Hip-Opening Yoga Poses

Hip-Openers to Add to Your Stretching Routine

Because your hips are weight-bearing joints that support your entire upper body, they take on a lost of stress and tension. Luckily, yoga and dynamic stretching can help you relieve this tension while also increasing flexibility, range-of-motion, and even treating and preventing hip pain.

Whether you’re just starting out or a professional yogi, you can reap the benefits of adding these hip-opening stretches to your stretching routine.

Child’s Pose

Child’s pose is a gentle yoga pose that helps to stretch and elongate the back while releasing tension from the hips. To properly perform child’s pose, follow these steps:

• Begin by kneeling on the floor with your knees hip-width apart with your hand on the floor, arms shoulder-width apart.
• The tops of your feet should be flat on the floor with your toes together.
• Extend your arms forward in front of you, with your palms still on the floor.
• Slowly sit back into the position, trying to touch your sit bones to your heels while keeping your arms outstretched in front of you.
• Relax into the position, rounding your head over and touching it to the floor.
• Breathe into this position for 2 to 3 minutes.

Happy Baby

Happy baby is another gentle yoga pose that helps to stretch the groin while opening up and relieving tension in the hips. To properly perform this pose, follow these steps:

• Begin by laying down on your back.
• Pull your knees into your chest and place your hands on the outside edges of your feet.
• Gently open your knees wider than the trunk of your body.
• Hold this post for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Reclined Butterfly Pose

The reclined butterfly is also a gentle pose that helps to stretch your inner thighs, groin, and hips. To perform this yoga pose, follow these steps:

• Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs outstretching in front of you.
• Bending your knees, bring the soles of your feet together—making a diamond shape with your legs.
• Allow your knees to open naturally without forcing them toward the floor.
• Lie back onto the floor, keeping your legs in the diamond-shape.
• Hold this stretch for about 30 seconds.

Frog Pose

The frog pose is another great stretch for alleviating tension in the hips. This stretch also helps to stretch and strengthen the muscles in the lower back. Follow these steps to practice this pose:

• Beginning on your hands and knees, allow your knees to slide open until you cannot open them any wider.
• Be sure to keep your ankles and hips aligned with your knees.
• Hold this stretch for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Pigeon Pose

The pigeon pose is a much deeper stretch than the aforementioned yoga poses. This pose really focuses on stretching your outer-hips, groin, thighs, glutes, and back. To properly do this pose, follow these steps:

• To get into this position, begin on your hands and knees.
• Place your left knee, shin, and ankle on the floor.
• Put your weight onto your left leg while you extend your right leg straight out behind you.
• Be sure to keep the top of your right foot resting flat on the floor.
• Place your hands, palm down on the floor on either side of you while lengthening your spine.
• Hold this pose for about 15 to 30seconds.
• Repeat on the right leg.

Orthopedic Care in Gillette, Wyoming

If you have concerns when it comes to your orthopedic health, Wyoming Orthopedics & Spine (WYOS) is here to help in Gillette, Wyoming. We can evaluate your options so you can rest assured that you get the best possible outcome and are back to a happy and active life in no time.

Call WYOS at 307.686.1413 or visit www.wyomingorthospine.com to learn more.