The hips are another area that get too tight from chronic sitting. If you sit a lot, you’re really going to love this stretch!
In today’s video you’ll learn a simple stretch that feels great and will also help increase your hip mobility. When your hips get too tight, it can lead to back pain and limited mobility, among other low-back and leg issues.
My favorite thing about this one is that it can be done anywhere, anytime you’re sitting down. I practice this stretch myself, without the contractions, most every day because it feels so good!
This stretch was originally inspired by Kit Laughlin, creator of the Stretch Therapy system. The difference here is that I’ve added an extra element of fascial fitness with an ankle roll after the contraction. The ankle roll adds internal movement in the hip by using the bones and helps to increase the overall effectiveness. Try it and see how you like it!
If you DO try this one out, make sure to keep your spine straight. It's the key to success with it. This exercise is also a really great way track your flexibility over time.
To track your flexibility, notice how easily you’re able to sit on the front of your sitting bones and stay there while you strive to lengthen your spine during the stretch.
After a month of consistently practicing twice a week, go back and compare how easily you can sit on the front of your sitting bones with a lengthened spine.
If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear them in the comments below.
See you in the studio,
Sydney
24 Responses
Sydney, this is truly wonderous! Thank you for sharing your life changing techniques! Also, loved the bloopers!
Thank you for your feedback Michelle! I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
Sydney, these videos are all SO good. Have you given any thought to putting them on a DVD as a collection so they can be accessed at any time?
Hi Karol, I’m so glad you find the videos helpful. I really appreciate your suggestion and will take it into consideration. Your feedback inspires me! Thank you!
Thank-you for this.
My 1st visit, it is just what I can do, not overwhelming.
Feels good! I hope to stay with it.
That’s great Deborah!
I have tried several of your videos for tight hips. I feel a difference after doing all of the stretches.
Since 2011, I have been struggling with hip and back pain. These stretches are adding to all of the stretching I have been doing and the stretches seem to loosen the various areas even more.
I saw a stretch for the back that used a bolster pillow or foam roller and pillows. Arms and hands were stretched over the head. I am looking for the video again and I cannot find it.
Please tell me where I can find it.
Thanks for the videos.
Barbara
HI Barbara, I’m thrilled to hear you’re finding the videos helpful! I haven’t made a video with what you’re describing yet, but I do have a few posts with photos of people stretching over the bolster. Like this one and this one. Is it possible one of these is what you saw? Thank you for your feedback!
The second stretch is the stretch I am searching for so i can try it.
What a fast response to my question.
Thank you.
Barbara
Here’s a link to Kit Laughlin teaching a similar stretch. It’s a fantastic stretch that is easy to modify. 🙂
Thanks for the pointers. These make all the difference.
Glad you found them helpful Cynthia, thank you!
this stretch felt amazing. !!
Excellent!!
Hello! I have really bad hip problems so bad that I have to walk with a cane because it hurts my right hip when I step. I feel the pain in my hip flexors near the groin and towards my back. I have absolutely no flexibility as I can’t even bend down to tie my shoes 🙁 i just wish to be able to walk normal again is there an easy stretch that i can do to help me?
Hi Isaac, Are you able to get up and down from the floor? If so, you could try lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Place a bolster, or firmly rolled blanket, under your hips and closer to your tailbone. Without force, allow the top of your hips to tip toward the floor. Ideally, your pubic bone will be slightly closer to the ceiling than the top, front of your hips. This should feel like a passive, gentle release in the front of your hips and thighs. If you can get into this position, it will be a great and safe place to start. Hope this helps! Thanks for your question!
Dear Sydney, I`ve been having pain in the front of my right hip for a long period, and no type of therapeutics have solved it nor found a reason for the problems. Today I saw a new clinic which have a good reputation, and he ment I had a tight pectineus muscle. He gave me some stretching exercises, but I was wondering if any of the exercises you demonstrate targets this muscle as well?
Hi Eva, The hip flexor stretch in this video would be great for you to try. You’ll want to bring your foot and lower leg in toward your midline to target your pectineus. I’d love to hear how it goes! Thanks for your question!
Dear Sydney. Thank you for your reply. I`ve tried the hip flexor stretch that you recommended for over a month now, together with various other stretching and strengthening exercises, but nothing seems to help. The area between the front thigh and hip (and the groin) still feels really stiff, and radiates down the front thigh to the knee. By the way, I feel that the stretch you recommended targets the painful area more when I bring my foot and leg away from my midline and then tilt the heel of my foot even more away from the midline. Whereas I don`t really feel anything when I bring the foot and leg more inwards towards the midline and other leg. Does that make sense?
Any other suggestions of stretches/exercises that might help for this area?
Hi Eva, Give this quad stretch a try. It’s possible that the pain you’re feeling is coming from a different part of your body and the symptom is showing up as pain in your thigh. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback!
Hi! When I do this stretch on my left side (left foot resting on the right knee), I feel a tingling sensation in my left food, like its not getting enough blood. What could this be? It never tingles or goes numb usually, but I do have some other issues: I over-pronate badly on the left foot when I walk, and my hip flexors and lower back (both sides) get painful every time I spend a few hours walking or standing. My lower stomach always aches (my hips are tilted forward) and protrudes after a long day on my feet.
Im gonna try both your foot, leg and hip excercies and see if they make a difference. Been having these issues since I was a teenager, now Im 30 and I find it frustration that I should be this young and not be able to walk around all day without pain!
Would love to hear if there are any specific exercises that could help me!
Thanks so much for your videos btw, they’re a great help for those of us who doesnt live in the US/near a pilates clinic 🙂
Hi Nisse, If there is a lot of tightness in your hips, the tingling sensation could be coming from a nerve being compressed as you stretch. If you’re sitting on a hard surface, it could also be coming from soft tissue (muscles, nerves, fascia) being squished between your sitting bones and the hard surface.
The above exercise combined with this calf stretch,
and this hamstring stretch may help.
If the tingling persists I would see your healthcare provider.
A great book to help get you started with your alignment to help alleviate some of the issues you mention above is Don’t Just Sit There by Katy Bowman. Thanks for your questions!
Sydney,
First off, you’re beautiful!
I have a soreness at the outside rear of my right hip. I try to keep fit and I am somewhat flexible so this is puzzling to me. It is sore first thing in the morning getting out of bed and if I rub it or press on it some of the soreness goes away. It is very uncomfortable on my long commute to and from work and bothers me when I try standing after sitting a long time. I will be 57 this year but I’m hoping it is not age related. Do you have any exercises I can try to target hip strength and or stability? Thank you. Tom
Hi Tom, Thanks for your message! Here’s a video with an exercise you might find helpful for releasing your hips:
https://pilatestonic.com/2015/how-to-hydrate-and-release-tight-painful-hips/
And at the bottom of this post from Katy Bowman there’s a video of her demonstrating the Pelvic List, which targets hip strength and stability.
https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/why-and-how-to-pelvic-list/
Hope these help!