How to Stretch Thigh Adductors

Step 1

Your inner thighs, also known as your thigh adductors, are used for all kinds of daily activities: running, walking up stairs, jumping, bending- even something as simple as getting out of bed in the morning. Making sure that your adductors are properly stretched is a good way to keep yourself active. For the athletes out there, you're constantly using your thigh adductors in training and in games, and if you don't manage to keep them loose you could risk missing out on part of your season due to injuries.

Step 2

There are a few good ways to stretch your thigh adductors out, all of which involve being on the floor. Because of this, I recommend grabbing yourself a yoga mat for comfort and accessibility to stretch anywhere you want. I've linked a great mat below that comes with a carry strap and is made out of a thick foam. This mat isn't too expensive either, so buy one while you can. You'll end up using it for far more than stretching your thigh adductors- but today that's all we're going to focus on.

Step 3

The first way you can stretch your thigh adductors is with a simple reach-for-your-toes stretch. Sit down on the ground and stretch your legs directly in front of you, side by side. Doing your best to keep your legs flat on the floor, reach forward as far as you can and grab your toes. This stretch works for multiple muscles, and the thigh adductors are one of the main ones.

Step 4

Another good common stretch that hits the thigh adductors is the butterfly stretch. You probably remember doing this in gym class: put the soles of your feet together in front of you and slowly push your knees down with your elbows. Don't bob your knees up and down- simply push them until you feel a deep stretch in your inner thighs. This position can (and should) be held for some time.

Step 5

Besides normal stretching, you can always turn to yoga poses for an added stretch in your thigh adductors. There are a multitude of different poses that can be done, but the two most helpful ones (in my humble opinion) are the leapfrog stretch and windshield wipers. The leapfrog is done with elbows in the ground in front of you, and knees split as far apart as is comfortable. This position is easy to hold for a long time, and it massively stretches your inner thighs. The windshield wiper is more of an exercise, and you can find the instructions for doing it elsewhere on our website. Doing the windshield wiper will increase flexibility in your entire mid-section, and loosen up the muscles in your inner thighs.