Stretches for hip flexors tightened by sitting

The hip flexors are the muscles at the front of the hip that lift the knee towards the chest. The largest of them, the iliopsoas, runs from the lower spine and pelvis to the top of the thigh bone. When you sit, they rest in a shortened position; when you stand up after hours in a chair, the front of the hips can feel stiff and the first few steps feel short.

The low lunge is the classic stretch for this, and it is also one of the shapes that turns up again and again in a flowing practice. In a Vinyasa practice that moves with the breath, you pass through it in every round, which is a good way to keep the hips used to opening.

Below are five lunge variations, from gentle to deep, then two shapes to finish.

Why does sitting make the hips feel tight?

Muscles adapt to the positions we spend the most time in. A long day at a desk, a long drive and an evening on the sofa keep the hips bent for most of the waking day. The hip flexors are not damaged by this, but many people find the front of the hip feels short and resists the first stretch of the day. Standing up regularly matters as much as stretching: a short walk every half hour or so asks the hips to open without any effort at all.

Before you start: how should it feel?

You should feel a broad stretch across the front of the hip and the top of the thigh on the back leg. Kneeling can be hard on the knees, so always pad the back knee with a folded blanket or cushion. Come out if you feel a pinch at the front of the hip joint, pain in the knee, or pain in the lower back. If you have had a hip replacement or recent hip surgery, ask your surgeon or physiotherapist which positions are safe for you.

The routine: five lunge variations and two finishing shapes

Hold each for five to eight slow breaths, about 30 to 45 seconds, then switch sides.

1. Low lunge, hands on blocks. From hands and knees, step the right foot forward between the hands. Lower the left knee to a cushion and slide it back until the front knee is over the ankle. Rest the hands on blocks. Tuck the tailbone a little, as if dropping the belt line towards the floor. That small tuck is what moves the stretch to the front of the back hip.
2. Low lunge, arms up. From the same shape, lift the chest and reach the arms up, with the hands on the front thigh if raising the arms tips you into the lower back. Keep the ribs soft. This adds a stretch along the side of the body.
3. Standing lunge at a chair. Hold the back of a sturdy chair, step one foot back into a short lunge with the back heel lifted and the back knee slightly bent, and tuck the tailbone. Good for anyone who cannot kneel. It is a gentler cousin of the Warrior poses with a short stance.
4. Kneeling lunge with a strap (the gentler couch stretch). In low lunge with the left knee down, loop a strap around the left ankle and hold it over your right shoulder. Gently draw the heel towards the seat only as far as the knee and hip feel comfortable. You get the front-of-thigh stretch of the couch stretch without the wall forcing the knee to bend fully.
5. Lizard for the deep version. From low lunge, walk the right foot a little to the right and lower the hands, or the forearms, onto blocks. In Yin this is held for minutes, where it is called Dragon Pose with the back knee down. Stay with the gentle version if the hip pinches.
6. Supported bridge. Lie on your back with the knees bent and slide a block under the sacrum. Let the hips rest on it. The fronts of both hips open passively. The Bridge Pose page shows the supported set-up.
7. Lying quad and hip stretch. Lie on your side, bend the top knee and hold the ankle or a strap, drawing the knee slightly back. A quiet way to finish.

No blocks at home? Thick books work, or see the guide to yoga blocks and straps.

Can you stretch your hip flexors at a desk?

A little. Sit sideways on a chair so the right thigh hangs off the front edge, then lower the right knee towards the floor and slide that foot back, keeping the left foot flat. Sit tall and tuck the tailbone. It is a seated lunge, and it fits between meetings. Then stand up and walk for a minute.

What else should you stretch with the hips?

The backs of the legs and the lower back often complain on the same long days. The seven hamstring stretches, from standing to lying down balance the lunges here, and the lower back routine that starts on the floor is a good follow-on if your back is stiff. Low lunge and lizard are also the two shapes at the heart of working towards the splits. For runners, Pigeon for the outer hip is the natural partner to this page. The front of the thigh comes next with quad stretches standing, kneeling and lying, while the hip stretches for every direction the hip moves and the glute stretches for the back of the hips cover the rest of the joint.

How a teacher adapts these stretches

A teacher will usually ask about your knees and hips first, then watch how you kneel and step forward. Many people need more padding under the knee than they expect, or a chair instead of the floor. Warm up with movement before holding anything, and change or leave any shape whenever you need to.