Most of the best groin stretches are those that bring the thigh away from the midline or extend your thigh backward at the hip. The first one is my own favorite and one I haven’t seen elsewhere. Try it you’ll like it!

1. Sit on the edge of a chair with your left knee out to the side and your right leg extended out to the right and close to the chair. Twist your hips to face to the left so you’re sitting on one butt cheek in a lunge position. Straighten your right leg behind you. Tighten your butt to push the hip forward. Exhale and stretch for two seconds, then return to your starting position. Repeat 10 times. The key here is to turn your pelvis so both hip bones face to the left like headlights on a car. You will feel this strongly in your groin. If you don’t, twist your hips to the left more until you do. Make sure your right leg is out straight. This stretch gets most of the groin muscles. Do the stretch on both sides.

2. In a lunge position, kneel on your left knee with your right leg bent in front of you. Balance yourself with one hand on a chair or table beside you.  Tighten the left gluteus in your butt to push your hip forward. Once you feel the stretch in your groin, you can move forward a little onto the right leg to open the angle of your left hip flexors. Exhale and hold the stretch for two seconds, then relax your butt and sit back a little to flex your hip at the groin. Repeat 10 times on each side. This stretch gets iliopsoas, tensor fasciae latae, rectus femoris and the pectineus.

3. Lying on your back with your knee bent, wrap a rope around the bottom of your right foot then with both parts together, around the outside of your ankle and back under your calf then up and across your knee. Hold both ends of the rope in your right hand. Stretch your knee out to the side and when you can’t go any farther yourself, assist with downward pressure against your knee with the rope. Exhale and stretch for two seconds. Return to the starting position with your knee pointing at the ceiling. Repeat 10 times on each side.

Try this in three positions to get all of the muscles. First is with your foot at your knee. Second is with your heel at your crotch. Third is with your knee out to the side of your chest. This last one you can do without the rope. The stretch is for the short adductors and the top part of the adductor magnus.

4. This is an advanced stretch. Lying on your back, wrap a rope or strap around your right foot then around to the inside of your calf, around the back and out to the right side. Hold the rope in your right hand. Extend your straight leg up over your body at right angles to the floor. Lower your leg out to the side. Exhale and extend the stretch by pushing down on your thigh with the rope. Hold for two seconds and bring your thigh up overhead again, assisting with the rope. Repeat 10 times. Do the same on the left side. (If you need a counterbalance because you’re tipping over, bend the non-working leg at the knee and drop it out to the side.)

If this position hurts too much, it’s because gravity adds weight to the weight of your leg. Start with your leg bent both at your hip and knee with your heel tucked up at your crotch. Use the rope to press down at your knee. As your groin muscles lengthen, you can straighten your leg to get a longer stretch.