5 Yoga Poses to Awaken Your Hips After Sitting All Day

The human body was designed to move, but our modern-day lifestyle has us doing a whole lot of sitting. With that comes some eye-opening statistics.
Sitting not only affects your hips and posture, but sobering numbers show excessive sitting attributes to 22 percent of coronary heart disease, 22 percent of colon cancer, 18 percent of osteoporotic fractures, 12 percent of diabetes and hypertension, and 5 percent of breast cancer cases in the US. (1) Yikes.

Too much sitting also creates damaging side effects on the hips. When we are in a seated position, the hip flexors (the iliacus and psoas major) and hamstrings are put into a shortened state. When we sit often and for extended periods of time, they stay that way and become weak. The psoas major attaches directly to the spine, so the tightness of the hip flexors pulls the pelvis into an anterior pelvic tilt. This weakens the abdominal muscles and causes strain in the lower back, affecting your posture and your entire spine for the worse.

If you have a job that keeps you sitting for hours, there are ways to combat the effects of sitting:

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1. Every hour, stand up and walk around for 10-15 minutes.
2. Before and after work, go walking, running, weight training, yoga, etc.
3. Stretch or practice yoga every single day (even if it’s just for a few minutes).

Use these five yoga poses to awaken your hips after a long day of sitting at the office. This routine can be done once or twice per day. All you need is an exercise or yoga mat.

As you practice these poses, make sure to breathe slowly, focusing the breath on your hips and hamstrings.

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Cat Cow Hip Circles | 5 breaths per side

This classic yoga pose, combined with slow movement, will help you to get the blood flowing and relieve tightness in your hips and lower back.

1. Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Stack your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
2. Inhale to come into cow pose by lowering your belly towards the ground and tilt your tailbone towards the sky. Draw your shoulders down your back and away from your ears. Look over the tip of your nose.
3. Exhale to round your spine and tilt your tailbone down to come into cat pose. Tuck your chin down towards your chest and draw your navel up and in. Then, take a big circle to the right with your hips, coming back up to your cow pose on your inhale.
4. Repeat four more times going to the right, then switch directions and do five reps on the left. Remember to stick to one breath per movement.

Low Lunge | 8 breaths per side

This pose opens up the hip flexors and teaches you to bring the pelvis out of an anterior tilt and back into proper alignment.

1. Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees.
2. Step your right foot between your hands and line up your ankle under your knee.
3. Inhale to lift your chest, placing your right hand on your thigh and your left hand on your sacrum, just above your tailbone.
4. Slightly tuck your pelvis under and draw your navel up and in towards your spine. Feel the tilt of your pelvis with your hand. There should be a neutral curve in your lower back and you should feel your hip flexors stretching.
5. Hold for 8 slow breaths, then switch sides.

Half-Split Twist | 8 breaths per side

This pose helps open up the hamstrings and releases the outer hips.

1. Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position.
2. Step your right foot between your hands, stacking your knee over your ankle. Tuck your left toes under, then inhale to straighten out your right leg. You want your belly to be close to your thigh, so keep a small bend in your knee if you need to.
3. Make sure to keep your hips square to the top of your mat and walk your hands to the outside of your right leg.
4. Hold for 8 breaths, then switch sides.

Runners Lunge | 8 breaths per side

This pose opens up the hip flexors and activates the core.

1. Begin in a tabletop position on your hands and knees.
2. Step your right foot outside of your right hand and turn the toes out at a 45-degree angle. Press your hips forward and make sure your right knee is stacked over your ankle. You should feel a stretch in your hip flexors here.
3. Engage your abs. Then, tuck your back toes under and lift your left knee off the ground, feeling the stretch through your hip flexors deepen.
4. Hold for 8 slow breaths, then switch sides.

Seated Figure 4 | 8 breaths per side

This stretch relieves tightness in the glutes and outer hips.

1. Begin seated on your mat with your knees bent and your feet on the ground.
2. Place your hands on the ground behind you and lean back onto your palms. Pick up your right leg and cross your right ankle above your left thigh. Flex your toes back towards your shin.
3. Keep a small bend in your elbows and your back straight. If you want to feel a deeper stretch in the hips, scoot your hips towards your left foot.
4. Hold for 8 breaths, then switch sides.

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