Lower body
IT band comfort built on hip strength.
The iliotibial band is a thick strap of connective tissue down the outside of the thigh, linking the hip to just below the knee. It is stiff by design, so the useful levers are usually the muscles around it rather than the band itself.
Flexor focuses this area on hip strength — especially the side glutes — with gentle lateral mobility and sensible load management, the approach current thinking favours.
Start here
A short, guided starting point for IT Band — begin gently and stay within a comfortable range.
lateral warm-up
Lying Figure Four
outer hip
Seated Figure Four
seated option
Leaning Figure Four
standing option
Figure Four Twist
with rotation
Pigeon
deeper hip open
About the IT Band
The IT band is a long sheet of fascia running down the outer thigh from the hip to the shin, tensioned by the glutes and the tensor muscle at the hip.
It helps stabilise the hip and knee, particularly in running and single-leg movement, so how the surrounding muscles work matters more than the band stretching.
Because the side glutes control the band, outer-hip strength and mobility usually do more for this area than pressure on the band directly.
When people reach for this
Exercises for IT Band
How Flexor personalises this
Flexor emphasises side-glute strength and gentle lateral mobility for the IT band area, building load gradually from the running or riding you log.
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Move comfortably
- The IT band is meant to be stiff — favour hip strength and gentle mobility over forcing it long.
- Build running and cycling volume gradually, as sudden spikes are a common source of outer-knee irritation.
This is general fitness guidance, not medical advice or treatment. Move within a comfortable range, and speak to a qualified professional about pain that persists or worsens.
Read the full wellness disclaimerWritten by Flexor editorial Last reviewed July 2026
Common questions
Can you actually stretch the IT band?
Not much — it is dense connective tissue built to be stiff. Most benefit comes from mobilising and strengthening the muscles around it, especially the side glutes, and managing training load rather than trying to lengthen the band.
What helps a tight IT band?
Side-hip strength, gentle lateral mobility such as figure-four openers, and gradual increases in running or cycling tend to help most. Aggressive pressure on the outer thigh is rarely necessary.
Why does the outside of my knee hurt when I run?
Outer-knee irritation around running is often linked to load spikes and how the hip controls the leg. Building mileage gradually and strengthening the side glutes usually helps, and persistent pain is worth having assessed.
Should I foam roll my IT band?
Light rolling can feel relieving for some people, but hard, painful pressure is not needed. The bigger levers for this area are hip strength and sensible training load.
