5 Yoga Poses to Relieve Tight Hip Flexors

Are you a human with a body? Then you should probably be exploring hip openers. Your hips serve as the middle ground between your upper and lower body, are responsible for much of your motion, and move in myriad ways. Flexion, extension, internal and external rotation, abduction and adduction…these essential everyday functions are a breeze if your hips are healthy.

But most of our hips are all wound up. Our collective struggle with tight hip flexors is a physical reflection of the way most of us move (or rather, don’t move) through the world. And the psoas—your primary hip flexors, which run from your lower spine to your femur—are particularly susceptible to tension after prolonged stints of sitting.

Yoga poses, like those below that focus on easing tension in your hips, end up extending that ease throughout your entire body, offering your lower back a break, improving your posture, and generally making it more easier to move through the world. Tight hips have even been linked to the fight-or-flight reponse, which means addressing the issue can even lead to emotional release.

5 Yoga Poses for Tight Hip Flexors

Spend some time in these hip-opening yoga poses and take advantage of the full-body effects.

1. Happy Baby Pose

Maybe babies are smiley because they’re aren’t dealing with tight hip flexors. Happy Baby is a passive yoga pose that draws your focus to your hip joints. When you let your arms do the work here, holding onto your outer feet or shins with strong hands, your hips are left to release, offering a welcome break from chronic tension.

2. Squat

Looking for one pose to support your mobility right now and as the years continue to pass? Prioritize Malasana. This yogic squat demands deep flexion in the hip joints, a motion that occurs naturally and constantly in daily life. Finding comfort in this pose can help improve strength and mobility over time.

3. Low Lunge

This unassuming yoga pose does a lot for your hips. Balance and posture both have roles to play in Low Lunge, as the posture asks you to find a stable stance while lifting and lengthening. As far as your hips go, the pose stretches your psoas, counteracting at least some of that constant sitting.

Play around with still or dynamic versions at varying heights until you find the stretch that feels best for you.

4. Pigeon Pose

One of the ultimate hip openers, Pigeon Pose comes at the muscles from all sides. The pose stretches the hip flexor of your back leg while externally rotating your front hip flexor, all while asking you to bend forward in a surrender that’s good for deepening your stretch and calming your nervous system.

5. Cow Face Pose

This pose offers a full body stretch that includes the external rotation of your hips. Cow Face is a twisty seated shape that stretches, strengthens, and stabilizes your glutes and outer hips. For an even deeper hip stretch, try folding forward here.