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19 IT Band Exercises to Strengthen, Stretch & Support Your Knees

Support your knees and improve mobility with these 19 IT band exercises that reduce tightness and enhance flexibility.

published on

2025

pliability Team

Do your knees ache after long runs or intense workouts? Does lateral movement make you nervous? If so, you could be dealing with tightness in your iliotibial or IT band. The iliotibial band is a fibrous connective tissue that runs outside the thigh from the hip to the knee. It helps stabilize the knee during movement, but like the rest of our muscles and connective tissues, it can become tight or develop trigger points that cause pain and dysfunction. IT band exercises, along with flexibility exercises, can help relieve this tightness, reduce inflammation, and improve muscle function around the knee to alleviate pain. This article will cover some of the best exercises and stretches to improve the flexibility of your IT band and help you achieve your goals of strong, pain-free knees that let you move freely and stay active.
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What is Your IT Band, and What Causes its Tightness?

The iliotibial band (ITB), or it's more commonly known, is a ligament-like structure that starts at your pelvis and runs along the outside of your thigh to the outside of the top of your shinbone (tibia). When you run, your IT band stores and releases energy like an elastic band. As the leg comes behind us, the IT band begins to tighten.

As the foot leaves the ground, this stored energy helps to propel and swing the leg forward. “The IT band crosses your hip and your knee, so it works to stabilise both when we are moving around, including when running,” explains Jodie Breach, national physiotherapy lead at Nuffield Health. “At the top of the leg, your glutes and tensor fascia latae muscles (TFL) insert into it and are able to control some of the tension running through it.” These muscles also help to control movement at the hip and knee during the gait cycle, so weakness or a lack of control here is often the reason for someone’s knee drifting inward on landing.

What Causes IT Band Tightness?

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The tensor fasciae latae (TFL) and the glute max put the most tension on the IT band. The thing with the TFL is that it’s often implicated in IT band syndrome. It has trigger points, and many people feel discomfort right in the front of the hip. It’s common for the TFL to jump in and take over for other muscles in your hip: your iliopsoas for hip flexion, glute maximus in hip external rotation, and the gluteus medius in hip abduction.

The problem is that the TFL is a small muscle. It can help but can’t take over these other muscles' jobs. Over time, these compensatory mechanisms (specifically regarding the TFL) can increase the tension of the IT band, ultimately leading to IT band syndrome and inflammation.

Risk Factors for IT Band Syndrome in Runners

But why do some runners get ITB syndrome when another runner takes the same time off and doesn’t feel a thing? The risk factors fall into three main categories.

We have structural risk. Structural refers to knock knees (valgus knees) or bow knees (varus knees). Both of these structural conditions can increase your risk of IT band syndrome.
Look at the bottom of shoes that you’ve worn for a while. If the tread is more worn on the outside of the shoe, that indicates you bear weight through the outside of your foot. That will predispose you to IT band syndrome.
Another factor regarding compensatory mechanisms for people who sit much of the day is that we’re in this hip-flexed position when we sit.

Muscle Imbalances and Their Role in IT Band Syndrome

The iliopsoas, the hip flexor muscle mainly responsible for hip flexion, shuts off. The glute maximus also shuts off. The poor tensor fasciae latae muscle compensates for the stronger shut-off muscles. To compound this issue, the TFL adapts to the shortened seated position and shortens up.

All of these factors lead to increased tension in the iliotibial band, which in turn leads to increased wear and tear on the leg structures. This could affect the bursa, which will become painful and inflamed as the IT band slips over the top of the bone with greater tension.

19 Effective IT Band Exercises for Lasting Relief

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Physical therapy and temporary lifestyle changes are typically the first line of treatment. Research shows that ITBS responds well to conservative therapies. Here are some safe, gentle, and effective IT band exercises and stretches to practice with your physical therapist and at home to relieve symptoms

Note: Before starting any new fitness regimen, consult your healthcare provider to ensure exercise is safe for your condition.

1. ASMR: ITB / Vastus Lateralis

The first technique is active self-fascial release. We’re explicitly trying to separate the IT band from the vastus lateralis. Remember that the ITB sits right on top of the vastus lateralis, the lateral quadriceps head.

You should lie on your side and use your thumb and index finger to perform this technique. Try to pinch around the ITB.

Start with your knee fully extended, knees resting on top of each other, and then from here, bring your heel to your butt.
Activate those hamstrings while you put tension down and in, sliding down towards your knee. Because you’re activating the hamstrings to bring your heel to your butt, that helps shut off the quad. You’re lengthening the quad simultaneously so that, combined with the thumb and index finger pressure, you’re helping strip the vastus lateralis from your IT band.
Work down for one to two minutes on each side.
Lay down on your side with your hips and knees bent.
Pinch your iliotibial band with your thumb and index finger. You should be able to feel the IT band with your fingers.
Slowly push your finger toward your knee while bringing your heel toward your glutes.
Repeat the pinch and push for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.

2. IT Band Stretch

Begin standing, gently resting one side of the body against a wall.
Place the leg with the affected hip close to the wall.
Cross the other leg in front of it. Allow the affected hip to drop toward the wall.
Lean away from the affected hip until you feel a gentle stretch.
Hold that stretch for 15-30 seconds.
Repeat this stretch three more times.
Repeat this stretch on the other side if both legs are affected.

3. Banded Glute Bridge With Abduction

Wrap a resistance band around your thighs and lie on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor 12 to 16 inches from your butt.
Brace your core, then press into your heels and squeeze your glutes to raise your hips toward the ceiling while pushing your upper back into the ground.
Pause in this position and expand the band by pressing your knees apart.
Return to the start. That's one rep.

4. Clamshell

For this gentle stretch, lay down on one side.
Bend your knees and rest one leg on the other with your feet together.
Keep your feet together and slowly lift the top knee.
Repeat 15 times.
Switch sides and repeat if both legs are affected.

5. Hamstring Stretch

For this stretch, we will move to the floor in front of an open doorway.
Lie down on your back and extend the unaffected leg through the opening.
Raise the affected leg and place it against the wall, straightening your knee until you feel a stretch in the back of the thigh.
Hold that stretch for around a minute.
Rest before lengthening your leg a bit further.
You can hold this stretch for as long as six minutes. If both legs have IT band pain, repeat on the other side.

6. Piriformis Stretch

Lie on your back with your legs extended straight out.
Lift the affected leg and bend at the knee.
Use the opposite hand to reach across the body and gently pull the outer knee toward the opposite shoulder.
Hold that stretch for 15-30 seconds.
Repeat this stretch three more times.
Switch legs and repeat.

7. Windmill

Start in a standing position, keeping your front leg slightly bent.
Slowly lean forward while raising the back leg.
Bring your trunk toward the ground until you can pick up an object on the floor.
Repeat this exercise 10 times and switch legs if needed.

8. Banded Clamshells

Lie on right side with your knees bent.
Place mini resistance band around thighs, just above knees.
Place your left hand on your left hip and form a 90-degree angle with your right arm to prop yourself up and remain stable.
Working against the band, squeeze glutes and thigh muscles to press left thigh up as far as possible without rolling top hip backward.
Then, slowly bring left thigh back to starting position. That's one rep.

9. Standing Hip Motions

Return to a standing position, keeping your hips level and trunk upright.
Stand on one leg and swing the opposite leg forward.
Repeat 10 times.
Next, stand on one leg and swing the opposite leg out to the side.
Repeat 10 times.
Now, swing the raised arms directly to the back.
Repeat 10 times.
If you have bilateral IT band pain, complete the movements with the opposite leg raised.
As you progress, you can add a fitness band for more resistance.

10. Banded Bear Plank

Place a resistance band loop around your legs just above your knees.
Then, begin on hands and knees, in a tabletop position, with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips, back flat, and band taught.
Push palms into the floor, engage abs, and lift knees to hover off the floor. Bring hips level with shoulders and keep tension on the band the entire time.
Hold this position for 30 seconds.

11. Side Leg Lifts

Start by lying on the right side, feet flexed.
Put your left hand on the ground before your chest to stabilize your body.
Keep the body in a straight line, with the tailbone tucked.
With left foot flexed and leg straight, lift leg toward the ceiling.
Depending on flexibility, stop somewhere between 45º-80º and lower back down.

That's one rep. (For an added challenge, wrap a resistance band around thighs or perform leg lifts from a side plank position.)

12. Fire Hydrant

Start on all fours.
Keep the left knee bent at 90 degrees, lift the left leg to the side, and stop at hip height.
Return to the start. That's one rep.

13. Hip Circles

Start on the mat on elbows and knees, keeping shoulders over elbows and hips over knees.
Make circles in the air with your right knee, moving from the hip.
Draw the circle as wide as possible while keeping your torso stable.

14. Curtsy Lunge

Start standing tall with feet under hips and arms clasped in front of chest.
Engage your core, lift your right foot off the floor, and take a big step back to the outside of your left foot.
Then, bend at the knees until the right knee taps the floor behind the left foot.
Drive through feet to reverse the movement and return to the starting position. That's one rep.

15. Slumpy Psoas Activator

It activates the psoas in a position where it often gets shut off, i.e., sitting. You will need something stable to sit on for this one, not the wheelie chair in your office.

Start in a slumped position.
From here, you will lift one knee and press down on the lifted knee with your opposite hand. You should feel the activation in the hip flexor area.
Then, as you’re holding and activating, you straighten from slumpy to good posture.
Try to extend the lumbar spine and tilt your pelvis anteriorly a little bit.
Hold this for six to seven seconds, then slowly let it down.
Always release holds with control, avoiding letting your limbs drop.

16. Seated External Tibial Rotation

This exercise addresses another compensatory mechanism. As we saw, the IT band inserts into the lateral aspect of the knee. When the knee is flexed, it can help with the movement of tibial external rotation if the muscle in charge of that movement isn’t working right.

If that’s the case, the TFL via the IT band will try to compensate. Again, we don’t want our bodies to use these compensatory mechanisms automatically, so this exercise wakes the lateral hamstring to do this movement.

Sit down again on something stable with your knees at 90 degrees.
Lift your heels off the ground.
Keep your knees where they are and rotate your heels inward. This causes the tibia to rotate externally.
To turn on the hamstring, activate the muscles that pull your heel toward your butt – but don’t move your heels.
Hold for 5 to 10 seconds to get the lateral hamstring activation while shutting off your TFL.
Return to neutral, rotate your heels externally, fire up your hammies, and hold again for 5 to 10 seconds.
Sit down with your knees bent at 90 degrees.
Lift your heels from the ground. Internally rotate your heels, hold at end range, and activate the muscles for 5 seconds.
Move into external rotation, hold at end range, and activate the muscles for 5 seconds.

17. Monster Band Walk

For the monster band walk, you will need a strength band. It’s one of those long loops that are common and extremely useful in strength exercises. We’ll use it for this and the next exercise.

Put the band around your mid-foot. It helps me activate external rotation because the band tries to turn your toes inward, and you must fight that pressure on your external hip rotation, which will fire up your glute max a little more.
Next, you go into a quarter squat. Standing up straight here defeats the point. Make sure you're in a quarter squat.
From there, step out to the side and then in. Move your foot in one direction slowly and in control, then bring the trailing foot in to maintain the band's inward pressure.
Do four steps in one direction, then four in the other.

That’ll help fire up the glute max and the glute medius and hopefully shut off the tensor fasciae latae from overworking in this movement. Do two sets, anywhere from four to six steps in either direction. Place a resistance band around each foot at mid-foot. Get into a quarter squat position. With as little momentum as possible, side-step for 4 to 6 steps in one direction, then the other.

18. Midline Muscle Activator – Hinge

The fifth exercise is the midline muscle activator with the hinge movement. Again, you’ll need your strength band for this.

Loop it around something stable, like a squat rack. You don’t want a flimsy little chair because it will fall or get dragged around.
Try a heavy table leg or find a partner to hold it.
Loop the band above your knee and fix the other end roughly the same height.
Step away from the anchor so you have a little tension. You don’t need a ton.
Now, the first thing you need is metatarsal pressure through the foot. The metatarsals are the bones right underneath each toe.
You want to be able to push through all of these bones. You’ve done an in-depth presentation on this, which you suggest you check out.

19. Reverse Lunge & Twist

The last exercise is the reverse lunge and twist. There are a couple of reasons it’s beneficial for IT band syndrome.

First, it lengthens the tensor fasciae latae. When you rotate over, it stretches the whole TFL area, decreasing the force and the tension through the IT band.
Second, it’s great for firing up the glute max and the glute med.
You will use metatarsal pressure again on the front foot as you step back into a lunge. The key is staying nice and tall, maintaining thigh alignment over your foot.
With your palms together, arms extended in front of you, you rotate your arms past your knee, bringing your torso into a twist.
Do two sets of four to six reps per side.
Stand tall, and keep your feet flat with metatarsal pressure.
Lunge back and rotate towards the front foot.
Keep thigh in line with foot when rotating.
Stay tall throughout.

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19 IT Band Exercises to Strengthen, Stretch & Support Your Knees