Are you embarrassed that your granny hips are here already?! You’re not even old! If your tight, stiff hips ache even just by sitting down…

Here are 8 happy stretches that will ease your hips. From novice to hardcore.

8. Happy Baby

Lay on your back and bring your knees in towards your armpit. Remember to keep the soles of your feet facing up to the sky. Great time for a well-deserved foot rub too.

Happy Baby

7. High Lunge

Keeping your back leg straight, sink down into your hips. To intensify this, you can also lean back like in the Tough Cookie version.

High Lunge

6. Low Lunge

Take the highs with the lows. Start with hands on the floor to the inside of your front foot and if this feels fine, take the arms down to elbows. Keep your chest lifted and gently pulling you forward. If you fancy going tough cookie, thread your arm and shoulder under your knee to reach round to find your other arm. I’ll tell you now, this one can be a wobbly one!

Low Lunge

5. Pigeon

*Not shown in the pic* – You can also move your front foot away from your body, so your leg bends at the knee at a right angle. This will make it far more intense in your butt muscles and in your hips and pelvis area.
Personally, I find this one mega tricky. This takes me about 30-60 seconds to “ease” myself into it. But I still love it.

Pigeon

4. The 4s Stretch

This one is particularly intense in the butt cheek. It helps ease lower back pain too, as well as loosen the hips and pelvis.

4s Stretch

3. The Butterfly Stretch

If you find your back rounding forward in this stretch, sit yourself on a block or some books or cushions. It’ll raise your hips higher than your feet (as in the gentle version pics). Push knees down to the floor, you can use your elbows to make this easier too. And breathe.

Butterfly Stretch

2. Standing Side Split

The gentle version of this stretch is what is key for your hips. Opening your hips up by taking you knee out to the side. I actually learnt this one at a post-natal class I went to with my friend. It opens up your hips to prepare your body to give birth. Helpful for baby prep and otherwise. Medium and Tough Cookie versions are also good for the hips. But can be distracting as we tend to focus on our inner thigh stretch. They are great for your Instagram post though 😉

Standing Side Split

1. Frog Pose and Middle Split

And last but not least, it’s the frog pose. Squeeeeeeze your butt muscles as if you’re trying to lift your knees up from the ground. You can then take it up a notch with the medium using gravity to do some of the work for you. And the hardcore option is the middle splits. Keep yourself leaning forward to slide into this. You could also do it upright against a wall if you find your arms get tired or your wrists feel sore.

Frog Pose and Middle Split

Give them all a try. Yes I did say all of them (it doesn’t have to be in the same intense session.)

Which of the 8 happy stretches do you find hits the spot best?

Which make your hips scream?

And if you had to pick just one favourite, what would it be?

Tell me in the comments below 🙂 You know, I always love to hear about your journey.