The Core Rehab Program
Do these consistently for 4-6 weeks. Skip the trendy ones — these are the ones with the strongest evidence for piriformis.
1. Clamshells (Banded)
How: Side-lying with band above knees, open top knee without rotating hips.
Dose: 3 sets of 15 per side, daily
Why: Activates glute medius — the primary stabilizer the piriformis compensates for.
2. Glute Bridges
How: On back, drive hips up squeezing glutes.
Dose: 3 sets of 12, daily
Why: Builds glute max strength to share rotational load.
3. Single-Leg Glute Bridge
How: Bridge on one leg with opposite knee pulled to chest.
Dose: 3 sets of 10 per side, 3x/week
Why: Trains unilateral glute strength that running demands.
4. Piriformis Stretch
How: Lie on back, cross ankle over opposite knee, pull thigh toward chest.
Dose: 60s per side, 2x/day
Why: Restores length to a chronically tight piriformis.
Get more runner-specific guides like this.
Short, science-based emails for runners — every week.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
More on Piriformis
Related Injuries
Stridely catches injury risk before injury happens.
Daily monitoring of training load, sleep, and recovery — built for runners.
Start free in Stridely