8 Feel-Good Poses to Open Up Your Hips
A lot of people tend to avoid hip openers–myself included–typically due to extremely tight hips (desk life has a lot to do with this), but also our hips store emotional energy, which means that opening them can bring up things you weren't prepared for. I promise it's worth it for the benefits they provide!
Why do my hips need to be opened?
There are quite a few muscles that cross the hip (which is why hips can be so mobile). Sitting for extended periods can shorten some of those muscles, which can actually shift the positioning of your pelvis, causing your low back lots of pain. Tight hips can affect an array of things, anything from being able to pick things up off the floor, to being able to do a full wheel. Now that we know the negatives of tight hips we can get into the benefits of hip opening & some poses to help you open your hips at home!
What are the benefits of hip openers?
Increase range of motion
Increase circulation
Lessen low back pain
Fight the negative effects of the ‘desk life’
What poses can I do to help?
Extended Child’s Pose // Utthita Balasana
Forward Fold (crossed legs) // Uttanasana (crossed legs)
Low Lunge // Anjaneyasana
Half Splits // Ardha Hanumanasana
Lizard Pose // Utthan Pristhasana
Frog // Mandukasana
One-Legged King Pigeon Pose // Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
