Do you suffer from tight hips?
I’ve always found that when I first wake up in the mornings, and then increasingly throughout the day, my hips seem to get tighter and tighter. Even when practising yoga, I find that even touching my toes into a forward fold can prove difficult and it’s all because of my hips.
However, it isn’t just yoga that tight hips effect. Think about how sedentary many of our lives have become. We go from laying in bed all night to sitting in our kitchens, in the car, at work, in the car, living rooms and then back to bed.
It’s no wonder there’s so much tension in this area! Scientifically speaking, when we sit down, our hip flexors are constantly contracted, the main cause of this tightness that we can all sometimes feel. Over time, this can lead to much larger health problems, especially in our lower backs and even in our knees!
However, this doesn’t need to be the case, and there are many yoga poses we can practice, either in a session or just now and then throughout our days, that can help. Today, we’re going to explore three of the best, so get ready to open those hips!
#1 – Bound Angle
This is perhaps one of my favourite hip openers because you can really feel the tightness release when you’ve finished. Ideally, try sitting in this position every day, throughout the day, just whenever you can, for maximum benefit!
All you need to do is sit on a chair (careful not to fall off) or on the floor and sit with the soles of your feet touching. Then, gently – as much as is comfortable – push your knees down, as though you’re aiming to get them touching the ground.
You should immediately feel the tightness pull, just be careful not to hurt yourself. Hold for five deep breathes and you’re done!
#2 – Seated Spinal Twist
Another one of my favourite yoga poses, the seated spinal twist engages your entire body, so is great to include in any yoga practice. Simply sit on the floor with your legs out straight in front of you and your back straight.
Then, bend one leg up over your other leg, so your foot is parallel to your knee. If you’re folding your right leg, put your left elbow against your folded knee and push gently, making sure that you push gently to keep your knee pointed towards the ceiling.
Use your right hand to gentle prop yourself up from behind and look in the direction of your shoulder. You should feel your entire spine twist, from the back of your neck, all the way down to your lower back and hips.
Hold for five deep breaths and swap over to do the other side.
#3 – A Low Lunge
Finally, to conclude my list of effective hip openers, we have the low lunge, another favourite. This pose is really simple but really beneficial for your hips. Put yourself in your usual lunge position.
This is one leg extended out behind you with your front knee bent directly over your ankle. Make sure your knee does not extend forward over your toes! Make sure your extended leg is flat on the floor and try to sink your hips as low as you can.
Do this slowly because you’ll feel the stretch almost instantly and you don’t want to cause damage. When you can find your balance, put your hands into prayer position and hold for five breaths before swapping over to the other side.