Routine · 4 minutes · beginner

4-Minute Quick Relief

For acute piriformis tightness. Three gentle stretches you can do in bed or on the floor, no setup. The fastest path from "my glute is locked" to "I can sit down again".

Best for: Sudden piriformis tightness after sitting, driving, or sleeping. Pain at 4-6/10.

What you'll do

  1. 01
    Stretch

    Open with the gentlest piriformis position

  2. 02
    Supine Figure-445s each side
    Stretch

    Direct piriformis lengthening, supine and safe

  3. 03
    Stretch

    Finish in the position you most need it: seated

How the timer works

Hit start and the timer reads out each step. Three-second get-ready, the work phase (held stretches at the named hold time, strengthening reps at ~3 seconds each), five-second rest, then onto the next move. Pause, skip, or restart at any time. The voice can be muted from the top right.

If anything starts shooting down a leg below the knee, stop. That is sciatic nerve irritation, not the stretch helping. Switch to the quick relief routine and see a physiotherapist if it persists past 48 hours.

OW
Written by Oliver Wakefield-Smith, Founder of Digital Signet
Researches and writes evidence-based consumer health content. Not a clinician. Every clinical claim on this page links to its primary source. Email corrections.
Last reviewed 2026-05-12 · piriformisstretches.com