If your hips are tight from sitting more, walking less, or exercising longer in the warmer weather, take 10 minutes to give your lower body some relief. As a yoga instructor, these are the poses I lead the class through when anyone complains about their tight hips. These poses target the hips, of course, but also the hip flexors and quads, the hamstrings, and the lower back, since stretching these areas can help open and ease tension in the hips. Get on the floor and enjoy these next 10 minutes just for you.
Bend the knees and bring the soles of the feet together.
Using your hands, open your feet up like a book. Inhale to lengthen the spine, and exhale to fold forward, pressing your elbows against the inner knees to increase the stretch.
From Butterfly, sit up, bend the right knee, and extend the left leg out to the side.
Bring the hands together in front of the chest or lower the hands to the floor for support, enjoying this deep hip, hamstring, and inner thigh stretch for one minute.
Halfway through you can turn your torso to face over your left leg if you want to focus on stretching the hamstring.
From Low Crescent Lunge, walk your right foot back toward your left hip, and lower your right knee so your outer right leg is resting on the mat. If your hips are more open, inch your right foot away from you. Make sure your left hip is pointing down toward the mat.
Walk your hands out in front of you, allowing your torso to rest over your right knee. Hold here, breathing into any areas of tightness and tension for one minute.
From Pigeon, keep your right knee bent and gently swing your left leg forward.
Bend your left knee and place it on top of your right leg so your knees, shins, and ankles are stacked. Keeping the shins parallel, flex the feet to feel a stretch in the calves.
Press your fingertips into the floor behind your pelvis. To make this pose more intense, place your hands in front of your shins and walk them out as far as you can, folding your chest over your legs.
Enjoy this stretch for one minute.
Repeat Side Lunge, Low Crescent Lunge, Pigeon, and Double Pigeon for one minute each on the left side.
