Many people who spend a lot of time sitting or doing the same things over and over again have tight hips and stiffness that limits movement. When your hips get stiff, they can make you uncomfortable, make your posture bad, and even hurt your lower back. Yoga is a great way to relieve this stress while also making your hips more flexible and easier to move. These 14 yoga poses are all about opening up your hips and stretching the muscles around them to help you become more flexible overall.
Balasana, or Child’s Pose
Why it works for hip flexibility: Child’s Pose stretches your lower back and hips while relaxing your tight thigh muscles. This is a good pose for beginners who want to improve their hip mobility.
How to do it: Get down on your knees and put your hands flat on the floor. Slowly sit back until your bottom moves toward 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 while relieving tension in your lower back. It also helps you relax your mind and body.
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, or Pigeon Pose
Pigeon Pose is one of the best stretches for loosening up your hip flexors and easing tension in your lower back and glutes. How to do it: Get down on your hands and knees and put your hands on the floor. Put one knee in front of the other and behind the wrist that goes with it. Straighten the other leg behind you and slowly lower your hips toward the ground. For several breaths, stay in this position 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
Lizard Pose is a very deep stretch that focuses on the hip flexors and groin area to help loosen tight hips. How to do it: Start in a high plank position and move one foot forward so that it lands outside of your hands. Let your hips fall while keeping your back leg straight. 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 you 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 and press the soles of your feet together. Let your knees fall to the sides. Hold on to your feet with both hands and push down lightly to bring your knees closer to the ground. You can hinge forward from your hips to get a deeper stretch. Pros: It makes the hips more flexible and mobile while working the inner thigh muscles and groin area.
Supta Baddha Konasana, or reclining bound angle pose
Why it works to open your hips: This version of Butterfly Pose helps your body relax and unwind while gently stretching your hips. How to do it: To begin, lie flat on your back. Put the bottoms of your feet together and let your knees fall naturally to the floor on each side. Take slow, deep breaths and put your arms comfortably at your sides with your palms facing up. Benefits: It stretches the hips and groin and releases tension in the lower body.
Ananda Balasana, or Happy Baby Pose
Why it helps with hip flexibility: Happy Baby Pose stretches your inner thighs and groin area while opening up your hip joints. It also helps to relax the muscles in your lower back. How to do it: Start by lying 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 far apart. Push your knees down toward the ground with light pressure. What you get: This pose opens up your lower back and stretches your hip flexors and inner thigh muscles.
Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Low Lunge is a great way to stretch the hip flexors and make your legs stronger at the same time. This mix is great for letting go of 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 down on the floor to rest. Keep your hips facing forward and push them gently toward the front of your mat. You can get a deeper stretch by raising both arms over your head. What it does is This pose stretches the quadriceps and hamstrings and makes the hip flexors longer. It also makes the legs stronger.
Crescent Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Crescent Lunge is a more advanced version of the Low Lunge position 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. With one foot, take a big step forward and bend your front knee to lower yourself into a lunge. Your back leg should stay straight, with the heel off the ground. Lift both arms straight up toward the ceiling and slowly push your hips forward to make the stretch deeper. Benefits: This pose makes your hips more flexible and mobile. It makes the hip flexor muscles longer and stronger throughout the legs.
Squat Pose (Malasana)
The Crescent Lunge is a variation on the Low Lunge that stretches your hip flexor muscles even more. While you hold the pose, it also helps you balance and strengthens your core. How to do it Stand up straight and take a big step forward with one foot. Bend your front knee and keep your back leg straight while you lift your heel off the floor. Lift both arms over your head and gently push your hips forward. What you get This pose strengthens your leg muscles and stretches your hip flexors, which makes your hips more flexible.
Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
This pose works mostly on the hamstrings, but it also loosens up tight spots in your lower back and hips. How to do it: To begin, sit on the floor with both 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 for your feet with your hands. As you go deeper into the position, try to keep your back straight. Benefits: This stretch works your hip and hamstring muscles and also relaxes your lower back. It helps these areas become more flexible overall.
Parivrtta Anjaneyasana, or Lunge with a Twist
Why it helps with hip flexibility: This position stretches your lower back and works on your hips and groin area. The twisting motion makes it easier for your spine to move. How to do it: Get into a low lunge position. Put the hand on the opposite side of your front leg on the ground. Turn your upper body toward your bent leg and stretch your other arm straight up toward the ceiling. As you twist deeper, try to keep your hips facing forward. What you get: Your hips get more open and flexible. Your groin muscles get a good workout. Your spine can move more freely.
Virabhadrasana II, or Warrior II
Warrior II makes your legs stronger and makes your hips and chest more flexible at the same time. This pose really helps you become more flexible and stay balanced. How to do it: Put 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. This will lower your body. Put both arms out to the sides so they are level with the floor and look straight ahead. What you get: better hip movement, stronger leg muscles, and better balance.
Mandukasana, or Frog Pose
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 apart and turn one of them outward. Keep your back leg straight and bend your front knee so that it makes a right angle. Put your arms out to the sides at shoulder height and look straight ahead. What you get: more flexible hips, stronger legs, and better balance.
Baddha Konasana, or Bound Angle Pose
This seated position is a great way to stretch your hips and groin area and make 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 naturally to the sides. Grab your feet with both hands and apply gentle pressure to push your knees closer to the ground. This pose helps open up tight hips and groin muscles and improves overall flexibility.
