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Thigh Stretch

Lying on one side on the forearm, pull the top ankle toward the buttock to stretch the front of the thigh.

Recovery Drill, exercise 4 of 8

Demonstration

Official photo sequences from the Army's drill manual, read left to right, top to bottom.

Thigh Stretch: official ATP 7-22.02 photo sequence (figure 16-4, RD4 Thigh Stretch) showing the positions of the exercise in order.
Figure 16-4. RD4 Thigh Stretch · ATP 7-22.02, p. 16-3 (opens the official PDF)

Photos: U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training, ATP 7-22.02. Approved for public release.

How to perform it

Recovery Drill, exercise 4 of 8

Held position, on commandHold each position 20–30 seconds.

Starting position

Sitting position with arms at the sides and palms on the floor.

Sitting: Seated with both legs straight and together, reached from Half-Kneeling without using the hands; hands then rest on the ground beside the hips, fingers forward. ATP 7-22.02, para. 2-12, p. 2-4 (opens the official PDF)

Commands and movement

  1. 1READY, STRETCH. Roll onto the right side with the right forearm on the ground under the shoulder, fist thumb-up. Grasp the left ankle, pull it toward the left buttock, and press the left thigh back with the right heel. Hold 20–30 seconds.
  2. 2CHANGE POSITION, READY, STRETCH. Move back through the starting position and switch sides to stretch the right leg. Hold 20–30 seconds.
  3. 3STARTING POSITION, MOVE. Return to the starting position.

ATP 7-22.02, para. 16-6, p. 16-3, Figure 16-4 (opens the official PDF)

What it develops

Develops flexibility in the hip and knee joints.

Focus: Front of thigh, Hip, Knee

Form

Drawn from the cited instructions.

Cues

  • Place the supporting elbow directly under the shoulder.
  • Use the bottom heel to press the top thigh further back.