle.
• Pull back on your ankle and place your bottom foot on the side of your top knee.
• Pull your foot on your knee toward the floor gently.
• Hold the stretch for 15 to 20 seconds and release.
• Repeat three to five times on each side.

3. Quad Stretch

Garcia is a fan of a quad stretch because it reaches the quad muscles around the band.

• Do a half kneel with one leg down and the other leg stepping out in front of you.
• Push your hips forward.
• At the same time, tilt your pelvis backwards so you feel a stretch over the front of your thigh and hip.
• Grab onto your foot.
• Hold the stretch for 30 to 40 seconds.
• Repeat two to three times on each side.

4. Standing IT Band Stretch

Here, Martinez shares an IT band stretch you can do to relieve pain along the sides of your hips.

• While standing, cross your right leg in front of your left and press firmly into both feet.
• Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Lean to the right side as far as your body will allow, feeling the stretch in your knee and outer hip.
• To deepen the stretch, reach your left arm overhead.
• Press your left hand into a wall for added resistance or stability.
• Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
• Repeat the stretch three times on each side.

5. Standing Forward Bend Variation

Next up, try this bendy variation from Martinez.

• While standing, cross your right ankle in front of your left.
• Slightly bend your knees as you fold forward, placing your hands on the floor, on a block, or another stable surface.
• Press your legs into each other for added resistance.
• Hold this position for up to one minute.
• Repeat on the opposite side.
• Do each side two to three times.

6. Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend

Martinez recommends this standard forward fold, but with wide legs to reach the outside of your hips.

• From a standing position, jump or step your feet out so they’re wider than your shoulders.
• Turn your toes in slightly and put a slight bend in your knee.
• Slowly hinge at the hips to fold forward, dropping your hands down to the floor.
• Press into the outer edges of your legs and feet, feeling a stretch along the outside of your lower body.
• Walk your hands to the right and turn your upper body to the right, placing your hands on the outside of your right leg.
• Hold for 15 seconds.
• Repeat on the left side.
• Do each side two to three times.

Studies referenced:

Adamczyk, JG. (2020). Does the type of foam roller influence the recovery rate, thermal response and DOMS prevention? PLoS One. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235195.

Strauss, EJ. (2011). Iliotibial band syndrome: evaluation and management. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. doi: 10.5435/00124635-201112000-00003. PMID: 22134205.

Sources:

Austin Martinez, MS, CSCS, ATC, stretch expert, VP of education at StretchLab

Ronny Garcia, CPT, certified personal trainer with Blink Fitness

Michael Hamliln, NSCA, CSCS, trainer, founder of Everflex Fitness