The iliotibial (IT) band is a band of fibrous tissue that runs down the outside of the thigh. Its main purpose is to support and stabilize the knee joint to stop your knee from wobbling sideways. When the IT band becomes tight, it can pull the knee joint out of alignment and cause damage and pain to the knee. Note: When you reach your maximum IT band stretch, you will likely feel an “ouch” sensation. This is one occasion when a tiny bit of discomfort is okay in exercise.
1. Stand beside your chair with your outside leg resting on the seat. Hold the chair with your opposite hand for balance. Flex the foot on the chair, and bend only your standing knee.
2. Slowly drop the hip of your raised leg, while rotating it outward. Try to rotate your leg so much that the top of the flexed foot will touch the chair. (That’s impossible to do, but keeping this image in your head will help you stretch in the right direction.)
3. You will feel an uncomfortable stretch in one of two places: your hip or your knee.
4. Rotate your leg slowly as you lift and drop your hip into and out of the stretch. Note: This stretch usually hurts a little because you are actually stretching tendons as well as muscles. Tendons are full of nerve endings, which make them super-sensitive. Moving slowly will guarantee that you do not damage the tendons during this stretch. Do not stop stretching when you feel the discomfort but continue to move slowly and carefully. The discomfort you feel comes from the tendon being pulled but should never result in a sensation of pain.
5. Release the stretch, returning to your starting position.
6. Repeat the stretch 3 times on each leg.