10 Poses To Stretch Tight Hips // Floor Sequence
Tight hips… uuugh! I feel your pain, literally.
Sitting to long in the car, a chair, the couch – wherever – carrying a baby or even squatting down in the garden are just a few things that can make the hips scream with displeasure. We tend to hold a lot of tension in the hips especially as women, but men definitely experience it too!
Taking just a little time to stretch and counter-balance all that prolonged hip discomfort can truly ease the pain.
The hardest part is just convincing ourselves to take the time to actually do it. Everyone has 10 minutes to spare to feel good right? You can do this short sequence in just that, or even less.
I don’t have to tell you how sore the hips can feel – I’m sure you’re already feelin’ it and that’s why you’re here. Just remember breathing long, deep, slow breaths is the key to really help tension to relax and release.
So take the time to breather deeper my friend. Exhale and reeelax into the stretch…
Let’s begin –
1. Comfortable Seated Position
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position.
If you experience a lot of discomfort in the legs, hips or lower-back use a bolster or pillow to sit on.
Close your eyes and focus on your breathing for a few breaths.
Begin to breathe deeper, letting your breath lengthen and slow down.
As you inhale, feel the spine get longer by feeling the top of the head lift toward the sky.
As you exhale, put your focus on feeling the weight of your legs become heavier, more relaxed.
Take 5 deep breaths focusing here.
Gently Move Your Legs To Extend Out In Front Of You
* Feel free to remain seated on a pillow if that feels more comfortable
2. Head to Knee Fold
Bend one knee and place your foot on the ground. Bring the foot close-in toward your opposite inner thigh. Then, allow your knee to fall out to the side.
Adjust your hips so that they are level. (making sure that the right hip isn’t more forward than the left & vice versa)
As you breathe in – feel your spine lengthen by extending up through the crown of your head.
As you breathe out – feel your pelvis tilt forward and fold over the extended leg.
Continue syncing this subtle movement with your breathing for 10-15 breaths.
Try to relax a bit deeper into the fold with each breath out.
Then repeat on the other side.
3. Butterfly & Fold
While in a seated position bend both knees, then bring the bottom of your feet together and allow your knees to fall out to the side.
Grab a hold of your ankles and pull your heels in toward your groin as close as available. (If your hips or lower back are really tight, this may feel too uncomfortable. If so, sit on a blanket or bolster for more ease.)
As you’re breathing in – feel your spine lengthen by extending up through the crown of your head.
As you’re breathing out – keep your back flat and begin to fold forward from your hips.
You can use the hands on your ankles to actively pull yourself deeper into the fold. If the elbows or forearms reach comfortably – gently press them into the inside of your legs to encourage the hips to open more.
Stay in this pose for 10-15 breaths, allowing your hips to relax deeper into it with every breath out.
To come out of the pose, breathe in and bring your torso back up into a neutral position. Then place the hands on the outside of your knees to help your knees come back up, bringing the bottom of the feet back to the ground.
To counterbalance this pose – walk your feet apart so that they are wider than your hips. Then, windshield wiper your legs side-to-side.
4. Low Lunge
Start on your hands and knees in a table top position.
Place one foot in between your hands, then step the opposite foot back and allow your back knee to drop to the ground. (If the knee is uncomfortable here, place a blanket underneath it. If the hands don’t touch the floor comfortably, place a couple of blocks or books under the hands.)
As you’re breathing in – allow your spine to lengthen and your heart to extend forward, feeling your chest expand.
As you’re breathing out – move both hips in a forward and down, diagonal direction.
To deepen this stretch, place both hands on top of the forward leg, just behind the knee.
Stay in this pose for the 5-10 breaths, allowing your hips to relax deeper into a forward and down, diagonal direction with every breath out.
Then repeat on the other side.
5. Pigeon
Starting from a tabletop position, bring your right knee forward and place it behind your right wrist.
Extend your left leg behind you and let the knee lower. (If the knee is uncomfortable here, place a blanket underneath it.)
Feel your hips relax toward the ground. Try to align the hips so that they’re even and not leaning more toward one side versus the other. (If your right hip doesn’t lower to the ground, support it with a pillow or a block. Place it underneath your glute/thigh area to help your hips become more level.)
For a lesser sensation – keep the right foot near the groin.
For a deeper sensation – inch the foot away from the groin little-by-little, while keep the knee still behind your right right wrist and your hips levels with one another.
Once the right leg feels in place and the hips feel level, you have a couple of options for variation:
OPTION 1 – If this sensation feels right, stay here.
OPTION 2 – Allow your torso to come forward over the right leg. Then bend the elbows and rest the forearms on a couple of blocks or the floor.
OPTION 3 – Relax the torso completely over the forward leg and extend the arms out in front and let your palms face up.
Stay in this pose for the next 10-15 breaths, focusing on letting your hips relax deeper toward the floor with every breath out.
Then repeat on the opposite side.
6. Cow Face
Start on the hands and knees in a tabletop position.
Cross your right knee in front of your left knee and feel your thighs press closer together.
Allow your feet to splay wider than the width of your hips and lower your bottom to sit. (If the sensation feels too intense to lower and sit, place a pillow or block underneath your rear.)
Once you’re seated, bring your feet in closer toward your hips.
As you’re breathing in – feel your spine lengthen.
As you’re breathing out – begin to lean slightly forward from your hips with a flat back.
Continue for 5-10 breaths, then repeat on the other side.
If You Want The Additional Stretch For The Shoulders
(You may want to grab a strap or belt to assist here if your shoulders are tight.)
As you’re breathing in – stretch your arms above your head.
As you’re breathing out – bend your elbows and place the left hand on the right elbow, guiding it down so that you feel a stretch in your right shoulder blade.
If that’s enough sensation you can stay here for 5-10 breaths, and then repeat on the other side.
To Deepen The Shoulder Stretch:
Keep your right arm where it is. Then guide your left arm to your low-back and reach the hand toward the outer right hip.
Bring your left hand up toward your right and clasp them together.
(If your hands won’t reach comfortably, here is where you might make use of your strap. Place the strap in your top hand and bring your bottom hand around to take hold of it. Then slowly walk your hands closer together.)
I like to bring a slight arch in my back so that I’m able to draw my hands closer. Then I realign the spine afterward. Doing this helps to get deeper in the shoulder stretch.
As you’re inhaling – feel your spine lengthen and slightly bring the hands closer together.
As you’re exhaling – Press both elbows back as you lean forward. Try to keep your back flat and your buttocks connected to the floor.
This pose can be pretty intense for most of us, with or without the shoulder stretch.
So continue to breathe deeply, and with patience.
Continue for 5-10 breaths, then repeat on the opposite side.
7. Reclined Pigeon
Beginning on your backside, bend both of your knees and place your feet on the ground.
Bring your right knee towards the chest, then place your right ankle on top of your left thigh.
Reach your hand through to grab hold of the back of your left thigh. Keep your shoulder-blades pressing into the ground. If the hands won’t reach the thigh comfortably, use a strap to wrap around the back of the thigh and use the hands to pull the strap and thigh closer-in toward the chest.
Hold for 5-10 deeps breath, gently inviting the knee closer in toward the chest with each exhale.
Then repeat on the opposite side.
8. Reclined Pigeon to Figure-Four Twist
From your Reclined Pigeon pose above, with the right foot on the left thigh – simply allow the legs to fall to the left side.
Allow the right foot to rest on the ground and the lower back to lift from the ground.
Try to keep your left knee pressing against the outside of your right foot to keep the foot in place on the ground.
Then place the left hand into the inner right knee and press that knee away from the body. You should feel the stretch deepen through your outer right hip.
Turn your head to the right and stretch your right arm out, perpendicular to the body, and press your right shoulder into the ground.
Stay for 5-10 deeps breaths, gently pressing the hand into the knee a bit more with each exhale.
Then repeat on the other side.
9. Happy Baby
With both knees bent, bring them in towards your chest and give yourself a hug.
If it feels good, rock from side-to-side to massage the back.
Then, bring both arms in-between your knees and face the bottoms of your feet toward the ceiling. Keeping your low-back on the ground, allow your hands to grab onto wherever is accessible- either your shins, your ankles or outer sides of your feet.
Take a breath in.
As you breathe out – gently pull your knees towards your armpit area.
If it feels right, rock from side-to-side to massage to your lower back.
Stay for 5-10 breaths or longer if it feels appropriate.
10. Reclined Butterfly
(It’s not necessary, but it might be nice to have 2 blocks or 2 pillows accessible for this pose)
Lying on your back with your knees bent, place your feet on the floor. Then bring the bottoms of your feet together and allow your knees to fall out to the sides.
(If you feel too much resistance from your thighs, hips or lower back- place 2 blocks or 2 pillows under your knees for support.)
Stay for 5-10 breaths or for as long it feels right.
To come out of the pose, place your hands on the outsides of your knees to help bring them back up.
To end this lovely sequence for your hips, extend your legs out long and reach your arms over your head to bring your body into a nice full-body stretch.
Take a few breaths here. Then, just allow your body to relax complete for a few moments before you get up and continue on with your day.
How was that? How do you feel? Do you have questions? Please feel free to reach out and ask! I always love to help! 🙂