Got tight hips? You’re not alone—it’s one of the biggest struggles for many people! Hip mobility is the unsung hero of our daily tasks. Whether you’re lounging like a pro, popping up from the floor like a ninja, or wrestling with your shoelaces, those flexible hips are the secret sauce to getting it done smoothly!
A decline in hip mobility can result from various factors. This condition typically does not develop suddenly; instead, it often creeps up over time, leading to significant challenges when we require mobility the most.
Understanding what caused your restricted hip mobility is essential in finding the effective treatment and rehabilitation strategy to overcome it.
Joint Restrictions
Hip mobility issues can often be traced back to your joints throwing a tantrum! Stiffness, inflammation, or the pesky party crasher known as arthritis are usually the main troublemakers. But wait, there’s more! Hip impingement, dysplasia, fractures, and all sorts of funky bone deformities can crash the range-of-motion party, leaving your hips feeling a little less than fabulous!
Muscle imbalances
The drama could also be brewing from an unbalanced muscle party around your joints! When hip flexors get all cozy and crunched from hours in a chair, they throw a wrench in your hip extension. Suddenly, standing up feels like a showdown between you and your own body! Ouch!
Issues in your tissues
Another very common culprit to tight hips are issues in your tissues. Your fascia, ligaments, and tendons can be the villain in your hip mobility problem. When you’re not moving around enough or if you’ve had a run-in with an injury, these key players can throw a wrench in your hip groove, turning mobility into a real pain in the… well, you know!
Stretches to Rescue Your Hip Mobility Dilemmas!
I highly suggest you pay a visit to the doc first to figure out what’s causing your pain or keeping you from moving freely! If it turns out you’ve got an injury that needs some medical TLC, these stretches may not be your best move. But if you’ve got the green light to stretch, then dive into these hip-saving superhero stretches to get those hips grooving again!
Seated Hip Flexor Stretch
This seated Hip Flexor Stretch also known in yoga as Seated Pigeon will open up your hips and lengthen your hip flexors.
- Start Seated with your legs extended in front of you.
- Bend one knee and bring your ankle to the thigh of your other leg.
- You can use your hand to provide gentle pressure to your bent leg opening up your hip further.
Seated Glute Stretch
This seated Glute Stretch stretches your Glutes, Piriformis and IT Band.
- Start seated with your legs extended in front of you.
- Bend your right knee and cross the foot over the left leg. Bring it in close to your chest.
- Take a gentle twist here by taking your left hand to your knee, right hand behind you and twisting back looking over your right shoulder. (this helps improve the flexibility of the spine)
- Reverse this twist and hug your knee into your right armpit to provide a stretch to your right glutes and IT Band.
- Release and repeat on the other side.
Bound Angle or Butterfly Stretch
In this Bound Angle Stretch you will stretch your psoas and open up both hips.
- Sit with your knees bent and the bottoms of your feet together.
- Bring your feet as close to your body as you comfortably can.
- Option to fold forward to open your hips up further.
Standing IT Band Stretch
This Standing IT Band Stretch not only stretches the IT Band but also provides a nice stretch for the lower back, glutes and hamstrings.
- Start with crossing your right leg in front of your left. Bringing the outer edge of both feet together.
- Fold forward and bring your hands to your thighs, shins or the floor.
- Slowly rise back to standing. Repeat on the other side.
Yoga Strap Glute Stretch
In this stretch you will use a yoga strap to improve the flexibility in your glutes and piriformis. This stretch also helps to relieve sciatic nerve pain.
- Start lying on your back. Place a strap on the bottom of your right foot. In the middle of your foot where your arch is.
- Apply gentle pressure directly downward providing compression in your right ankle and knee. Femur or thigh bone presses directly down toward the mat.
- Keeping the strap in your left hand, gently guide your leg across your body to the left side.
- Hold, return to center and repeat on the other side.
Yoga Strap Psoas Stretch
Here is a stretch that will improve the flexibility in your Iliacus and Psoas. This will help increase the range of motion in your hips.
- Start lying on your back. Place a strap on the bottom of your right foot. In the middle of your foot where your arch is.
- Apply gentle pressure directly downward providing compression in your right ankle and knee. Femur or thigh bone presses directly down toward the mat.
- Keeping the strap in your right hand, gently guide your leg out to the right side.
- Hold, return to center and repeat on the other side.
The next chapter in your hip mobility saga.
Hopefully these stretches will help get those hips back into motion but this shouldn’t be all that you do. For healthy, happy hips I strongly recommend strengthening them as well. I would love to help you get those hips moving again (along with any other areas that need attention). Send me an email at rebecca@vitalitytransformations.com or book your free consultation to learn more.
