By Colleen Casey, LMP

A key muscle to keep limber as well as strong is the Piriformis muscle, located deep to your gluteal (butt) muscles. When the Piriformis is too tight or overworked, problems like knee or lower back pain can occur. The piriformis and other hip rotator muscles are mainly responsible for turning the legs outward. Healthy hip rotators keep the thigh bones and knee joints properly aligned for activities such as cycling and running, and they protect the knees from twisting or buckling during athletic moves, such as side lunging or deep squats.

One of the easiest ways to make sure your hips stay flexible is to get out of your chair more often and to sit cross-legged on the floor whenever you can. This allows the hip joints to open up and gives the muscles and ligaments around the hip joint a chance to lengthen out.

Try this stretch while sitting at your desk. Sit upright with your left foot flat on the floor and right ankle resting on the left knee. Slowly lean forward while breathing deeply, then switch sides. This exercise is a simple and effective way to stretch your Piriformis!