Wide-Legged Forward Bend B (Hands on Hips) anatomy

Wide-Legged Forward Bend B (Hands on Hips) · Prasarita Padottanasana B · Tư thế gập người chân rộng tay chống hông

Wide-Legged Forward Bend B (Hands on Hips) mainly works quadriceps, iliopsoas, rhomboid major; it stretches hamstrings, adductors, gastrocnemius, gluteus maximus; transversus abdominis, trapezius, fibularis group stabilize.

Opening the 3D model…

Stand with the feet about 1 m apart and parallel, outer edges pressing down. Place the hands on the hips, elbows pointing back, and draw the shoulder blades gently together to open the chest. Inhale to lift the breastbone; exhale and fold from the hip joints with a long back, crown of the head toward the floor between the feet. The hands do not touch the floor, so the legs, belly and back muscles hold the torso in the fold on their own; the weight is shared between the balls of the feet and the heels, the hips stay right above the ankles, and the knees are straight but not locked. The backs of the legs and the inner thighs stretch, while the front thighs and the arches work to keep you steady. With low back pain fold only until the back is parallel to the floor and soften the knees; with high blood pressure or frequent dizziness keep the head no lower than the heart. To come out, inhale and rise slowly with a straight back.

Muscles in this pose

Working (contracting): Quadriceps, Iliopsoas, Rhomboid major

Stretching: Hamstrings, Adductors, Gastrocnemius, Gluteus maximus, Erector spinae

Stabilizing: Transversus abdominis, Trapezius, Fibularis group, Tibialis posterior

Why these muscles work or stretch

• Quadriceps · Working (contracting): Firms the front thighs and lifts the kneecaps
• Iliopsoas · Working (contracting): Draws the torso into the fold from the hips
• Rhomboid major · Working (contracting): Draws the shoulder blades gently together to open the chest
• Hamstrings · Stretching: The main stretch, at the backs of the legs
• Adductors · Stretching: The inner thighs stretch with the legs wide
• Erector spinae · Stretching: Lengthened in the fold, still keeping the back long without the hands' support
• Transversus abdominis · Stabilizing: Steadies the belly and lower back without the hands' support
• Fibularis group · Stabilizing: Presses the outer edges of the feet down
• Tibialis posterior · Stabilizing: Holds up the arches of the feet

Practice cues

• Fold from the hip joints with a long back; don't round the upper back
• Elbows point back, chest open, shoulders away from the ears
• Share the weight between the balls of the feet and the heels; firm the front thighs

Benefits

• Stretches the hamstrings, calves and adductors
• Strengthens the legs, belly and back as they hold the torso without the hands
• Trains balance on a wide base

Cautions / contraindications

• Avoid a deep fold with an acute lumbar disc problem
• Use caution with high blood pressure, glaucoma or dizziness; fold only to flat back
• Go gently with low back pain; soften the knees and fold less

Easier variations

• Fold only until the back is parallel to the floor
• Put the hands on the floor or on blocks as in the Wide-Legged Forward Bend

General information, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or teacher.

Written and reviewed by Yoga An Viên center · Updated 24/10/2026

How to practice this pose (YogaWay, in Vietnamese)

Related poses

• Wide-Legged Side Forward Bend Parsva Prasarita Padottanasana
• Wide-Legged Forward Bend Prasarita Padottanasana
• Wide-Legged Forward Bend D (Big Toes) Prasarita Padottanasana D
• Intense Side Stretch (Pyramid Pose) Parsvottanasana
• Wide-Legged Forward Bend C (Hands Clasped) Prasarita Padottanasana C
• Standing Half Forward Bend Ardha Uttanasana

A free community project by Yoga An Viên center · Model: Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0), based on BodyParts3D © DBCLS (CC BY-SA 2.1 JP)