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“Very few of us have jobs that allow us to stretch areas of our bodies like the hips,” says yoga instructor Aysha Bell.
“Modern day living equals desk jobs, driving, gaming, Netflix and chilling. This can add to the tight hip issue, [and stiffness] in our lower backs and buttocks.”
Yoga helps to strengthen the hip flexor muscles, which in turn helps to eradicate that feeling of tightness that’s niggling away at your lower body. Bell also believes yoga can help us discover connections between the physical, spiritual and emotional body.
“It is said that having tight hips at the front is fear of future obligation and expectation, hips tight at the back is being stuck in the past,” she says. “Hips are greatly related to relationships, not just romantic but work related, friendships and most importantly the relationship we have with ourselves.”
Whether you’re here for emotional exploration, or just really, really want to feel some sweet release, Bell has served up a fast, five-minute hip opener workout.
“Not everyone has the ability to open their hips in the same way, our basic skeletal structure may be the reason why we might not ever be a splitter or find some postures more challenging than others,” she warns. “So always push to 80% to protect the body.”
1. Easy pose – Sukhasana
This is called ‘easy pose’ as it’s meant to be a simple crossed legged position. Using blocks or blankets under the thighs or putting a blanket or block under the bum can make this posture more appealing, depending on the tightness of the hips, lower back, glutes and pelvis.
Sukhasana strengthens the back and stretches the knees and ankles. It also opens the hips, groin and outer thigh muscles (abductors). Sitting upright with your spine aligned also reduces stress and anxiety.
How to do it: Start seated in easy pose. Inhale, stretching arms up, hands facing each other, stretching up from the crown of the head and through the rib cage, keeping your seat bones firmly seated.
Exhale and hinge forward, taking your fingertips to the floor, and transition to fold forward in Sukhasana, taking three to five breaths. Inhale to walk the torso to the left, taking three to five breaths, keeping seat bones grounded, inhaling and consciously sending your breath into the hips.
Coming back to centre, take a big inhale to take your hands skyward, palms facing each other, and exhale, taking both hands on your mat either side of you. Swap the cross of your legs and repeat.
2. Windshield Wipers Seated or Reclined
There are different variations of this pose: you have the option of reclined or seated. This is a great way to warm up the hips. It not only works on hip mobility but also impacts the knees, psoas muscle, lower back, obliques and quadriceps. This community of muscles work together. There is little twist in the tailbone, sacrum and lower spine when practising this pose.
How to do it: Sit or lie on your mat with your feet flat on the floor approximately hip distance apart or a little wider and take a big inhale. Exhale to rock your knees to the left from the centre.Inhale to centre, exhale to the right, keeping your palms on the mat either side of your hips
Breathe extensive inhales and long exhales as you move the knees from left to right, sending the breath consciously to the hips.
3. Bound Angle Pose – Baddha Konasana
Also known as Cobbler’s Pose or Butterfly, this pose strengthens and improves flexibility in the inner thighs, groins and the knees. It also strengthens the pelvic floor, psoas muscles and hip flexors.
How to do it: Begin in a seated position. Gently bend your knees and press the soles of your feet together, allowing your knees to flop to the sides to make a diamond shape, using blocks, pillows or blankets as support if this feels uncomfortable on the hips.
Interlace your hands around your feet. Take a big inhale stretching the spine up and extend the rib cage up, growing tall from the crown of the head. Exhale, hinging the body forward and holding onto the feet. Gently push down on the legs to stretch the hips open using your elbows or forearms, consciously sending breath into the hips.
Lengthen your spine and broaden across your chest. Draw your shoulders down and back. Stay in this position for up to one minute. To release the pose, gently draw the knees together with the hands, extend your legs forward and lean back on your hands.
Low Lunge Pose Hands On Hips – Anjaneyasana
Low lunge with hands on hips is a great stretch for your hips flexors, and a good one for beginners. It stretches the groins and thighs and also opens the chest.
How to do it: From table top, step your right foot forward between your hands. Keeping your left knee on the floor and your right knee directly over the ankle, grow tall through the torso and crown of your head, tucking the tailbone slightly, and taking belly button to spine.
Opening the chest, stretch your arms up and back to your hips, dropping your shoulder blades down your back. Breathing big inhales and long exhales, stretch your left hip flexor.
Bending your back slightly, take five to seven breaths here. Place your hands down on either side of your right foot, either step to plank or a forward fold and transition to the other side.
Move celebrates exercise in all its forms, with accessible features encouraging you to add movement into your day – because it’s not just good for the body, but the mind, too. We get it: workouts can be a bit of a slog, but there are ways you can move more without dreading it. Whether you love hikes, bike rides, YouTube workouts or hula hoop routines, exercise should be something to enjoy.
