Everyone gets tight and sore in different areas, but it seems like tight hips are the one pain point we all have in common. That’s because hip soreness is “often a result of our sedentary lifestyle,” yoga teacher Bayu Prihandito tells SheKnows. “When we sit for too long, our hip flexors shorten and tighten, which leads to less flexibility and mobility.” Some simple, effective hip stretches, like the expert-recommended ones we’ve gathered here, can help.
If you run, work out frequently, or are an athlete, you might also experience tight hips, yoga teacher and NCSF-certified personal trainer Jesse Zucker tells SheKnows. “Tightness can also come from weakness,” Zucker adds, so it’s essential to complement any stretching routine with strengthening moves targeting your hips, glutes, and legs. And if you do work a desk job, Prihandito recommends taking short breaks to stand or walk in order to keep those muscles loose. “The important [thing] is to be mindful and listen to your body,” he says.
If you don’t have time for a full yoga session, a couple minutes of mindful stretching can provide immediate release for tight hips. We spoke to six experts who recommended the 13 stretches below, so all you have to do is roll out a mat (or find a soft area of floor) and try them out. As always, if any position causes you pain, come out of the pose or seek a gentler version of it, and remember to talk to your doctor if you’re experiencing intense or chronic hip pain that doesn’t improve.
Pigeon Pose
“Pigeon Pose is one of the best yoga poses for your outer hips,” Zucker says, because it stretches your glutes, outer hips, and external rotators all at the same time. If Pigeon pose (also called Half Pigeon pose) feels too intense, try the reclining figure 4 stretch (see below).
Here’s how to do Pigeon pose:
Start on your hands and knees. Bring your right leg forward and bend it at the knee, while you simultaneously straighten your left leg and stretch it back behind you. Your right knee can be parallel to the top of your mat or angled back toward your body, if you’re tighter.
Square your hips to the front of the mat and settle into the pose. Your left leg should be straight out behind you and your right leg folded comfortably. If your right hip and butt are hovering high off the floor, you can slip a block, bolster, pillow, or folded blanket under your right hip to make the pose more comfortable.
From here, you can hold the pose as is, enjoying a stretch in your right outer hip and your left front hip. You can also bring your torso down to the floor, leaning on your elbows, blocks, or setting your forehead down on the floor if it feels comfortable. Make sure your hips stay square. If you feel any discomfort, decrease the intensity of the pose or come out of it.
Stay here for as long as is comfortable, then repeat on the other side.
Reclining Figure 4
If Pigeon pose isn’t comfortable for you, try this variation. According to yoga teacher Amy Sullivan, “Figure 4 is more gentle on the knees,” but works in a similar way to open up your outer hips, glutes, and inner groin. The deepest and most relaxing version of the pose involves lying down, but you can also sneak this stretch in when you’re sitting in a desk chair, Sullivan says. “I tell my students all the time to sneak in a few figure 4 stretches while they’re in meetings!”
Here’s how to do reclining Figure 4:
Start lying on your back. Bring both knees towards your face, bending them at 90-degree angles.
Flex your right foot and place your right ankle on your left knee, clasping your hands behind your left knee for support. Both knees should still be 90-degree angles.
Gently press your right knee away from you (either using your leg muscles or with your right elbow) while using your hands to slowly pull your left knee in toward your chest, as much as is comfortable. Keep your neck and upper body on the floor and relaxed as you feel a stretch on the outside of your right hip.
Stay here for as long as is comfortable, then repeat on the other side.
Lizard Pose
Lizard Pose “is excellent for stretching the hamstrings and quads,” Prihandito says, “offering more flexibility and pain relief.” This pose will stretch out your hip flexors along with your groin muscles.
Here’s how to do Lizard pose:
Start on your hands and knees. Slowly shift your right leg forward, placing your right foot to the outside of your right hand. Then, straighten your left leg back behind you, flexing your foot so you’re balancing on your left toes. Your left toes, right foot, and both hands should be holding you up off the floor, and you’ll feel a gentle stretch in the front of your left hip.
Gently lower your left knee to the floor and relax your left foot.
You can hold here, keeping your chest up to feel a stretch in the front of your left hip and your right groin. If you want to go deeper, flex your right foot and move it a couple inches further to the right while angling it slightly away from your body. Let your right knee drop toward the ground, pushing on it gently with your right shoulder to increase the stretch. To decrease the intensity, place your hands on blocks. For the deepest version of the pose, lower your elbows to the ground or onto blocks.
Stay here for as long as is comfortable, then switch sides.
Butterfly Pose
“This simple yet effective pose helps loosen the inner thighs and groin,” strength and conditioning coach James de Lacey tells SheKnows. “The key is to gently press those knees towards the ground.”
Here’s how to do Butterfly pose:
Start seated on the ground. Draw the soles of your feet together, letting your knees drop to either side. Keep your spine comfortably straight, making sure not to hunch your lower back. If you struggle to keep your spine straight, sit on a block, bolster, or a rolled-up towel to prop your hips up.
You can remain upright, feeling a stretch in your inner thighs and groin while gently pressing your knees closer to the ground. To intensify the stretch, hold your feet with your hands and lean forward while keeping your spine straight. You can also walk your hands out in front of you. Hold the pose for as long as is comfortable
Bound Angle Pose
This pose is similar to Butterfly pose, but done while lying down. “Bound angle pose is a relaxing, restorative yoga pose performed on your back,” Zucker says. “It targets all areas of your hips at once.”
Here’s how to do Bound Angle pose:
Start lying flat on your back. Bend your knees as you draw your feet in toward your body.
Slide the soles of your feet together, letting your knees drop to either side. Relax into the pose here, or place supports like blocks, bolsters, pillows or rolled-up towels under your knees for extra support.
Cobra Pose
This pose is “awesome for strengthening the lower back and stretching the front of your body, including those tight hip flexors,” de Lacey says.
Here’s how to do Cobra pose:
Start lying on your stomach with your feet hips-width apart and your arms bent, hands by your ribs.
Press down with your toes, rotating your inner thighs slightly toward the ceiling.
Press down with your hands to lift your head and chest. Keep your neck and head in line with your back, making sure not to tilt your head back. Roll your shoulder blades down your back.
Straighten your arms slightly, but keep a small bend in your elbows. You should feel an opening stretch in your chest and all down the front of your body, including in the front of your hips.
Release your torso back down to the ground to come out of the pose.
Bridge Pose
This do-it-all pose not only helps to open your hips, but also strengthens your glutes. “The Bridge Pose is a champ,” de Lacey says. “Lift your hips off the ground, and you’re in business.”
Here’s how to do Bridge pose:
Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.
Bring your feet about hip-width distance apart, then press into your feet and engage your hips to lift your pelvis up to the sky.
From there, you can join your hands together below your hips, interlacing your fingers together and gently pulling down to get an upper body stretch while your hips open up.
Cow Face Pose
This knotted-up pose can be more difficult to get into, but it provides an incredible deep release for your inner groin and outer hips. While the full version of the pose involves both arms and legs, Sullivan says that for tighter hips, “you might focus just on the leg position, seated and stacking one knee on top of the other.”
Here’s how to do Cow Face pose (legs only):
Start seated on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you.
Draw your right leg in towards your chest, bending it at the knee and crossing it over your left leg, so your right foot is on the outside of your left hip.
Now bend your left knee, sliding your left heel to the outside of your right hip. Every part of your left leg should be touching the ground, with your right leg on top it and your right foot still sitting outside your left hip.
Hold a foot in each hand as you adjust your legs, bringing your knees as close to centered and stacked on top of each other as you can.
Keep your spine long and breathe into the pose for as long as is comfortable.
If you have knee pain or this pose causes any discomfort, Sullivan also offers a reclining variation. Lie on your back and tightly cross your legs. Flex your feet and use your hands to grab on to your feet or calves, then pull your feet and legs back toward your face to create a deep stretch.
Low Lunge Pose
This classic yoga pose is a “fabulous” way to stretch the front of your thighs and hips, which tend to get stiff and tightened when we sit for prolonged periods,” Sullivan says.
Here’s how to do Low Lunge:
Start on your hands and knees. Move your right foot forward, placing it in between your hands. Lower your left knee to the floor and slide your left foot back to feel a stretch in your left hip and thigh.
From here, you can play around in the pose and see what works for you. You can keep both hands on the ground while pushing your chest forward and up, or place your hands on blocks to make this set-up more accessible. You can also lift both arms up toward the sky and sink even deeper into the stretch, or clasp your hands behind your back to open up your chest.
Hold the stretch for as long as is comfortable, then switch sides.
Camel Pose
“This pose is all about opening through the front body,” Sullivan says. “It taps into all the muscles that shorten and tighten when we sit a lot or round down to stare at our phones.” It’s meant to alleviate tightness in the front of your hips, shoulders, thighs, and abdomen. Note that Camel pose is more difficult, so make sure you warm up your back and hips before trying it, and go into a couple gentle forward folds (like child’s pose or reaching for your toes) afterwards to counter the backbend.
Here’s how to do Camel pose:
Start on your knees, with your legs hips-width apart.
Engage your core and lift your chest as you draw your elbows together behind your back. Slowly drop your hands toward your heels.
If you can, let your hands settle on your heels and hold the soles of your feet as you continue to lift through your sternum. If you can’t reach your feet, you can set your hands on a block outside each ankle, or simply place your hands on your hips.
Let your head and neck tip gently backwards, but don’t crane your neck. Stay here for as long as is comfortable.
To come out of the pose, bring your chin to your chest and place your hands on your hips. Use your core strength to slowly straighten up, making sure to support your lower back with your hands.
Garland Pose
Garland pose, also called yogi squat, is the deepest squat you could ask for. It opens up your hips and groin muscles, yoga teacher Anna Passalacqua tells SheKnows, and when practiced consistently, it can also “help to strengthen your quadriceps and ankles, as well as improve mobility and comfort in your hips.” This is another challenging pose, so feel free to take it to a shallower depth and adjust as your body needs.
Here’s how to do Garland pose:
Stand with your feet far apart, about a mat’s width in distance, and your toes pointing slightly outward.
Bend your knees and lower your butt toward the floor, going as low as you can comfortably while keeping your heels on the floor and your chest lifted.
Bring your arms between your knees and bend your elbows, bringing your palms together in front of your chest in a prayer position. Press your elbows or upper arms into your thighs to continue the stretch, while keeping your back straight and your shoulders relaxed.
Stay in the pose as long as is comfortable, then straighten your legs to come out of it.
Happy Baby Pose
Happy Baby Pose is a super relaxing pose that’s great for opening your hips. “It can help to stretch your hips, inner groin, and hamstrings, relieving tightness or tension,” Passalacqua says. “With regular practice, it can increase flexibility and mobility in your hips.”
Here’s how to do Happy Baby pose:
Lie flat on your back and bend your knees toward your chest, keeping them at a 90-degree angle while your head remains on the floor.
Flex your feet and use your hands to grab the soles of your feet. Spread your knees apart and draw them gently toward your armpits.
You can hold the pose as is or gently rock from side to side, staying in this position as long as is comfortable.
Frog Pose
“Frog Pose is an incredible hip-opening pose,” yoga teacher Andrew Sealy of ISSA Yoga & Wellness Academy tells SheKnows. “Frog pose is a big hip opener and it also stretches the groin and even works on strengthening your core.” When practiced regularly, he says, Frog pose “can help stretch your hip flexor muscles as well as loosen muscles in your lower back, helping to alleviate lower back pain.” He describes it as a more challenging pose, so make sure to take it slow, modify, and adjust the depth to suit your body.
Here’s how to do Frog pose:
Start on your hands and knees. Slowly slide your right and left knee out to either side, pausing to hold and breathe deeply whenever you feel a stretch. Keep your core engaged to ensure your lower back doesn’t dip.
As you continue sliding your feet to either side, flex your feet and turn them out to the side. The insides of your feet, ankles, and knees should all be touching the floor. Slide your legs apart until you feel a deep stretch, but don’t go so far that you feel pain or like you’re pushing past your limit.
If you want more of a stretch, lower your forearms to the floor. Continue breathing and holding the position as long as is comfortable. To come out of the pose, lift back up onto your palms and slowly side your knees together.
Before you go, check out these at-home yoga videos to add to your practice:
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