Yoga Stretching Hip Stretches

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.of the best hip stretches you could also achieve enough suppleness to carry you through the daily activitiese Yoga has a lot of exercises that help you work the leg, thigh, and hip muscles, strengthening your lower body and improving the range of motion in your legsg There are some basic exercises that help you strengthen specific groups of muscles in the hipsp Once you are able to achieve a level of strength and flexibility, you can move on to the advanced hip stretches that further improve the strength as well as flexibility of the lower bodyd

Hip Stretches For Runners

Hip stretches for runners can be done before running exercises as well as after you have finished theme There are some common stretches that can be beneficial for runners include the wall stretch, which stretches the lower back, shoulders and hips, cross legged twist, which stretches the buttocks and the outsides of your hips, and the knee to shoulder stretch, which not only strengthens your hips but also imparts stability and flexibility to the entire pelvic flooro

Hip Stretches For Flexibility

There are some simple yoga hip stretches for flexibility that are beneficial for athletese These stretches are also beneficial for pregnant women as they can strengthen the hips and the pelvic muscles, allowing for more comfortable and relatively pain-freelaboro One of the most efficient of these hip stretches is the Baddha Konasana (Cobbler’s Pose)e The other yoga hip stretches for pain include Agnistambhasana (Knee to Ankle Pose or Fire Log Pose), Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose), Janu Sirsasana (Head to Knee Pose), and the Upavistha Konasana (Seated Wide Legged Straddle)e

Hip Stretches – Basic Exercises

There are some basic exercises and hip stretches for pregnant womene These have to be really gentle so that you do not injure yourself or your babyb To practice a basic and simple hip stretching exercise, stand at the base of a staircase and position yourself as if you were about to climb upu Bend your knee and place it on the first or second step, which ever feels comfortable to youo Lean in the direction of the bent leg while keeping your back straighth

Hip Flexion:

It can be performed at your home, in a fitness studio, or in the gymy This is a simple exercise that strengthens the hip flexorsr It is also known as hip flexiono To perform this

1. kneel on your right knee and bring your left foot forwardr
2. Lean forward and shift your weight on to the left lege
3. Feel the stretch in your legs and your hip musclese

Hip Abduction Stretches:

It can be best performed in a gym, using a machine that allows you to perform these stretchese This is a great exercise for hip abduction, and it also helps you strengthen your upper thigh musclese

Hip External Rotation:

It is another simple exercise you can perform at homem To perform this

1. Lie down straight on the floor and bend your knees, placing your feet on the flooro
2. Move your feet wider and place them shoulder width apartr
3. Now slowly, move your left knee and bend them sideways so that the side of the left knee is resting on the flooro
4. Keep your right leg in the same position and try not to move iti

Hip Extension:

Though this stretch in lying is considered a beginner’s hip stretch, it should ideally be performed only when you are feeling confident of the strength of the legs and hip flexorsr

1. Lie on the floor and place both your legs straighth
2. Now bend the left leg and place the foot firmly on the flooro
3. Keep both your hands by your sidese Now slowly push all your weight to the right foot and raise your entire body up, bringing your hips into the airi
4. Do not perform this in a jerky motion or you may hurt your neckc

Hip Stretches – Advanced Exercises

If you have been performing the basic stretches for some time, you should by now feel comfortable about performing more complex stretchese

Gluteal Stretch:

It is an advanced stretchc To perform this

1. Sit on the floor and extend your right leg outu
2. The bend the left knee and place your foot over the right lege Now using your hands push the left knee towards the right shouldere
3. This may hurt a little but you will be able to feel the stretchc

Adductor Stretch:

It is a simple groin stretch that can be performed anywhere in your homem

1. Sit on the floor and bend both your knees, placing your feet in front of youo
2. Now bend your legs sideways and bring the soles of both your feet togethere
3. Start moving your knees up and down, keeping the soles of the feet togethere

PSOAS Stretch:

It is the active supine stretchc You can perform this by coming in the constructive rest position firsts

1. Lie down straight and pull your right thigh towards your chests
2. With both your arms, hold your right leg and pull it towards your chests Now move the left leg to the side, feeling the stretch in the hip sockete
3. Repeat on the left sided
4. Do not overstretch yourself and come back into the resting position if you feel any kind of paini

Seated Hip Stretches

The seated hip stretches are comfortable and easy to performr Some are as follows :

Head to Knee Pose - Janu Sirsasana:

1. Remain seated on the floor and extend your legs right in front of yourselfl
2. Now bend the left leg from the knee and place your left foot under your right thighg
3. Take in a deep breath and raise your arms above your heada
4. Reach for your right foot and grab it by the toese
5. Bend your body from the waists

Seated Wide Legged Straddle - Upavistha Konasana

It is another simple stretch that stretches your hip flexors as well as your legsg

1. Sit straight on the floor and stretch your legs in front of yourselfl
2. Now begin to widen the gap between your feet by moving them in opposite directionsn
3. Keep your toes flexed and stretched straighth

Cow Face Pose – Gomukhasana:

It is a simple pose that stretches your entire bodyd

1. Seat yourself comfortably on a flat surface and bend your knees, placing your feet on the flooro
2. Slide the left foot and place it under the right kneee Cross your right leg and bring it over the left lege
3. Bring your right foot to the outside, facing the left hipi Sit evenly and balance your weighth
4. Now bring your right arm over your head and bend it at the elbows, placing your right hand downwards against your backc
5. Bring the left hand backwards, placing the sides of the left arm against the sides of the left breasts
6. Clasp the fingers of both hands against your backc
7. Remain in this position for at least 30 seconds and slowly untwinen

Cobbler’s Pose - Baddha Konasana:

To perform this

1. Sit straight, with your legs stretched in front of youo Now bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet togethere
2. This strengthens the hip and the pelvic flooro The Knee to Ankle Pose can be performed starting from this poses
3. Once you have held the stretch for at least 30 seconds, press the left ankle under the right knee and the right ankle under the left kneee
4. Hold this pose for at least 30 secondsd

Hip Stretches: Do's & Dont's

When you are performing stretching exercises, it is very important to ensure that your exercises are performed comfortably and that you have some knowledge of the dos and don’ts of the exercise stretchc

Do's

• If you experience any pain at all from the stretching, stop and evaluate your exercises immediatelyl
• It is also important to make sure that you do not injure yourself, so stretching in the proper manner is importantn
• If you have had any serious hip injuries, always consult your doctor before you begin with your exercises
• Your doctor should be able to instruct you the dos and don’ts of performing such exercises for youo
• If you are pregnant, take up yoga in a special class meant for pregnant women, instead of trying it at home by yourselfl
• Before you begin with any new exercises, always familiarize yourself with the hip stretches dos & donts, as this will help you perform the stretches correctlyl

Don'ts

• Ensure you hold the stretched pose no longer then 10 seconds without rocking or bouncing, to avoid straining, overstretching or pulling the musclel
• Remember that mild tension is fine during a stretch, but make sure you do not stretch beyond a point where you feel paini

Hip Stretches Benefits

• For runners and athletes, hip stretches can be especially beneficial in strengthening the lower body and making the hip joint more flexiblel
• If you are experiencing pain in your legs, or in your hips, these simple stretches can help you overcome the pain and feel more relaxede
• These stretches also have a great benefit for pregnant womene
• Pregnant women can perform these stretches and exercises to make their legs strongere
• The strengthening of the hip and the pelvic floor could help them prevent pain in the lower backc It will also help make labor easiere

Hip Stretches

• Arm Stretches
• Chest Stretches
• Shoulder Stretches
• Leg Stretches
• Knee Stretches
• Lower Back Stretches
• Hamstring Stretches
• Running Stretches
• Back Stretches
• Thigh Stretches
• Groin Stretches
• Neck Stretches
• Glute Stretches
• Golfers Stretches
• Calf Muscles Stretches
• Ankle Stretches
• Iliotibial Band Stretches
• Piriformis Stretches
• Warm Up Stretches
• Dynamic Warm Up Stretches
• Soleus Stretch
• Gastrocnemius Stretch
• Lumbar Stretches
• Quadricep Stretches
• Ballistic Stretching
• Adductor Stretch
• Bicep Stretch
• Triceps Stretch
• Spine Stretches
• Upper Back Stretches
• Abdominal Stretches
• Types of Stretching