# Frog Stretch: how to do it

- Main muscles: adductors
- Equipment: bodyweight
- Level: intermediate
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/frog_stretch/7acefc6c85/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Start on your hands and knees on a padded mat.
2. Slide your knees out wide, with your feet in line with your knees and toes pointing out.
3. Lower onto your forearms and keep your back flat.
4. Slowly push your hips back towards your heels until you feel a stretch in your inner thighs.
5. Hold or rock gently back and forth for 30–60 seconds, breathing slowly.

## Cues

- Ankles in line with your knees.
- Back flat, hips back.
- Go slowly, never bounce.

## Common mistakes

- Sagging lower back: tighten your stomach to keep your back flat.
- Knees too wide too soon: start narrower and widen a little each time.
- Feet turning in behind you: keep your shins pointing straight out to the sides.

## The version in our demo

On the forearms, knees spread wide and bent to 90°, ankles in line with the knees, inner calves and feet on the floor, then rocking the hips gently back towards the heels. This is the kneeling version both Cleveland Clinic and Physitrack teach; the squatting frog is a different stretch.

## Starting position

On hands and knees on a padded mat, then walk the knees out to the sides as far as is comfortable, hips staying level with the knees. Knees bent about 90°, shins pointing straight out to the sides, ankles in line with the knees, inner edges of the feet and calves on the floor, toes pointing out. Lower onto the forearms, elbows under the shoulders, palms down. Back flat, neck long.

## The movement

Keeping the back flat, ease the hips straight back towards the heels until a firm stretch is felt along the inner thighs, then let them come forward again to the line of the knees. The knees, feet and forearms stay where they are; the motion is a small, slow rock of the hips forward and back. Shifting the hips sideways (to load one side) is a later option and not shown.

## Breathing

Slow, deep breaths; sink back on each out-breath.

## Tempo

Real sets: hold or rock gently for 30–60 s.

## Form in numbers

- Knee flexion about 90°; shins parallel to each other, pointing out to the sides.
- Ankles dorsiflexed about 90° with the toes turned out; inner foot and calf on the floor.
- Forearms flat, elbows under the shoulders; upper arms vertical.
- Back flat, no sag; head in line with the spine.

## Sources

1. [Cleveland Clinic, "11 Hip-Opener Stretches To Help Flex Your Muscles" (frog stretch)](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/hip-opening-stretches)
2. [Physitrack, "Kneeling hip adductor stretch \"Frog\" (exercise video)"](https://us.physitrack.com/home-exercise-video/kneeling-hip-adductor-stretch-%22frog%22)

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/frog-stretch