VIDEO: Easy Proper Pigeon - a piriformis workout for the rest of us!
One of our more "obscure" muscles (in that, you're not really aware of it on a daily basis like your quads and hammies) is the piriformis . This muscle is located deep in your butt, running from the sacrum to the top of the thighbone. It's one of the the many hip rotator muscles that collectively turn the hips and upper leg outward (called external rotation), and particularly for athletes, provides stability around the knee when twisting and changing direction. If you sit in a chair, place the right ankle (flex that foot!) just south of the left knee and tip your body forward, you'll feel the piriformis wake up in that very spot. I call this the Piriformis Desk Jockey stretch, because it's an ideal thing to do at your desk. Sitting cross-legged also activates this muscle. Piriformis as viewed from behind. The piriformis skates somewhat close to the infamous sciatic nerve - the one that often gives grief by sending shooting pains down the...