If you're looking for the best hip stretches, you already know that sitting all day is brutal. Having a desk job can be a real pain in the neck. And back. And, especially, the hips. Hip stretches can help alleviate a lot of that lower body pain, but knowing how to stretch out your hip flexors properly is key—otherwise you’re just going to injure yourself.
The hip stretches listed below come straight from physical therapists and are the ones they recommend the most. Get ready to move your hips like you’re Shakira and it’s 2006.
What Causes Tight Hips?
Tight hips are a common woe, but if you bring this complaint to a physical therapist, expect to get asked some follow-up questions. “There can be different causes of the perception or feeling of ‘tight hips,’” says Joel Roth, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, the director of sports physical therapy at Select Medical and the sports residency director at NovaCare Rehabilitation in Philadelphia.
Dr. Roth explains that a lot of people experiencing pain or stiffness in their hips will describe their discomfort as “tight,” but this is a complaint, not a clinical term. “Having a feeling of tight hips does not necessarily mean a loss of range of motion exists,” Dr. Roth says. “Identifying the cause of this feeling is important to address appropriately.”
This is where knowing some hip anatomy 101 comes in handy. University of North Carolina professor Michael Gross, PT, PhD, FAPTA, explains that the hip is where the thigh bone meets the pelvis; a juncture that forms the ball-and-socket joint. There are two major parts of the hip joint, the femoral head (a ball-shaped piece of bone) and the acetabulum (a socket in the pelvis that the femoral head fits into). There are 21 muscles that cross the hip, which are used for both movement and stability. Because of this, if you come to a physical therapist complaining of hip pain, be ready for them to ask you exactly where you’re experiencing that pain.
Dr. Gross and Dr. Roth say there are several main causes of hip pain or stiffness. As previously mentioned, prolonged time sitting is a big one. “If you do a lot of sitting, the soft tissues on the front of the hip, the joint, the joint capsule on the front of the joint, the ligaments, and the front of the joint—they are all going to be placed in a shortened position,” Dr. Gross says. These would be the hip flexor muscles, the ligaments, and the joint capsule. He explains that all of the soft tissues in the body have a certain amount of elasticity, but if you keep them in a shortened position, they’re going to want to shorten. This means that spending the majority of the day sitting can cause the hip flexors to tighten up.
Hip discomfort or stiffness can also be genetic. Numerous genes are associated with joint stiffness. Dr. Roth adds that individuals with excessive mobility, underlying joint or muscle related issues, general deconditioning or strength deficits can all complain of hip tightness.
If you are already in pain, Dr. Gross recommends seeing a physical therapist. Hip stretches will surely be part of your Rx, but having a PT guide them will ensure they’re done in a way that won’t make your pain worse. To prevent hip pain or stiffness, hip stretches can help. This, Dr. Roth explains, is because they improve range of motion.
Dr. Roth adds: “In order to make long-lasting gains, however, it is my experience that coupling stretching with strength training is a good general approach. Strength training for the hips should include compound movements in multiple planes such as squats, step ups, bridges, and deadlifts.”
Hofstra University physical therapy professor Yasser Salem, PT, PhD, MS, NCS, PCS, says other forms of exercise—including walking, running, biking, yoga, and Pilates—help too. “People who are active are less likely to experience tight hips,” he explains. In fact, Dr. Salem says that before or after a workout is a perfect time to spend five minutes moving through some hip stretches. But he adds that you can do them whenever it works best for you too.
Not sure how to do them? Below are 10 PT-approved hip stretches.
10 Hip Stretches To Do At Home
One easy way to tell if your hips are stiff is to try and sit “criss-cross applesauce” style on the floor. If you can’t move into it easily, your hips could use some loosening up. Dr. Salem says sitting cross-legged this way can help with hip mobility, so try sitting this way when you meditate or watch TV.
1. Sit your butt on the floor and put your legs out in front of you.
2. Bend your knees and put each foot under the opposite knee.
3. For a deeper stretch, put one foot on top of the opposite knee.
Dr. Salem and Dr. Roth both recommend this hip stretch, which is similar to a cobra pose that you might have moved through in a yoga class. Besides being a stellar hip flexor stretch, it also stretches the lower back, helping to prevent lower back pain.
1. Lie on your stomach and place your hands directly under your shoulders with your palms flat on the floor.
2. Press up, straightening your arms. Keep your hips pressed against the floor while your upper body is lifted. Hold this stretch for a full breath.
3. Gently lower back down. Do 10 reps.
The hamstrings are key hip extensors, so if your hamstrings are tight, it’s absolutely going to impact your hips. Improving flexibility in your hamstrings helps increase range of motion in your hips. It’s why Dr. Roth likes this hip stretch so much, which targets both the hip flexors and the hamstrings.
1. Lie on your back next to a doorway. Keep one leg flat on the floor into the open doorway while elevating your other leg up, against the wall.
2. Push your heel into the doorway for 15 seconds. Relax. Do two to four reps.
Dr. Roth says that another way to loosen up the hamstrings (and therefore increase range of motion in the hips) is with hamstring glides. He says this is a good dynamic stretch to do before exercising. Having core discs on hand makes this exercise easier, but you can also use dish towels.
1. Lie on your back. Bend your knees and place each foot on a core disc. Put your arms on the floor straight on either side of you.
2. Lift your pelvis up while sliding the heels out. Bring your heels back in by using your hamstrings. Come back to the starting position.
3. Do 15 to 20 reps.
Here’s a hip flexor stretch you can do in bed, recommended by Dr. Gross. This stretch can help prevent hip flexor discomfort or stiffness as well as relieve it, if you are already experiencing it.
1. Sit on the foot of the bed and then lie on your back. Let one lower extremity dangle off the end of the bed.
2. Gently pull the knee of the opposite lower extremity toward your chest, keeping your back flat and your other lower extremity off the bed.
3. Hold this position for 30 seconds before coming back to the starting position of sitting on the edge of the foot of the bed. Repeat on the other side.
Both Dr. Gross and Dr. Roth say that lunges can help prevent or alleviate hip discomfor—Dr. Roth is particularly a fan of this stretch. It targets both the hip flexors and glutes. Loosening up these parts of the body also helps prevent or alleviate lower back pain.
1. Get into a kneeling position, with one foot flat on the floor in front of you and your knee bent at 90 degrees.
2. Lunge forward into the stretch. You should feel the stretch in your hips. Hold for 15 seconds. Then, switch sides.
The crossed leg hip rotator stretch targets the hips and outer thighs, which help increase hip joint mobility. This is one of Dr. Roth’s favorite static hip stretches.
1. Lie flat on the floor. Bend your knees and put your feet on the floor. Stretch your arms out straight to either side of you.
2. Cross one leg over the other leg, resting your ankle on the opposite knee.
3. Press the knee of the crossed leg away from the body until you feel the stretch.
4. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Then switch sides. Do two to four reps.
You’re probably already familiar with child’s pose from yoga (arguably, besides savasana, the best part of class) and Dr. Roth says it’s a stellar static stretch for your hips and lower back. If you feel tense while holding this pose, that’s a good sign that you could benefit from doing it regularly.
1. Sit down with your butt on your heels. Separate your knees slightly wider than shoulder-width.
2. Lean forward and stretch your hands straight out in front of you.
3. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
If you do this stretch regularly, Dr. Roth says you’ll absolutely increase your hip mobility. It’s both an internal hip rotation and an external hip rotation, which is why it’s so effective for increasing mobility.
1. Sit down and extend your legs straight in front of you.
2. Bend your right knee 90 degrees to the side of your body, keeping your entire leg on the floor.
3. Swing your left leg behind you and bend your left knee to 90 degrees.
4. Keep your spine straight and engage your core while holding the stretch. Lean forward from your hips while keeping your spine straight.
5. Hold for 30 seconds. Then, switch sides.
Here’s how to stretch your inner thighs at the same time as your hips. Dr. Roth says that this hip stretch is another great one to do as part of a warm-up before working out.
1. Get down on your hands and knees. Stretch one leg out to the side. Your knee should be straight and your toes should be pointed forward.
2. Keeping your back flat, rock your hips back while supporting your body with your hands or elbows.
3. Hold for 10 seconds before gently moving out of the stretch.
It bears repeating that if you are currently experiencing hip pain, it’s worth it to see a physical therapist who can give you an individualized plan and recommend stretches tailored to alleviate your discomfort. But if you are looking for some general hip stretches to help prevent or alleviate minor hip pain, the above stretches are good ones to do regularly.
And remember: Physical activity helps prevent and alleviate hip discomfort and hip range of motion, so walking is good for tight hip flexors—as is other types of movement.
You might not be able to change the fact that you’re stuck at a desk the majority of the day. But you can undo some of the damage all that sitting can cause by moving through some stretches as part of your workout routine or when you’re relaxing in the evening.