Deep within the centre of your body, beneath layers of skin, muscle and organs, lies the psoas

(pronounced “so-as”). While it can be a tricky muscle to target and stretch, with a little perseverance, it
can be done.

The Psoas Muscle, Stress and Tension

The psoas muscle is the deepest muscle of the human body affecting our structural balance, muscular
integrity, flexibility, strength, range of motion, joint mobility, and organ functioning.
It grows out of both sides of the spine. It spans laterally from the 12th thoracic vertebrae to each of the
5 lumbar vertebrae. From there, it stretches down through the abdominal core and pelvis, then finally
attaches to the top of the femur (thigh) bone.
The psoas is one of the only muscles in the body that connects the spine to the legs. It is responsible for
holding us upright, and allows us to lift our legs while we walk.
This muscle is also connected to the diaphragm through connective tissue (fascia), which affects our
breath and fear reflex. According to Liz Koch who has her National Certification Board for Therapeutic
Massage and Bodywork, a fast paced modern lifestyle (which runs on the adrenaline of our sympathetic
nervous system) chronically triggers and tightens the psoas – making it always ready to run or fight.
If the psoas is constantly contracting due to stress or tension, the muscle eventually begins to shorten,
leading to many different conditions such as (1):

– Low back pain

– Sacroiliac pain

– Sciatica

– Disc problems

– Spondylolysis

– Scoliosis

– Hip degeneration

– Knee pain

– Menstruation pain

– Infertility

– Digestive problems
A tight psoas muscle can also cause or contribute to a number of other conditions like hip pain, groin
pain, uneven leg length, scoliosis, instability in the core of the body, and limited flexibility in the lower
back (2).

How To Release a Tight Psoas Muscle

It is very important to exercise the psoas major to make sure it stays flexible, strong and healthy. Below
is a sequence of relaxing and strengthening poses that release, lengthen and strengthen the psoas.
One of the most important things to remember when working with the psoas is somatic awareness (an
awareness of what’s happening within your body). This requires training yourself to develop an
awareness inside yourself and explore what’s happening within.
As you spend time in each pose and stretch, turn your attention inward. Sense where your psoas is
located and feel if it is tight or loose, rigid or soft, tense or at ease. Learn to surrender, and breathe
deep.

8 Exercises for Psoas Strengthening and Releasing

1. Leg Lifts
1. While lying flat on your back, bend your legs so that your feet are flat on the floor.
2. Extend the right leg out in front of you and place your hands at your sides.
3. With your back firmly flat against the floor (tuck the pelvis), lift your right leg above the ground and
hold for five seconds.
4. Perform 8-12 repetitions on each leg.

3. Kneeling Lunge
1. Take a kneeling lung position on the ground with your front leg at a 90º angle in front of you.
2. Posteriorly tilt your pelvis (tuck your tailbone under, glutes tight), and shift your weight forward
toward the front knee, while maintaining the posterior pelvic tilt.

3. Be sure not to curve the lower back – keep your tailbone tucked.
4. Stay here for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Relax, and then repeat on the other side.
5. Perform 3-5 repetitions on each leg.

4. Frankensteins Exercise
1. Start by walking like frankenstein, kicking one leg up, and reaching toward the opposite hand.
2. It’s important to keep your spine upright, and kick your leg up as high as you can. Don’t have your
body forward flexed as you’re kicking – if your hamstring flexibility is limited, and you can’t kick up
to shoulder height, you can still do the exercise with a lower kick. Only go up as high as your hip level.
As you become flexible over time, you’ll be able to kick higher and higher.
3. Do 15 repetitions on each leg, and perform 3 sets.
6. Standing Gate Openers
1. Lift your right foot and flex your right knee, pulling it towards your chest.
2. With your thigh parallel to the ground, swing your knee to the left, across the centre of your body,
and then to the right, opening your hips as much as you can.
3. Go back to the starting position, and repeat on the left leg.
4. Do 5-7 repetitions on each side.

7. Sit-Ups
1. Lay down on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands behind your head, and curl your upper body up from the mat with smooth control.
Don’t jerk yourself up and strain the neck. Instead, keep your back flat, neck straight, and use the
muscles of your core to bring you up.
3. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.