Hip Pain Relief: 6 Stretches That Loosen Tight Hips

Tight hips are sneaky. They rarely hurt where the problem actually is — instead, they pull on the lower back, twist the knees, and change how you walk. Loosen the hips and a surprising amount of pain elsewhere starts to fade.

Here are the six stretches I use most often with clients. You can do all six in about 8 minutes.

1. 90/90 hip stretch

Sit on the floor with one leg bent in front of you at 90 degrees and the other leg bent behind you at 90 degrees. Lean forward over the front leg. Hold 45 seconds. Switch sides.

Targets: glutes, deep hip rotators

2. Pigeon pose

From hands and knees, bring one shin forward across your body and extend the other leg straight behind you. Lower your chest toward the floor. Hold 45 seconds per side.

Targets: glutes, outer hip

3. Couch stretch (hip flexor)

Kneel about a foot in front of a couch or wall. Place the top of your back foot against the surface behind you. Squeeze the glute of the back leg and gently push your hips forward. Hold 45 seconds per side.

Targets: hip flexors (the main driver of "tight hips" from sitting)

4. Figure-4 stretch

Lying on your back, cross one ankle over the opposite thigh. Reach through and pull the bottom leg toward your chest. Hold 30 seconds per side.

Targets: glutes, piriformis (often involved in sciatic pain)

5. Butterfly stretch

Sit with the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open. Lean forward from the hips with a flat back. Hold 45 seconds.

Targets: inner thighs, groin

6. Standing figure-4

If you can't get on the floor easily, do this version. Stand, cross one ankle over the opposite thigh, and sit your hips back like you're sitting in a chair. Hold 30 seconds per side.

Targets: same as #4, with the added benefit of balance training

How often should you do this?

Daily, if your hips are very tight. Most people see a noticeable difference in 7–10 days.

A note on hip pain that isn't from tightness

If your hip pain is:

• Sharp and located deep in the joint
• Worse with weight-bearing
• Causing you to limp

…it's worth getting it evaluated. Stretching aggressively into the wrong kind of hip pain can make it worse.

For most "tight, achy, stiff" hips though — the kind that come from sitting, driving, and standing on hard floors — the routine above is enough.