A yoga teacher loves this five-minute yoga stretch for easing tight hips
Reduce tension and improve mobility in your hips with just three exercises
Tight hips are one of the most common complaints yoga teachers hear from their students, and unsurprisingly, sitting for long periods is often the culprit.
“Over time, prolonged sitting can cause your hip flexors to shorten as an adaptation—and that is usually what people mean when they say they have tight hips,” personal trainer and yoga teacher Cheryl McColgan tells Fit&Well.
This tightness can reduce mobility, impact movements like squatting and lunging, and make everyday activities like climbing the stairs harder.
McColgan’s three-move yoga routine for tight hips is designed to release tension, ease discomfort and combat the effects of prolonged sitting. And, it doesn’t take long to do—just five minutes.
It’s well documented that exercise snacking—breaking movement up into short bursts throughout the day—can boost fitness and support overall health, but McColgan reminded me that consistency is what makes the biggest difference.
“Research shows both stretching and resistance training can improve range of motion, but you have to be consistent with your workouts,” she adds.
McColgan, who is the founder of Heal Nourish Grow, recommends doing this short routine three to five times a week to reduce hip tightness and increase range of motion.
How to do the five-minute yoga routine
“For all these poses, aim for a gentle stretch sensation, not pain,” McColgan says. “Stop for any sharp pain, pinching in the hip joint, catching or numbness, and pay attention to any sensations that linger afterward as that can be a sign the stretch may not be right for your body.”
The moves:
- Low lunge to half split
- Kneeling side stretch
- Reclined bound angle pose
1. Low lunge to half split
Time: 1min each side
Benefits: Targets your hip flexors at the front of your thighs. This move is especially helpful after long periods of sitting to ease tension and lengthen your hamstrings.
How to do it:
- Start on your hands and knees, then step your right foot forward between your hands. (Place a cushion under your left knee for comfort if needed.)
- Gently tuck your pelvis under to avoid arching your lower back.
- Lean forward over your front knee, stretching the front of your left thigh.
- Shift your hips back toward your left heel, stretching through the back of your right leg. Keep a soft bend in your right knee if needed.
- Flex your right foot and hinge forward from the hips over your right leg.
- Keep your spine long and straight to avoid rounding forward.
- Move between these two positions for one minute, then repeat on the other side.
2. Kneeling side stretch
Time: 1min each side
Benefits: Encourages movement through your hips and pelvis, releasing tension when your synchronize the movement with your breath.
How to do it:
- Kneel with your knees hip-width apart.
- Step your right foot out to the side, extending your right leg, so your toes facing forward and the inside of your foot on the floor.
- Reach both arms overhead, palms facing.
- Inhale and lengthen through your spine.
- Exhale to gently bend your torso to your right, reaching your right hand toward your right leg.
- Inhale to return to upright, arms overhead.
- Continue for time, then repeat on the other side.
Trainer tip: Move with the rhythm of your breath rather than trying to hold the deepest stretch.
3. Reclined bound angle pose
Time: 1min
Benefits: Provides a low-intensity stretch for your adductors (the inside of your thighs) and groin, while encouraging relaxation.
How to do it:
- Lie on your back and bring the soles of your feet together, letting your knees drop out to the sides.
- Place pillows, blocks or folded blankets under your thighs and knees for support if there is any strain.
- Rest one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen to connect to your breath. Alternatively rest your arms on the floor by your sides, palms facing up.
"Effect of exercise snacks on fitness and cardiometabolic health" in British Journal of Sports Medicine
Cheryl McColgan is a NASM-certified personal trainer and E-RYT certified yoga instructor.
