Adductor injuries — or pull groin, as you perhaps know them — are one of the trickiest injuries in sports. When they happen, they just seem like a mild tug or tightness in the inner thigh. But really, without proper rehab and strengthening, that “minor” strain can turn into a more severe injury.
Why so serious? Because your adductor muscles play a key role in stabilizing the pelvis and controlling leg movement. They’re essential for running, sprinting, cutting, and staying explosive.
Even a mild groin strain can throw off your mechanics, affect your balance, and cause your body to compensate in all the wrong ways. That’s when other issues show up, like hip tightness, back pain, or hamstring problems.
In this article, we’ll explain what causes groin pulls, and the most effective rehab stretches to support healing. If you're looking for smart, practical adductor exercises to speed up recovery — or want to prevent the injury altogether — you're in the right place.
Understanding Pull Groin Injuries
A pulled groin is what we call, in medical terms, an adductor strain. But what exactly are the adductors? And are they the same as abductors? They sound similar, but they are quite different.
Opposite, to be more specific.
Your adductor muscles are a group of five muscles located on the inside of your thigh: the pectineus, gracilis, adductor brevis, adductor longus, and adductor magnus. These muscles connect the pelvis to the femur and help pull your legs inward, toward your body’s midline.
That movement is called adduction — hence the name.
Now, abduction means the opposite: moving the leg outward, away from the midline. The muscles responsible for that are your abductors, located on the outside of your hips and thighs.
Just one letter of difference, but a completely opposite job.
Together, adductors and abductors create balance and control during athletic movement. That’s why groin injuries tend to happen in sports that involve sprinting, lateral movement, cutting, or quick direction changes.
What Causes a Pull Groin?
When your hip adductors are overworked, tight, or not properly warmed up, they can become strained. And here's something you probably know, but it’s worth repeating:
Skipping warmups or pushing too hard, too soon, is one of the fastest ways to end up with an injury.
So, how can you tell if you’ve pulled a groin muscle? The most common symptom is pain along the inner thigh, this can be from the pelvis down toward the knee. In most cases, it’s focused in the upper thigh, near the groin where the adductors attach.
You may also feel:
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Tightness or tenderness in the groin
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Difficulty lifting or crossing the leg
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Pain when stretching or changing direction
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Swelling or bruising (in moderate to severe strains)
Adductor Injury Grades
How serious can a pull groin be? Adductor strains are typically classified into three grades, similar to what we’ve seen on our hamstring injury workouts:
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Grade 1: Mild strain or overstretching. Some discomfort, but full movement is still possible.
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Grade 2: Partial tear. Moderate pain, swelling, and limited mobility.
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Grade 3: Full tear. Severe pain and difficulty walking or moving the leg.
Even though groin strain recovery typically takes 4 to 8 weeks, the real danger is rushing the process. Many athletes return to activity too soon, and that’s when compensation injuries occur.
Hip bursitis, patellofemoral pain, low back issues. They all can be triggered by an unstable groin. Why is that?
When one muscle checks out, another steps up to compensate. That’s often when problems start to escalate. A small strain can spiral into a much bigger problem if you don’t give your body time to fully recover.
In fact, research from SAGE’s Sports Health Journal confirms that untreated groin strains significantly increase the risk of long-term injury if athletes return to training too early.
That’s why the right groin strain recovery exercises are key, but also proper timing is. Before jumping back into full performance, you need to restore flexibility, mobility, and strength through targeted groin injury stretches.
Best Pull Groin Stretches for Injury Recovery
If you’re dealing with an adductor strain, the first step is always to check in with a health professional. Short-term relief includes rest, ice, compression, and gentle movement. But real recovery takes structure and that’s what we’re diving into next.
Once you’re cleared, you can begin your recovery using focused mobility work. And if you are looking for expert expert guidance, our physical therapy team at Performance One are here to help.
So what does rehab look like? What we will go through next are the most effective groin muscle stretches, so you can start rebuilding strength and flexibility, without pain.
Hip Swing
This is a dynamic stretch that boosts blood flow and gently mobilizes the hip flexors and groin. They are one of the best stretches for athletic recovery moves — low impact, but highly effective.
You can do hip swings as a warm-up before more static stretching.
How to do it:
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Stand tall next to a wall or sturdy surface for balance.
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Swing one leg forward and backward in a smooth, controlled motion.
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Keep your torso upright — avoid arching your lower back or leaning back.
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Focus on a comfortable range that opens up the front of the hip as the leg extends behind you.
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Perform 8–10 swings per leg.
Standing Groin Stretch
This stretch targets the inner thigh adductors, helping improve flexibility and relieve tension. It’s simple, effective, and great for early-stage rehab or warm-ups.
How to do it:
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Stand in a wide stance, feet flat and pointing straight ahead.
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Shift your weight toward one side by bending that knee while keeping the opposite leg straight.
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Keep your torso upright and the pinky toe of the straight leg pressed into the ground (don’t let your foot roll inward).
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You should feel a deep stretch in the inner thigh of the straight leg.
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Hold for at least 30 seconds, then switch sides.
Tip: Always stretch both sides, even if the strain is only on one. You need balance, remember that.
Butterfly Stretch
A classic for good reason. The butterfly stretch gently opens the hips and stretches the groin and inner thighs. The key here is good posture to avoid unnecessary stress on your back or hips.
How to do it:
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Sit on the floor with the soles of your feet pressed together and knees dropping outward.
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Sit tall. You can use a pillow or folded towel to elevate your hips if needed.
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Keep your spine long and avoid rounding forward.
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Let your knees relax downward. Don’t push or force them.
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You should feel a broad, gentle stretch in the inner thighs and groin — not in the joints.
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Hold for 30–60 seconds, breathing steadily.
But remember: avoid pressing down on your knees, as that can cause hip impingement or instability.
Kneeling Lunge Stretch
This is a multi-target stretch; it opens up the hip flexors and lengthens the quads, glutes, and adductors. It’s great for regaining control through the entire front of the hip.
How to do it:
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Start in a half-kneeling position — one knee down, the other foot flat in front.
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Tuck your pelvis under to avoid arching your lower back.
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Gently push your hips forward while keeping your torso upright.
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You should feel a stretch in the front of the hip of the back leg, and possibly in the glute of the front leg.
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Hold for 20–30 seconds per side.
Side-lying Leg Lift
This exercise targets the hip abductors, and helps improve hip stability, pelvic control, and groin injury rehab. It’s technically a strengthening move, it’s one of the most useful exercises to support groin strain recovery.
How to do it:
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Lie on your side with your bottom leg bent and top leg straight.
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Keep your hips stacked and facing forward — no rolling backward.
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With toes forward, slowly lift your top leg toward the ceiling, then lower under control.
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Don’t let it drop — aim for smooth, steady reps.
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Perform 10–15 reps per leg.
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fatigue.
If you want a progression of the Side-lying Leg Lift, here is what you can do: Rotate your top leg slightly outward (big toe pointing up) to activate more glutes.
Pigeon Stretch
This deep hip opener targets the glutes, hip rotators, and piriformis muscle. It’s also helpful if you’re dealing with tight hips or lower back discomfort.
How to do it:
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Start on all fours.
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Bring one knee forward, placing it behind your wrist. Let your shin angle across your body.
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Extend your back leg straight behind you, keeping hips squared to the floor.
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You can stay upright or fold forward over your front leg for a deeper stretch.
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Breathe deeply and hold for 30–60 seconds, then switch sides.
The pigeon stretch is a classic in yoga, but many people find it too difficult and intense. So, an easy adaptation for beginners is keeping your front foot tucked closer to your groin to start. As flexibility improves, work toward a more open shin angle
How to Heal a Groin Strain
Once your body has had a few days to settle, your doctor will give you the green light to start recovery. And as we always say, the key is patience.
We’ve just gone over some of the best pull groin stretches to ease tightness and restore mobility. But that’s just part of the process. To fully heal and to stay at the top of your , athletes need a complete, including:
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Targeted strengthening
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Progressive mobility work
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And consistent injury prevention stretches for athletes
That’s exactly what we do here at Performance One. Our team of coaches, personal trainers, and physical therapists are experts in stretching for athletic recovery. We help athletes from all sports — football, basketball, running, and more — bounce back from injuries and return stronger, more balanced, and ready to compete.
We have the skills. We have the tools. We know the drills. And we’ve got the will.
So if you're recovering from an adductor strain, or just want to stay one step ahead of injury, now’s the time to take action. Schedule your session today with the Performance One team. We’ll assess your movement, identify weak points, and guide you through a smart, progressive path to full recovery.