Can’t Do a Butterfly Stretch? Here’s What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You

Whether you have a mostly sedentary lifestyle or are an active athlete, the butterfly stretch — which opens up the hips, inner thighs, and groin — is fundamental for functional flexibility.

"Open hips are key to a healthy lower back," says Gillian Walker, a yoga instructor and the founder of The Hot Yoga Dome. "The butterfly stretch is excellent for relieving lower back pain due to hip tightness or bad posture." It is especially helpful after long periods of sitting or as part of a post-workout stretching regimen, she adds.

While the stretch seems simple enough — you sit with the soles of your feet pressed together — it can be particularly challenging for some people to get comfortable in this pose.

"The butterfly stretch is a hip opener, and in yoga, we are taught that we store a lot of emotion in our hips," Walker says. "If you find yourself feeling fidgety and mentally fighting this pose, you might have some stored-up emotion to release."

Here are four reasons that you might find doing a butterfly stretch (or even a supine butterfly stretch, during which you lie on your back) challenging — plus tips to make it more manageable.

1. You Have Tight Hip Flexors

Coincidentally, one of the reasons that you may want to do a butterfly stretch or butterfly stretch lying down — namely, tight hips — could be the source of your struggle to perform this move. Tight hip flexors "will make the stretch very uncomfortable and can strain the lower back," Walker says. (Your hip flexors are located on the front of your hips and upper thighs.)

That's because your back will try to counter the tightness of your hips, which will pull you under, says Sarah Duvall, DPT, founder of Core Exercise Solutions.

Fix

Focus on reducing hip tightness and improving mobility by incorporating stretches and hip-strengthening exercises into your workouts.

To make the butterfly stretch more manageable in the meantime, Walker recommends that you “sit on a pillow or block to elevate the sit bones above the knees. You can also place pillows or blocks underneath the knees for further support.”

1. Fire Hydrant‌

Start on all fours, with your toes curled under and your feet flexed. Line up your knees directly under your hips and your shoulders directly over your wrists. Keeping the 90-degree bend, slowly lift and open your bent right leg outward. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

2. Glute Bridge‌

Lie on your back, with your arms at your sides, feet flat on the floor, and knees bent. On an exhale, squeeze your glutes, press into your heels, and drive your hips up. Raise your hips until you form a diagonal line from your knees to hips to chest. Pause for a moment, then reverse the motion and return to the starting position.

3. Dead Lift‌

Begin with a barbell on the floor in front of you, your feet shoulder-width apart. (You can use a kettlebell or dumbbells, too.) Hinge at your hips and bend your knees slightly to grab the bar. Without allowing your shoulders or low back to round, stand up as you thrust your hips forward and squeeze your butt at the top. Keep the bar close to your body. Hold at the top for a second before reversing the movement and slowly lowering the bar to the starting position.

2. You Have Tight Inner Thigh Muscles

The butterfly stretch requires a deep stretch in the inner thighs, specifically the part of the muscle that attaches to the front of the pelvis, Dr. Duvall says. So if the butterfly stretch causes pain on one or both sides, those muscles are probably tight.

This tightness is often associated with an anterior tilt (a pelvis that's tipped forward), which is frequently the result of weakness in the hamstrings and glutes, Duvall says.

Fix

If you want to decrease tension and stiffness in your inner thighs for the long haul, the solution goes beyond stretching. “Working on your breathing and pelvic positioning can have a magical effect for loosening up those tight inner thigh muscles,” Duvall says.

Practicing deep squats — which work the hamstrings, glutes, and hips — is one way to do that. The trick is pairing your breath with your squats to loosen your deep hip muscles, Duvall says.

Sit into a squat as deep as you can without strain, inhale deeply, directing the breath into your back, and relax further into the squat as you exhale.

In the interim, as you address the underlying muscular issues, don’t push your inner thighs beyond their limits. Deepening the butterfly stretch before your muscles are ready can cause a groin injury, Walker says. “Always, always, listen to your body — less is more and deeper is not always better,” she says.

3. You Have Pelvic Floor Issues

"Tight adductors can go hand in hand with tight pelvic floor muscles," Duvall says. (Your hip adductors are located on the inside of your thighs.) In fact, hunching your back when doing a butterfly stretch can be an indicator of tightness in your pelvic floor. When your pelvic floor muscles are tight — along with your glutes and deep hip rotators — they tend to pull you under, making it difficult to maintain an upright position, Duvall says.

But this poor posture also leads to other problems, including neck as well as mid and lower back pain, Walker says. Pain or burning during sex and trouble releasing (or holding) gas are other telltale signs of a tight pelvic floor.

Fix

“Tight pelvic floor muscles are often the result of shallow breathing and weakness in the hip and core muscles,” Duvall says. To address these root issues, you can take a multistep approach:

• ‌Practice deep breathing. Assume Child’s pose and inhale deeply, directing your breath to fill the back of your pelvic floor as the air expands your abdominal cavity.
• ‌Strengthen your hips and glutes‌. Incorporate exercises like glute bridges and clamshells into your daily routine.
• ‌Massage your pelvic floor‌. Just like any other tense muscle in your body, your pelvic floor can benefit from a massage, Duvall says. She recommends using a ball (like a tennis ball) to gently release the pelvic floor muscles and decrease the demand on your back during the butterfly stretch. Start by sitting in a chair and locating your sit bones. (They're the bones you feel make contact with the chair when you sit down.) Place a ball right inside your sit bones and roll until you find a tender spot. Let the ball press on the trigger point until the tension begins to melt and the muscle releases. Don’t roll the ball directly on your tailbone, but rather stick to the fleshy part of the muscle.
• ‌See a pelvic floor physical therapist. A pelvic floor physical therapist can help guide you by tailoring a treatment to your needs.

To make you more comfortable in the butterfly stretch right now, try sitting against a wall to support your back and promote a neutral spine. You can use a pillow or block to elevate the sit bones above the knees.

“Another option is to do a supported supine butterfly, as the floor will help keep your back straight and lengthened,” Walker says.

4. You Have Weak Core Muscles

While having weak core muscles doesn't directly hinder a butterfly stretch, a weak core may be a main cause for tight adductors, Duvall says. Your abdominal muscles help provide your pelvis with stability, so when they're weak, the adductors can be strained and forced to compensate, she says. And if the inner thighs are overworked, they can become tight.

Fix

Work on building strength in your abs. You can begin with any basic core exercise, as long as there’s some focus on flattening the lower abs, Duvall says. This lower ab exercise from Duval is a good place to start.

Sit in a chair and relax against the back. Place one hand on your upper abs, right under your rib cage. Place your other hand on the lower part of your abs, just above your pelvis. Lift your lower abs up and squeeze them tight while keeping your upper abs soft.

The Takeaway

• While the butterfly stretch may look simple enough, many people have difficulty with the move.
• If you have trouble doing a butterfly stretch, you may have tight hip flexors or inner thigh muscles, have a weak pelvic floor, or need to improve your core strength.
• Doing exercises that work your lower body and abs can help you perform the butterfly stretch.