Psoas Stretch: How To Release A Tight Psoas, With Yoga Lunges And A Chair
Psoas stretch: the short answer
A tight psoas (say “SO-as”, the deep muscle that runs from your lower spine across the front of the hip to your thigh) loosens with lunges that take the thigh back behind the body. The low lunge, a chair lunge and Warrior 1 all do this. Sitting folds the hip all day and nothing in a modern day takes the leg back, so the front of the hip shortens. Hold each lunge for about 30 seconds, breathe out as you settle, and keep the back long. Here is the article in short form:
- Sitting shortens the front of the hip. Tight hip flexors pull the pelvis forward and squeeze the lower back.
- Hip extension (taking the leg back behind you) is the movement we lose most with age.
- Eight weeks of Iyengar yoga gave 19 older people back some of it.
- The lunge family does the job: low lunge, chair lunge, Warrior 1.
- Hold about 30 seconds. Do not force it.
- A chair makes the stretch easy to hold.
- In Darwin, learn it in a beginner class or online.
Last updated: 25 October 2026.
A quick word on Iyengar yoga. Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is the style we teach at Flametree, in Darwin and live online.
Low lunge with the arms up. The back thigh reaches behind you and the front of the hip opens.
What is the psoas and why does it get tight?
The psoas is a deep hip flexor (a muscle that lifts the thigh towards the body). It starts on the lower spine, passes through the pelvis and joins the top of the thigh bone. Because it links the spine to the leg, a short psoas can pull on the lower back.
The reason is the chair. Sit, and the hip folds. Drive, and it folds. Sit on the couch, and it folds again. Hardly anything in a modern day takes the thigh back behind the body. Kelly Starrett, an American physical therapist and mobility coach, and his wife Juliet describe a typical day at about 12 hours in a chair. That is a long time with the front of the hip folded and short.
Rachel Krentzman, an American physical therapist (physiotherapist) and yoga therapist, explains in Yoga for a Happy Back that tight hip flexors from long hours of sitting pull the pelvis forward and squeeze the lower back. So a psoas stretch is often a lower back stretch in disguise.
Up to age 74, most joints lose only a few degrees. Hip extension loses the most.
Is it age, or is it the chair?
Mostly the chair. A large American national health survey measured the hips and knees of 1,683 people by age (Roach and Miles, Physical Therapy, 1991). In most movements, the oldest group, up to age 74, had lost only 3 to 5 degrees compared with the youngest. The one big exception was hip extension, which had lost more than a fifth of its range. The researchers concluded that, at least to 74, a large loss of joint movement should not be put down to ageing.
The same movement can come back. In a 2005 American study, 19 healthy people aged 62 to 83 did eight weeks of Iyengar yoga, two 90-minute classes a week plus home practice (DiBenedetto and colleagues, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation). Afterwards their hips extended further and their walking stride was longer. The more often they practised at home, the bigger the change. It was a small study without a comparison group, but it measured exactly the movement that age and chairs take away.
The stiffness circle. Less movement leads to more stiffness. Small, supported, regular practice is the way out.
How do you release a tight psoas?
With poses that take the thigh back while the pelvis stays steady. These three come into our classes again and again:
- Low lunge (Anjaneyasana). Step one foot forward, lower the back knee to a folded mat and bend the front knee over the ankle. Lengthen the tailbone towards the floor so the lower back does not sink, then lift the arms. The back thigh reaches behind you. Do both sides.
- Chair lunge. Put your front foot on the floor and your hands on a chair back or seat for support. The chair holds the weight so you can stay in the stretch without strain. It is the best start for stiff hips.
- Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana 1). Step wide, turn the back foot in a little and bend the front knee. Press the back heel down and keep the back leg strong. The standing pose stretches the front of the hip while the legs work.
In every pose, breathe out slowly as you settle. Never bounce and never hold your breath.
Chair lunge. The chair takes the weight, so you can stay and breathe.
How long should you hold a psoas stretch?
About 30 seconds, repeated. The best test we have is for the hamstrings. In a 1994 American trial, 57 people aged 21 to 37 with tight hamstrings held a stretch for 15, 30 or 60 seconds, five days a week for six weeks, or did not stretch (Bandy and Irion, Physical Therapy). Thirty seconds worked as well as 60, and both beat 15 seconds or no stretching. Hold times for the psoas in yoga poses have not yet been tested, so a steady half-minute is a good place to start.
Mr Iyengar’s advice was not to try force. A gain of 5 to 10% in a stretch is good, and a stiff body can learn. In a 1996 Danish study, three weeks of stretching raised how much stretch people could tolerate, but the muscle pushed back as hard as before (Magnusson and colleagues, Journal of Physiology). So the limit is partly in the brain. Calm, steady holds teach it to allow more.
A standing lunge holding a chair back. The chair steadies you while the hip opens.
Can a tight psoas cause lower back discomfort?
It can add to it. Krentzman’s picture is that tight front hip muscles pull the pelvis forward, and the lower back is squeezed. Relaxing the front of the hip takes some of that load off. Tight hamstrings and buttock muscles do their own damage, so stretch all three: see tight hamstrings and glute stretches.
The psoas is one of the hip flexors. For the wider picture of stiff hips, see our guide to tight hips, and for lower back poses see lower back stretches. The psoas is one of several hip flexors, and our hip flexor stretch guide covers the whole group, including the front of the thigh.
Warrior 1. Press the back heel down and the front of the hip stretches.
Get the free ebook Too Stiff For Yoga?. New to Flametree, or away for 3 months or more? You get 2 free classes + 2 ebooks, only available via this offer. Already coming to class? You can still get the book.
Where can I get help with a psoas stretch in Darwin?
For a psoas stretch in Darwin, come to a beginner class at Flametree’s Woolner studio or join live online from anywhere in Australia. Every class uses chairs, belts, blocks and a wall, and the teacher adjusts each lunge to your body. You do not need to be flexible to start. Our guide to Yoga For Flexibility goes further. Chris also teaches a Sunday 6 December masterclass, Yoga for stronger and more flexible hips, in Darwin and online: see the Sunday Arvo Yoga Masterclasses.
Frequently asked questions
How do you release a tight psoas?
With lunges that take the thigh back behind the body: the low lunge, a chair lunge and Warrior 1. Keep the back long, breathe out slowly and hold about 30 seconds on each side.
Where is the psoas muscle and what does it do?
It runs from the lower spine through the pelvis to the top of the thigh bone. It is a deep hip flexor that lifts the thigh towards the body, so it links the lower back to the leg.
Why is my psoas tight from sitting?
Sitting keeps the hip folded for hours, so the front of the hip stays short. The Starretts count a typical day at about 12 hours in a chair, and hardly anything in it takes the thigh back behind the body.
Is the loss of hip movement caused by age?
Mostly not. A survey of 1,683 people found that up to age 74 most joints lost only 3 to 5 degrees, but hip extension lost more than a fifth. The researchers did not put large losses down to ageing.
Can yoga improve hip extension?
In a 2005 study, 19 people aged 62 to 83 did eight weeks of Iyengar yoga and their hips extended further and their stride grew longer. It was small and had no comparison group.
How long should I hold a psoas stretch?
About 30 seconds. In a 1994 trial of 57 people, 30 seconds worked as well as 60 for tight hamstrings. Hold times for the psoas in yoga have not yet been tested, so start with a half-minute.
What is the best chair stretch for a tight psoas?
The chair lunge: front foot on the floor, hands on a chair back or seat, back leg reaching behind you. The chair takes your weight so you can stay and breathe.
Where can I learn a psoas stretch in Darwin?
Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga at Woolner in Darwin and live online. Beginner classes use chairs, belts and blocks, and the teacher adjusts each stretch to your body.
Where to next
- New to yoga, or coming back? Start with our half price 10 class pass with 2 classes free, in Darwin or live online.
- For a workplace, team or group: book private yoga classes for groups, online, at a Flametree studio or at your venue.
- Want to see class times first? Look at the beginner timetable.
Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and live online. This article is general information, not medical advice.
Sources: Roach KE and Miles TP, Normal hip and knee active range of motion: the relationship to age, Physical Therapy, 1991; DiBenedetto M and colleagues, Effect of a gentle Iyengar yoga program on gait in the elderly, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2005; Bandy WD and Irion JM, Physical Therapy, 1994; Magnusson SP and colleagues, Journal of Physiology, 1996; Krentzman R, Yoga for a Happy Back; Starrett K and Starrett J, Built to Move; Too Stiff For Yoga? and Happy Backs ebooks.
