Yoga Hip Openers to Boost Hip Flexibility and Reduce Pain

The hip is one of the largest joints in the body, and it is essential for so many movements. Located in the center of the body, the hip allows you to hinge at the waist, move your legs, sit and stand, walk and run, and do it all while maintaining stability. When this major joint tightens up, it affects your mobility and can even cause pain and injuries. 

Yoga is a great practice for flexibility in all areas of the body and particularly in the hip. If you struggle with tight hips, or have clients who do, use these classic yoga stretches and poses to open them up again. 

The Tight Hip Epidemic

The hip is a simple ball and socket joint, but it’s connected to several ligaments, tendons, and muscles that can become tight and inflexible, limiting its movement. 

Many muscles—both large and small—contribute to hip mobility and hip flexibility. These include the flexors at the front of the joint, the glute muscles, and muscles responsible for internal and external rotation. 

Many people struggle with tight hips. It’s a common consequence of modern lifestyles, which include a lot of sitting. Even people who work out daily can have tight hips if they sit for several hours a day. 

Sitting shortens and tightens hip muscles, especially the flexors. It also weakens glute muscles, which only aggravates the situation. Certain workouts can also worsen tight hips, including running and cycling. 

Weak glutes often go hand-in-hand with tight hips. Try these corrective exercises along with hip openers to combat the problem.

Signs of Tight Hips

You’ll know you have tight hips if they feel inflexible and if your range of motion has become limited. Also, if you find hip stretches particularly painful or difficult, your hips are probably too tight. Some other signs of tight hips are less obvious: 

• Stiffness and pain in the lower back, especially when standing

• Difficulty maintaining good posture

• Tightness and pain in the neck

• Glute pain

• Feet that rotate outward when standing

• Pain in the hip when bringing the knee to the chest

Because the hip joint is so central to movement and stability, tightness can radiate outward and cause these additional issues. 

The hips aren’t the only part of the body that suffers when you sit all day. Try these yoga poses to combat all the negative effects of hours of sitting. 

The Benefits of Releasing Tight Hips

Tight hips simply don’t feel good. If you have tight hips and do a good stretching session, you can feel the difference. Your mobility is suddenly improved, and you probably have less pain immediately. Here are more reasons to use yoga and other strategies to open up your hips:

Yoga Hip Openers Reduce Lower Back Pain

Part of the hip flexors runs from the femur, through the pelvis, and to the spine. When this is tight and short, it pulls on the lower back, causing an aching pain. Once you release that hip flexor muscle, your back will feel looser. 

Hip Opening Stretches Improve Posture

The tightness can radiate all the way up your back, impacting posture. When you loosen up the hip joint, you’ll be able to stand and sit up straighter. Additionally, if you have more tightness in one hip than the other, it can make your posture lopsided. 

Improve Functional Movements

If you have tight hips, they impact many of your day-to-day movements. Just picking something up from the floor can be more difficult. Moving and opening the hips daily will improve how you move in almost every way. 

Learn more: How to Identify and Correct a Tight Hip Flexor

The Best Yoga Hip Openers for Every Skill Level

If you’ve ever been to a yoga class and struggled to do poses that stretch the hips, you probably know you have tight hips. Don’t let this difficulty keep you away from yoga, though. It takes time to build flexibility, and ultimately some people are just tighter than others.

If you’re new to yoga or just not very flexible, start with beginner hip opening poses. Get a comfortable yoga mat, use a yoga block if needed, and progress only as far as you feel comfortable. Don’t push it or use other people as a benchmark. Ease back if you feel any hip pain. Your hips may never be as open as you want them to be, but you can still progress safely. 

Reclined Bound Angle Pose

This is a really easy hip opening yoga pose to begin with, but don’t push the limits of your hips right away. To do it, lie down and bring the soles of your feet together while letting your knees fall out to each side. It’s like a butterfly stretch but lying back, which allows more of a stretch throughout the hip flexors and inner thighs. 

If you have a lot of tightness, start slowly. Move your feet farther from your hips for less stretch and begin to draw them in for more of a stretch. To progress, place soft weights on your legs or have a partner push down on them gently. 

Bridge Pose

Lying on your back, feet on the ground and knees bent, lift your hips up as high as is comfortable. To extend the stretch, roll your shoulders in and clasp your hands together under your back. This pose is great for the hips and also for opening up the chest after hunching over a computer all day.  

Frog Pose

This hip opener is also good for beginners, but again, take the hip stretch slowly at first. On all fours on a mat, place your forearms and palms on the floor in front of you, parallel to each other. Spread your knees apart from each other with your lower legs and feet flat on the floor. Lower your pelvis toward the floor to feel the stretch across the front of your hips and inner thighs. 

Low Lunge

Also known as a runner’s stretch for how this loosens up tight hip flexors, this position really stretches the front of the hips. In a lunge position, with the right foot forward and the right knee bent at 90 degrees, stretch the left leg back, letting the knee rest on the floor. Use a towel or thick mat under the left knee to cushion and protect it. 

Keep your chest upright and feel the stretch across the front of the hip extended toward the back of your body. Repeat on the other side with the left leg forward and the right leg back. 

Lizard Pose

You can progress from low lunge to this more challenging pose, utthan pristhasana, for a deeper stretch. Move the forward leg out a little bit to the side and place your hands or forearms on the floor on the inside of that knee. Lift the knee of the back leg off the mat until you feel a stretch. 

Twisted Monkey

From lizard pose, put your back knee on the floor again. Bend the back leg at the knee and reach around with the opposite arm to grasp the foot. Pull it towards the body to get more of a stretch. This will also twist your spine, giving you a good back stretch. 

Pigeon Pose

Many people are troubled by tightness in the front of the hips, but if your outer hip is tense, try the pigeon pose. Start in downward facing dog, hands and feet on the floor, arms and legs straight, and bent at the hips. 

From this position, bring the left leg forward to the mat with the left knee bent so that the lower leg is under the chest and parallel with the line of your shoulders. Take it slowly if your hips are very tight as you lower your chest down over the front leg, arms outstretched in front of you. 

Reclined Pigeon Pose

If the pigeon pose is too challenging, start with a reclined version. On your back, knees bent, lift the left leg up and rotate the hip outwards. Rest your left foot on top of your right thigh, just below the right knee. Bend at the hip, bringing your legs in toward your body. For more of a stretch, grasp your right leg and pull it forward. You should feel a stretch on the outside of your left hip. 

Opening up the hips is one of the best things you can do for your flexibility and mobility. If you are a trainer with clients who struggle in this area, add in a few of these hip opening yoga poses at a time to build up flexibility at a safe pace. 

Did you know the ISSA offers a Certified Yoga Instructor course? Enroll for the training you need to add this additional service to clients.