I’m often surprised by just how much tension I hold in my hips. Whenever I stretch or do yoga, I often experience discomfort around my hips during lower-body movements, and I notice they can be tight when squatting.
It makes sense that I lack mobility in my hips. I work at a desk, which means I spend at least seven or eight hours a day sitting. This naturally restricts mobility in my hips and weakens my hip flexors.
For this reason, I’m always looking for ways to give a bit of extra TLC to my hips, so I was excited to see that Adriene Mishler—better known online as Yoga With Adriene—recently shared a new yoga practice dedicated to opening up the hips.
It takes less than 15 minutes, which means it’s a convenient way to give your hips a quick break from sitting during the day.
Watch Yoga With Adriene’s Open Your Hips practice
As is always the case with Mishler, it’s a follow-along video.
All you need is a yoga mat, although a blanket or towel will suffice if you don't have one. I used an extra blanket to pad my knees during some of the poses to make the practice more comfortable.
My experience trying Yoga With Adrine’s latest routine
After a long morning at my desk and a big lunch, I was more than ready to try Mishler’s routine. This is a very gentle practice, with simple stretches that are accessible if you don’t have any existing issues, and it moves at a slow pace.
All of the moves provide a deep stretch through different parts of the hips, including the hip flexors, located at the front of the hip; the abductors, which run down the sides of the hips along the upper thigh; and the adductors, in the inner thigh.
The routine involved a combination of dynamic stretching—which involves moving in and out of a stretch—and passive stretching, which involves holding a position and letting gravity deepen the stretch.
This combination ensured a deep stretch through the hips, and I felt my muscles relax as the routine went on.
Afterward, I felt less stressed and more energised. I always find gentle movement like this is helpful after lunch to avoid an afternoon slump.
My hips also felt more open and sitting at my desk for the afternoon was a lot more comfortable. My lower back also felt more relaxed, because mobilizing the hips can help to support the lower-back muscles, another reason why this type of movement is so good for people who spend a lot of time sitting.
