Are you feeling any pain or tightness in your hips? If you are, it might be your cue to start paying more attention to them. Join Yoga Holmes as we break down the benefits of stretching for your overall health and essential yoga poses for your hips.
The importance of stretching your hips
According to Harvard Health Publishing, regular stretching keeps muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and our hips are no different. In fact, stretching our hips is arguably one of the most crucial things everyone should practice. This is because the hip joint is the largest ball-and-socket joint in the body, and one of the most substantial as it bears your body weight, supports movement, and provides stability.
Your hips are essential for everything from sitting to walking, so it’s paramount to have nimble hips no matter how young or old you are. When the muscles in your hips are imbalanced, it can lead to abnormal movement and damage over time, even causing pain in other areas of your body, such as the lower back. If you want to stretch and strengthen your hips, the American Hip Institute suggests yoga poses for your hips as a low-impact workout anyone can do to boost strength and stability.
Yoga poses for your hips
Try out these yoga poses to help alleviate pain, gently stretch and strengthen your hips at home:
- Child’s pose — Kneel on the floor with your big toes touching and knees apart, then sit back on your heels and stretch your arms forward with your forehead resting on the ground. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute, taking in deep breaths and relaxing your hips.
- Pigeon pose — Start in a tabletop position with your hands directly beneath your shoulders, then bring your right knee toward your right wrist. Slide your left leg back and straighten it behind you, keeping your hips square and lowering your upper body over your right leg. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute on each side.
- Cobbler’s pose — Sit on the floor with your knees bent and the soles of your feet together. Hold your feet with your hands and gently press your knees toward the ground, keeping the pose for 30 seconds to a minute while maintaining a straight back.
- Butterfly pose — From cobbler’s pose, lie down on your back and allow your knees to gently fall open. Relax your arms by your sides and stay in this reclined position for 1 to 2 minutes, focusing on your breathing.
- Low lunge — Start in a high plank position and move your right foot between your hands. Lower your hips toward the ground and keep your left knee off the floor, or place it on a cushion for support. Lift your chest and reach your arms overhead, holding for 30 seconds to a minute on each side.
- Warrior one pose — Place one foot forward and bend your knee into a lunge, keeping your feet parallel and your toes pointing forward. Simultaneously raise your arms above your head and keep your shoulders down while squeezing the shoulder blades together. Look up to the sky and hold the pose for 20–30 seconds. Switch your legs from left to right.
- Bridge pose — Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart. Slowly lift your hips off the ground, engaging the glutes and thighs, then clasp your hands under your body or keep them by your sides. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute.
- Supine hand-to-big-toe pose — Lie on your back with your legs extended, then bend your right knee and bring your thigh toward your chest. Hold your right big toe with your right hand and extend your leg toward the ceiling, staying in this position for 30 seconds to a minute.
- Happy baby pose — Lying on your back, bring your knees toward your chest then grab the outside edges of your feet with your hands, keeping your feet flexed. Gently pull your knees down toward the floor, opening your hips, and rock gently from side to side.
Try yoga at home with Yoga Holmes
Execute yoga poses for your hips like a pro with Yoga Holmes’ experienced instructors We provide you with the best online yoga classes to do at home, teaching you everything from yoga for beginners that help alleviate hip pain to more advanced yoga flows that challenge you and promote your overall fitness.
At Yoga Holmes, we empower people everywhere with accessible yoga classes online. For more information on our various subscription plans and available online yoga classes, feel free to contact us.