Basic stretch (when pain is present)
This is the most gentle stretch if there is pain present. Lie on your back knees bent. Ensure your spine is in its neutral position, meaning your ribs are touching the floor, your sacrum or buttocks are full on the floor, and only the small of your back (lumbar spine) in away from the floor in its small curve. Do NOT flatten your back and raise your buttock off the floor.
Take one bent knee and gently pull it towards the opposite shoulder. Only pull as far as you can while keeping your buttocks on the floor. Hold this stretch for several minutes, do not bounce. Allow your muscles to adapt to the stretch while it has no further tension placed on it.
The 4 stretch
Lie on your back knees bent feet flat on the floor. Ensure your abdominals are connected and your lower back is NOT pressed into the floor. Keep your back in neutral with your rib cage on the floor and only the lumbar spine in a small curve and your buttocks on the floor.
Take one foot and place one ankle on the other knee (making a 4 with your legs) The objective is to gently press the top knee towards the floor, do NOT raise your buttocks off the floor. Continue to press quadriceps and knee of top leg. You will feel a pull in the same buttock as the top leg. DO NOT LET YOUR HIPS HIKE UP ON EITHER SIDE THEY SHOULD STAY LEVEL. Only press down as far as you can without hiking the hip or rolling the buttock off the floor. REPEAT AS MANY TIMES AS YOU CAN WITHOUT FURTHER PAIN