4 Must Do Stretches For Tight Hips

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The best time to stretch is when you muscles are warmed up. So make sure to take a walk or stretch after your workout. Your muscles are like rubber bands. A cold rubber band doesn't stretch as well but a warm one will stretch even more giving you more range of motion in your stretch.

Psoas Major and Minor stretch

• Rest one knee on a cushion. Your back should be straight and your stomach tight, with your pelvis in a neutral position.
• Place one hand on your hip and the other on your knee. With shoulders and arms relaxed, take a deep breath. The driving force of this stretch is the opposing muscle in the gluteus maximus.
• Tighten your buttocks to extend your hip and push forward from your hips.
• Keep your hand passive until your reach your barrier, then use it to push through to a point of light irritation.
• Hold for two seconds and return to neutral. Repeat 10 times.

Note: It’s important to not allow the knee to go over the front of the foot to avoid straining the patella ligament.

Groin Stretch

• Squat down and put both hands on the floor in front of you.
• Stretch your left leg straight out behind you.
• Keep your right foot flat on the floor and lean forward with your chest into your right knee, then move your weight back to your left leg, keeping it as straight as you can.
• Do not move your right knee farther than your right ankle.
• Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, and then repeat the stretch with your right leg behind you.

Pigeon Pose

• Place both hands on the floor.
• Bring the knee of your left leg to your left wrist and rest on the floor. The outside of your left leg will now rest on the floor.
• Your right leg should be extended behind you.
• You can stay here or fold forward and rest forehead on the ground.
• Alternatively, you may slide your hands back toward the front shin and push your fingertips firmly to the floor, lifting your torso away from thigh.

Side Lunge for the Inner Thigh

• Stand with your feet about 4 feet apart and toes facing forward.
• Bend your left knee, making sure your left knee doesn't move beyond your ankle.
• Rotate your pelvis slightly to the left to increase the stretch of your right inner thigh.
• Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, then switch sides. Repeat stretch twice on each side.

Note: To keep pressure out of the inside of your right knee, really weight the outside of the right foot.

You might also be interested in:

• Yoga Cool Down
• 10 Great Warm-up Exercises