A flexibility expert says these are the three best stretches for fighting tight hips
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An expert shares the ‘massive benefits’ of doing these three stretches daily. In my time as a fitness writer, tight hips have been the most common complaint I’ve faced from readers. So I recruited a flexibility expert to explain why this might be the case, and what people could do to combat it.
![[Pliability’s Cody Mooney demonstrating the couch stretch]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/19/15/Pose-1_-Couch-Stretch_.jpg)
Sitting at a desk, day after day, can reinforce “poor posture patterns” and hold your hip flexors in a shortened position, leading to tightness, Mooney says. This tightness can make it harder to access certain positions, particularly during sports and strength training exercises like squats. “Compensation happens, and usually when compensation happens you get injuries,” he adds.
![[Pliability’s Cody Mooney demonstrating the saddle stretch]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/19/15/Pose-3_-Saddle%281%29.jpg)
One way to counteract this is to strengthen the key muscles in and around the hips. Another is to stretch them. Consistent stretching does the opposite of sitting down all day, Mooney explains, elongating the muscles and “allowing your body to move as it should”.
![[Pliability’s Cody Mooney demonstrating the pigeon pose]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/19/15/_Credit_-pliability-Cody-Mooney---Pigeon-Pose-%282%29.jpg)
If you want to give it a go and fight tight hips, Mooney says the three moves below are the best place to start. Hold the stretches above for two minutes each. For the couch stretch and twisted lizard, hold them for two minutes on each leg. “Allow yourself to be passive, don’t push yourself into discomfort where you don’t breathe, you’re sweating, you’re tense [or] it hurts,” Mooney advises.
