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Tight hips from sitting: 3 gentle moves
Long hours in a chair keep the hips bent, and many people notice tight hips or a stiff lower back when they finally stand up. These three slow moves take about three minutes. Start with the seated figure-four at your desk, then do the other two on the floor when you can. Keep everything comfortable.
Seated figure-four
- Sit tall on a chair with both feet flat on the floor.
- Cross your right ankle over your left knee.
- Keep your back long and hinge forward from the hips until you feel a stretch, then switch.
Dose: 25 second hold per side.
Tip: Press lightly on the raised knee only if it feels comfortable.
Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch
- Kneel on your right knee with a cushion beneath it and your left foot forward.
- Tuck your tailbone slightly and shift forward until you feel a stretch at the front of your right hip.
- Hold with your torso tall, then switch sides.
Dose: 20 second hold per side.
Tip: Squeeze the glute of the kneeling leg to deepen the stretch without arching.
Glute bridge
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, hip-width apart.
- Press through your heels and lift your hips until shoulders, hips and knees form a line.
- Squeeze your glutes for 2 seconds, then lower slowly.
Dose: about 10 reps.
Tip: Stop the lift where your ribs stay down. Do not arch your back.
Common mistakes
- Arching the lower back in the hip flexor stretch. Tuck the tailbone a little instead.
- Rounding your back to get deeper in the figure-four. Hinge from the hips with a long back.
- Rushing the bridge. Lift and lower slowly.
- Pushing into pain. Reduce the range or stop.
Do the three moves once a day, or after a long stretch of sitting. Standing up and walking for a minute or two every so often helps too.
When to stop and see a professional
Stop and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist, or seek urgent care where noted, if you notice:
- numbness, tingling or weakness in a leg
- pain that spreads down a leg below the knee
- pain that started after a fall or other injury, or you cannot put weight on the leg
- numbness around your genitals or bottom, or new trouble controlling your bladder or bowels (seek urgent care)
- pain that keeps getting worse, wakes you at night, or comes with fever or unexplained weight loss
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Related guides
- Seated figure-four stretch
- Hip flexor stretch
- Glute bridge
- Lower back pain from sitting
- Lower back stiff in the morning
- Mo: Posture & Back Pain Relief app