Tight hips affect many people who spend hours sitting or doing the same movements repeatedly. When your hips become stiff they can cause discomfort and bad posture & sometimes even pain in your lower back. Yoga offers an excellent solution for releasing this tension while building flexibility & better movement in your hip area. The 14 yoga poses described here focus on opening your hips and stretching the muscles around them to boost your overall flexibility.
Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Why it works for hip flexibility: Child’s Pose stretches your lower back and hip area while loosening tight thigh muscles. This makes it a good beginner pose for improving hip mobility.
How to perform it: Start in a kneeling position with your hands flat on the floor. Sit back slowly until your bottom moves toward your heels and stretch your arms forward. Rest your forehead on the mat & breathe slowly and deeply.
What you gain: This pose stretches your hips & thighs while releasing lower back tension. It also helps calm your mind and body.
Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
Why it works for hip opening: Pigeon Pose ranks among the most effective stretches for loosening hip flexors & releasing tension in the glutes and lower back. How to perform it: Start on your hands & knees in a tabletop position. Move one knee forward and position it behind the corresponding wrist. Straighten the other leg behind you & gently lower your hips down toward the ground. Stay in this position for multiple breaths before switching to the other side. Benefits: This pose provides a deep hip opening while stretching the glutes and hip flexors along with the lower back muscles.
Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana)
Why it works for hip opening: Lizard Pose focuses on the hip flexors and groin area to provide an intense stretch that loosens tight hips. How to perform it: Begin in a high plank position & bring one foot forward to land outside your hands. Drop your hips down while keeping your back leg straight. For a more intense stretch you can lower your forearms to the floor. Benefits: This pose stretches the hip flexors & groin and hamstrings while building better flexibility.
Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)
Why it works for hip flexibility: Butterfly Pose loosens tightness in your inner thighs and groin area while creating more space in your hip joints. How to perform it: Start by sitting down with the soles of your feet pressed together. Let your knees fall open to each side. Grab your feet with both hands and apply light pressure to push your knees closer to the ground. For a deeper stretch you can hinge forward from your hips. Benefits: Increases hip mobility and flexibility while targeting the inner thigh muscles and groin region.
Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Why it works for hip opening: This version of Butterfly Pose gently stretches your hips while helping your body relax and unwind. How to perform it: Start by lying flat on your back. Press the bottoms of your feet together & allow your knees to drop naturally toward the floor on each side. Place your arms comfortably beside your body with your palms turned upward and take slow deep breaths. Benefits: Stretches the hip and groin areas while releasing tension throughout your lower body.
Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)
Why it works for hip flexibility: Happy Baby Pose opens up the hip joints while stretching your groin area & inner thighs. It also helps loosen your lower back muscles. How to perform it: Start by lying flat on your back. Draw both knees up toward your chest. Reach up & hold the outside edges of your feet with your hands while keeping your knees bent. Your hips should stay wide apart. Apply gentle pressure to push your knees down toward the ground. What you gain: This pose stretches your hip flexors and inner thigh muscles while releasing tightness in your lower back region.
Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Why it works for hip flexibility: Low Lunge effectively stretches the hip flexors while building leg strength. This combination makes it excellent for releasing tension in tight hips. How to perform it: Begin by standing upright. Step one foot forward and bend that knee to form a right angle. Bring your back knee down to rest on the floor. Keep your hips facing forward and gently push them toward the front of your mat. For a deeper stretch you can lift both arms above your head. What it does: This pose lengthens the hip flexors and stretches both the quadriceps & hamstrings. It also builds strength throughout the legs.
Crescent Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Why it works well for hip flexibility: Crescent Lunge builds on the basic Low Lunge position by creating additional stretch through the hip flexor muscles. This pose also helps develop better balance and core stability during practice. How to perform it: Begin by standing upright with feet together. Take a large step forward with one foot and lower into a lunge by bending the front knee. Your back leg should remain extended with the heel off the ground. Lift both arms straight up toward the ceiling & slowly push your hips forward to deepen the stretch. Benefits: This pose increases hip mobility & flexibility. It lengthens tight hip flexor muscles and builds strength throughout the leg muscles.
Squat Pose (Malasana)
Why it works well for hip flexibility Crescent Lunge takes the basic Low Lunge position and adds more stretch to your hip flexor muscles. It also improves your balance and strengthens your core while you hold the pose. # How to perform it Stand up straight & take a big step forward with one foot. Bend your front knee and keep your back leg straight with the heel lifted off the floor. Raise both arms overhead and gently push your hips forward. # What you gain This pose makes your hips more mobile and stretches your hip flexors while making your leg muscles stronger.
Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
Why it works for hip flexibility: This pose mainly targets the hamstrings but also loosens tight areas in your hips and lower back. How to perform it: Start by sitting on the floor with both legs stretched out in front of you. Take a breath in while sitting up tall and lengthening through your spine. As you breathe out fold forward from your hips and reach your hands toward your feet. Try to maintain a straight back as you go deeper into the position. Benefits: This stretch works your hamstrings & hip muscles while also releasing tension in your lower back. It helps improve overall flexibility in these areas.
Lunge with a Twist (Parivrtta Anjaneyasana)
Why it works for hip flexibility: This position targets your hips and groin area while also stretching your lower back. The twisting motion helps your spine move more freely. How to perform it: Start in a Low Lunge position. Put the hand opposite to your front leg down on the ground. Turn your upper body toward your bent leg and reach your other arm straight up toward the ceiling. Try to keep your hips facing forward while you twist deeper. What you gain: Your hips become more open and flexible. Your groin muscles get a good stretch. Your spine gains better range of motion.
Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
Why it works well for hip flexibility: Warrior II builds leg strength & increases hip and chest mobility at the same time. This pose effectively enhances your flexibility and helps you maintain better balance. How to perform it: Stand with your feet positioned far apart and rotate one foot so it points outward. Lower your body by bending the front knee until it forms a right angle while your back leg stays extended. Stretch both arms out to the sides so they are level with the floor & look straight ahead. What you gain: Better hip mobility and stronger leg muscles along with improved balance.
Frog Pose (Mandukasana)
Why it works well for hip flexibility: Warrior II strengthens your legs & opens up your hips & chest at the same time. This pose improves your flexibility and helps you balance better. How to perform it: Stand with your feet wide apart and turn one foot outward. Bend your front knee to create a right angle while keeping your back leg straight. Extend both arms out to your sides at shoulder height and gaze forward. What you gain: Greater hip mobility & stronger legs with better balance.
Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)
Butterfly Pose for Hip Flexibility This seated position effectively stretches your hips and groin area while making your inner thighs more flexible. Start by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Bring 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 stretches the groin muscles. It also works on increasing flexibility in your inner thigh area.
