A yoga instructor explains how to release tension in your hips with three easy movements

Tight, sore hips can be a nightmare, reminding you of their presence every time you take a step, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Yoga teacher and teacher trainer for YogaSix Valerie Lucas explains that with so many muscle groups and factors influencing the joint, the reason you have tight hips will be complex and probably unique to you, you can loosen the muscles with easy movement.

“The hips act as a bridge between the upper and lower body, playing a central role in movement and stability, supporting our weight, helping us move in all sorts of ways, and keeping us balanced,” says Lucas. “Therefore, muscle imbalances, poor posture, a sedentary lifestyle, and/or injury will show up in the hips.”

This routine can be done in a spare five to 10 minutes, or as a short movement break from sitting at your desk or after a long car journey. If you spend a lot of time sitting, try taking a break every couple of hours to do these movements and see how different your hips feel at the end of the day.

The workout

Lucas recommends the following exercises to practice every function of the hips: flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal and external rotation. and stability.

1. Cossack squat

This exercise targets hip abduction, adduction and flexion while improving lateral mobility and strength. It strengthens both the adductors and abductors, providing stability across a broad range of hip motions.

Reps: 6-8 each side.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, with your toes slightly turned out.
• Keeping your torso upright and spine neutral throughout, shift your weight over your right leg, bend your right knee and push your hips back to lower, keeping your left leg straight.
• Keep your right knee over your right midfoot, rather than letting it move forward over or past the toes.
• Push through your right foot to return to the center, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

2. Curtsy lunge

This movement targets hip stabilizers, including the gluteus medius and minimus, and improves balance and mobility by moving the hips through a lateral and rotational plane of motion.

Reps: 10-12 each side

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hands on your hips or clasped in front of your chest.
• Step your right foot back and to the left, so it crosses behind your left leg.
• Bend both knees to lower, keeping your torso upright, and your front knee aligned over your front ankle.
• Press through your front foot to return to standing, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

3. Duck walk

Duck walks are great for building hip flexion strength and improving dynamic mobility. They also engage stabilizing muscles around the hip joint while moving through a functional range of motion. It can be done with your knees either going under you or out to the sides to add outward rotation to activate the hip rotators. Either way, don't let your knees cave in or bow out, keep them directly above your foot and pointing in the same direction as your toes.

Time: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then bend your knees and push your hips back to lower as far as your mobility arrives.
• Take small steps to walk forward in this position, keeping your chest up and your knees tracking over your toes.
• Move slowly and stay as low as possible.
• Take 3-4 steps forward and then 3-4 steps backward for your chosen time period.