I’ve long suspected my hips were plotting against me.
Not dramatically so, but in the slow, creeping way that only becomes obvious once you realise you’re making old-person noises every time you stand up. Hours at my laptop each day don’t help, nor did the years I spent with one leg permanently crossed over the other like some sort of human pretzel. It wasn’t until a massage therapist gently informed me I was “creating imbalances in my body” - said with that diplomatic tone that really means please stop doing that immediately - that I finally clocked just how tight and grumpy my hips had become.
And I know I’m not the only one. Ask around, and you’ll find half your friends have the same complaints: stiff hips after a run, a dull ache after sitting too long, a general sense that something in the pelvis region has checked out. Modern life isn’t designed for happy hip joints, sadly.
The good news? A few smart, targeted stretches can make a world of difference. Which brings me to one of the world’s most beloved yoga instructors - Yoga with Adriene on YouTube - and the set of hip-releasing flows I now swear by. These are the best yoga moves for hip tension I've found: simple, soothing, and (most importantly) effective. If your hips are crying out for a little TLC, consider this your sign to roll out a mat and give them what they’ve been asking for.
Once you’re done, don’t miss our guides to the best yoga stretches for easing tension, the best energising yoga flows, and the best 20-minute yoga flows for strength and flexibility. And if you love Adriene as much as we do, find out how one of MC UK's other Health Writers got on trying the Yoga with Adriene Prana Challenge.
Tight hips? Try these flows from everyone's favourite yoga instructor, Yoga with Adriene
What are the benefits of yoga moves for hip tension?
The benefits of yoga are vast, but what is it about this ancient practice that can help our hips exactly? Well, it's all about releasing pent-up tension, which, it turns out, the hips are great at storing.
"The hip flexors are a huge storehouse of tension, not just from the time we spend sitting down, but also from nervous system activation - the so-called 'fight or flight' response," Anouska Shenn, yoga instructor and founder of The Office Yoga Company, explains to MC UK.
"These muscles instinctively tighten in response to stress - a hangover from our hunter-gatherer days when we might have needed to get away at a moment’s notice."
I'm sure I'm not the only one who this is ringing true with. After a busy week at work, when I've spent many hours at my desk and neglected to move my body as much as I'd like, my hips feel it. Add to that the fact that these weeks are more stressful than others, and it all makes sense - I'm basically a living recipe for tight, stiff hips.
And there's research to back this up: a recent study found that a certain stretching technique significantly improved hip mobility and hip flexor flexibility. Then there's this paper from 2021, which linked regular hip-focused stretching to improvements in pain and day-to-day function over time.
That's why the best yoga moves for hip tension can be so beneficial. Choosing a flow that's designed with the hips in mind is a wonderful way to open everything up and release the tension.
"Yoga teaches mindful awareness of the body, encouraging us to relax areas of unnecessary, habitual gripping, and allowing the breath to flow freely and expansively," Shenn summarises. "It's exactly what tight hips need."
3 Yoga with Adriene flows I swear by for releasing hip tension
Having tried all the videos in this round-up, I can confirm that they are amazing for releasing tension in the hips. I try to do a hip-focused yoga flow at least once a week, which Adriene makes super easy - the three videos below are all 20 minutes or less.
To find out what's really going on behind the moves, I reached out to top yoga instructors to get their take on why these three flows are the ideal way to counter hip stiffness. Keep reading for their take.
1. Hip Mobility - Open Your Hips
What? Here, Adriene focuses on active mobility work, which is great for encouraging the nervous system to soften into bigger ranges of motion. It begins with supine stretches and goes on to target the hamstrings, outer hips, deep rotators, and hip flexors.
Why? "Adriene smartly offers two variations of Lizard pose in this class, one in a hip hinge to stretch the hamstrings and lower back, and one upright to get deep into the front of the hip," Shenn says. "All of these muscles get tight when we sit for long periods."
As a bonus, this one involves lying on your back, which, as Shenn says, "is good for people with tight hips as they tend to round their backs and tuck their pelvises under in seated hip stretches."
How long? Thirteen minutes.
2. Morning Hip Release
What? A floor-based yoga and breath session designed to open up the hips and release tension. Adriene encourages us to focus on the quality of movement over speed or intensity here, making it a nice, grounding practice.
Why? Amme Poulton, yoga instructor at HOME, loves this flow for its multifaceted approach. "The hip joints have an intricate web of muscles, tendons, and fascia supporting them - a support network which isn’t isolated to the area immediately around the hips," she said to MC UK. "Adriene’s morning hip sequence includes all the necessary elements - strength, mobility, and relaxation."
How long? Fifteen minutes.
3. 20-Minute Yoga for Hips
What? A feel-good flow aimed at releasing tension in the hips, but incorporating full body moves to enhance that all-important mind-body connection.
Why? "This is a lovely flow for mobilising and stretching the hip joint and all surrounding muscles," Luisa Zamboni, instructor at MoreYoga says. "It’s a great way to wake up the body in the morning but also good for unwinding and releasing tension at the end of the day - especially if we've been sitting at a desk for hours."
How long? 20 minutes.
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How often should you do yoga for hip tension?
If you're new to yoga and have tight, stiff hips, it's important to go little and often at first. Your hips will need time to adjust to the movement.
Instructor Poulton explains, "If you have tight hips, you probably have a longstanding pattern that won’t change immediately. I recommend a daily practice of strengthening and stretching while you are finding the best alignment."
After a few weeks of daily movement, you can increase both the length and frequency of your practice, as often as feels good for your body.
