The deep glute opener your hips have been begging for.
Flex the crossed foot to protect the knee and feel the glute open, not the joint.
Crossing one ankle over the opposite thigh and pulling that leg in rotates the crossed hip open, putting a deep stretch through the glutes of the crossed side, one hip at a time. Lying on your back keeps your spine neutral and relaxed, so the tension lands where you want it instead of in your lower back. It is the go-to release after squats, deadlifts, and long days in a chair.
Same target, friendlier package. Pigeon loads the stretch with bodyweight on the floor, which many hips find too aggressive. Lying on your back lets you control the intensity precisely with your arms, so you can actually relax into it.
Usually the crossed foot has gone floppy, letting the stretch torque through the knee instead of the hip. Flex that foot hard, keep the shin roughly across your chest, and ease off the pull until the sensation moves into the glute.
Thirty seconds to a minute per side, breathing slowly, once or twice through. Daily if your hips are cranky, otherwise after leg sessions. Intensity should sit around a strong pull you could hold while chatting, never a grimace.
