Are your tight hips stress-related? Try these three yoga poses that will stretch your muscles and help you feel calmer

If you’ve ever found yourself needing the bathroom more when you’re nervous or experiencing dry mouth when you’ve had a shock, you’re not imagining things—emotions can have a big impact on your body.

Stress can cause some particularly nasty symptoms such as muscle tension.

“When you're stressed, your body switches into fight or flight mode, increasing muscle tension to protect your body from what it perceives as a threat,” explains yoga teacher Nicky Cossins.

This muscle tension can make your joints feel stiffer.

According to Cossins, there’s no definitive way to link hip tension to stress, but there are clues—like fluctuating flexibility.

“One week you may find it easy to sink deeper into a pose, but a few weeks later your hips may feel noticeably tighter. This doesn't necessarily mean you've lost flexibility, but it may suggest heightened stress since your last practice,” says Cossins.

You might also notice tension in other parts of your body, like your neck and shoulders, but if it's stress-related, this should improve when you relax.

Cossins is a slow-flow yoga practitioner and is an advocate for using yoga as a calming tool.

“Flowing with the breath into position, followed by slow, diaphragmatic breathing when we get there, can help release stress-related muscle tension,” says Cossins.

Relaxing will make your practice more effective, according to the instructor, as you will get a better stretch from muscles that have loosened up.

“Always listen to your body and start with the recommended hold times or even less if you feel like you’re forcing it and gradually add longer holds with time.”

Three yoga poses to open tight hips

1. Reclined butterfly pose

Hold: 30-60sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your legs extended, arms by your sides and palms facing up.
• Inhale, bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together.
• Exhale and allow your knees to fall to your sides gently. If this feels uncomfortable, place yoga blocks under your knees for support.
• Bring your heels toward your buttocks until you feel a comfortable stretch, then settle into slow, diaphragmatic breathing. Allow your belly and lower ribs to gently expand as you inhale and then soften as you exhale.
• Hold for 30-60 seconds to start, gradually increasing to a minute or two as your flexibility improves

“Reclined butterfly pose helps to improve hip mobility by moving the hips into external rotation—something we don’t tend to do often enough,” says Cossins.

“[Lying on] the floor supports your spine, allowing your hips to relax deeper into the pose without placing extra strain on the back. It also keeps your focus on your hips, rather than trying to maintain good posture.”

2. Bridge pose

Hold: 20-30sec Reps: 8-12

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet hip-width apart and flat on the floor. Rest your arms by your sides with your palms facing down.
• Inhale, press into your feet and engage your core and glutes.
• Slowly lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Take deep, diaphragmatic breaths, relaxing your body with each exhale while keeping your glutes and core engaged.
• Hold the pose for a few slow breaths or 20–30 seconds, then exhale as you slowly lower to the floor.

“Bridge pose strengthens the glutes, hamstrings and muscles that support the hips while stretching the hip flexors at the front,” says Cossins.

“This combination of strength and mobility can improve hip function and make everyday movements, such as walking, climbing stairs and standing up from a chair, feel much easier.”

3. Low lunge

Hold: 20-30sec each side

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Inhale and take a big step back with your left foot.
• Exhale and slowly lower your left knee to the floor, placing the top of your left foot on the floor and keeping your right knee directly above your right ankle.
• Inhale and reach your arms overhead, palms facing each other.
• Exhale and gently move your hips forward until you feel a comfortable stretch through the front of your left hip.
• Breathe steadily, allowing each exhale to help you settle into the stretch.
• Hold for 20–30 seconds.
• Inhale and return to standing.
• Repeat on the other side.

“This is one of my favorite poses for better hip mobility and strength,” says Cossins.

“As your back leg gently stretches your hip flexors by moving your hip into extension, your front leg works to strengthen the glutes, quadriceps and other muscles that support the hips and pelvis.”

Nicky Cossins

Nicky Cossins is the founder of Yoga with Nicky. She specialises in slow-flow yoga and meditation, helping people to build strength, improve mobility and flexibility, and cultivate a greater sense of calm on and off the mat.