8 Dreamy Hip Opening Exercises To Unlock Even the Tightest Joints

Hip opening exercises strengthen your muscles, yes, but they also provide the relief your body so desperately craves. The next time you feel the tightness start to creep in, make your way down this list. You’ll be able to relieve all that tension in record time.

The best hip opening exercises to relieve tightness

1. Wheel pose

The wheel pose is great at opening the hips, as well relieving tension in your chest and shoulders.

2. Three-legged downward facing dog

This video is filled with hip-opening poses, but one in particular you’ll love is the three-legged downward dog.

3. Side lunge

The side lunge is the perfect exercise for anyone who has tight hips, as it gives you a nice stretch along your inner thigh.

4. Happy baby

One of the many feel-good, hip-opening stretches in this yoga flow is happy baby, which releases tension in your hips and stretches your inner thighs and hamstrings.

5. Bridge yoga pose

Pushing your hips toward the ceiling in this pose always feels great on super-tight hips and leg muscles.

6. Crescent lunge

This deep stretch targets your hip flexors, legs, and groin, providing some relief after a long day of sitting.

7. Pigeon pose

The second you move into pigeon pose, your hips basically breath a sigh of relief. It feels that good.

8. Triangle pose

Aside from opening your hips, triangle pose also provides a nice stretch for your hamstrings, shoulders, chest, and groin.

For a full 15 minutes of hip opening exercises, try this yoga flow:

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