Many people who sit for long periods of time or do the same movements over and over again have tight hips. Stiff hips can make you uncomfortable, make your posture worse, and even cause pain in your lower back. Yoga is a great way to relieve this stress while also making your hips more flexible and able to move better. The 14 yoga poses in this article are all about opening your hips and stretching the muscles around them to make you more flexible overall.
The Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Child’s Pose works for hip flexibility because it stretches your lower back and hips and loosens tight thigh muscles. This is a good pose for beginners to do to help their hips move better.
How to do it:
Put your hands flat on the floor and kneel down to start. Slowly sit back until your bottom is close to your heels, and then stretch your arms out in front of you. Put your forehead on the mat and take slow, deep breaths.
What you get:
This pose opens up your hips and thighs and eases tension in your lower back. It also helps you relax mentally and physically.
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, or Pigeon Pose
Why it works to open the hips: Pigeon Pose is one of the best stretches for loosening the hip flexors and relieving tension in the lower back and glutes. How to do it: Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Put one knee in front of the other and behind the wrist that goes with it. Straighten your other leg behind you and slowly lower your hips toward the ground. Stay in this position for a few breaths before moving to the other side.
Benefits:
This pose opens up the hips deeply and stretches the glutes, hip flexors, and lower back muscles.
Utthan Pristhasana, or Lizard Pose
Why it works to open the hips: Lizard Pose is a strong stretch that loosens tight hips by focusing on the hip flexors and groin area. How to do it: Start in a high plank position and move one foot forward so that it lands outside of your hands. While keeping your back leg straight, lower your hips. You can get a deeper stretch by lowering your forearms to the floor. Benefits: This pose stretches the hip flexors, groin, and hamstrings while also making them more flexible.
Baddha Konasana, or Butterfly Pose
Why it helps with hip flexibility: Butterfly Pose opens up your hip joints and makes your inner thighs and groin area less tight. How to do it: To begin, sit down with the bottoms of your feet together. Let your knees fall to the side. Hold onto your feet with both hands and gently push down on your knees to bring them closer to the ground. You can hinge forward from your hips to get a deeper stretch. Benefits: This exercise works the inner thigh muscles and groin area while also making the hips more flexible and mobile.
Supta Baddha Konasana, or reclining bound angle pose
Why it works to open the hips: This version of Butterfly Pose helps your body relax and unwind while also gently stretching your hips. How to do it: First, lie down flat on your back. Put your feet together and let your knees fall naturally to the floor on each side. Put your arms next to your body in a comfortable position with your palms facing up, and breathe deeply and slowly. Benefits: Stretches the hips and groin while relaxing the lower body.
Ananda Balasana, or Happy Baby Pose
Why it helps with hip flexibility: Happy Baby Pose stretches your groin and inner thighs while also opening up your hip joints. It also helps your lower back muscles relax. How to do it: Begin by lying flat on your back. Bring both knees up to your chest. While keeping your knees bent, reach up and grab the outside edges of your feet with your hands. Your hips should stay apart. Use light pressure to push your knees down toward the ground. What you get: This pose opens up your lower back and stretches your hip flexors and inner thigh muscles.
Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Why it helps with hip flexibility: Low Lunge is a great way to stretch the hip flexors and make your legs stronger. This mix is great for loosening up tight hips. How to do it: Start by standing up straight. Put one foot in front of the other and bend that knee so that it makes a right angle. Put your back knee on the floor to rest. Push your hips gently toward the front of your mat while keeping them facing forward. You can get a deeper stretch by raising both arms above your head. What it does: This pose stretches the quadriceps and hamstrings and makes the hip flexors longer. It also makes the legs stronger.
The Crescent Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Why it helps with hip flexibility: The Crescent Lunge is a more advanced version of the Low Lunge that stretches the hip flexor muscles even more. This pose also helps you get better at balancing and keeping your core stable while you practise. How to do it: Start by standing up straight with your feet together. Take a big step forward with one foot and bend your front knee to lower yourself into a lunge. Keep your back leg straight and your heel off the ground. Lift both arms straight up to the ceiling and slowly push your hips forward to make the stretch deeper. Pros: This pose makes your hips more flexible and mobile. It makes the tight hip flexor muscles longer and builds strength in all the leg muscles.
The Malasana or Squat Pose
Why it helps with hip flexibility Crescent Lunge starts with the basic Low Lunge position and stretches your hip flexor muscles even more. It also helps you balance and strengthens your core while you hold the pose. How to do it Stand up straight and take a big step forward with one foot. With your back leg straight and your heel off the floor, bend your front knee. Put both arms over your head and gently push your hips forward. # What you get This pose stretches your hip flexors and makes your leg muscles stronger, which makes your hips more flexible.
Paschimottanasana, or seated forward bend
Why it helps with hip flexibility: This pose works mostly on the hamstrings, but it also helps to loosen up tight spots in your lower back and hips. How to do it: Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. While sitting up straight and lengthening your spine, take a deep breath. As you breathe out, bend forward at the hips and reach your hands toward your feet. As you go deeper into the position, try to keep your back straight. Benefits: This stretch works your hip and hamstring muscles and relaxes your lower back. It helps these areas become more flexible overall.
Lunge with a Twist (Parivrtta Anjaneyasana)
Why it helps with hip flexibility: This position works your hips and groin and also stretches your lower back. The twisting motion makes it easier for your spine to move. How to do it: Begin in a low lunge. Put your hand on the ground opposite your front leg. Turn your upper body toward the leg that is bent and reach your other arm straight up to the ceiling. As you twist deeper, try to keep your hips facing forward. What you get: Your hips become more flexible and open. You stretch your groin muscles well. Your spine can move more freely.
Virabhadrasana II, also known as Warrior II
Why it helps with hip flexibility: Warrior II strengthens your legs and makes your hips and chest more flexible at the same time. This pose is a great way to improve your flexibility and balance. How to do it: Stand with your feet far apart and turn one foot so that it points out. Bend your front knee until it makes a right angle, and keep your back leg straight. Put your arms out to the sides so they are level with the floor and look straight ahead. What you get: Better balance, stronger leg muscles, and more flexible hips.
Mandukasana, or Frog Pose
Why it works well to make your hips more flexible: Warrior II works your legs and opens up your hips and chest at the same time. This pose makes you more flexible and helps you stay balanced. How to do it: Put your feet wide apart and turn one of them out. Keep your back leg straight and bend your front knee to make a right angle. Put your arms out to the sides at shoulder height and look straight ahead. What you get: stronger legs that are easier to move around and better balance.
Baddha Konasana, or Bound Angle Pose
Butterfly Pose to Make Your Hips More Flexible This seated position is a great way to stretch your hips and groin while also making your inner thighs more flexible. To begin, sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Put the bottoms of your feet together so they touch. Let your knees fall to the sides on their own. Put both hands on your feet and gently push down on your knees to bring them closer to the ground. This pose helps stretch the groin muscles and loosen up tight hips. It also helps make the muscles in your inner thighs more flexible.
