Yoga Poses for Hip Pain
Last Updated On July 18, 2021
Last Updated On July 18, 2021
A vast majority of us spend a good portion of our days in a seated position. We're in a seat whether we're commuting, sitting at our desks, eating meals, or binge-watching Netflix. The problem is that sitting for so long is bad for your health and can cause hip pain, sciatica pain, and other serious discomfort.
Sitting for extended periods of time causes our hips to be in flexion. That's a fancy way of saying that the muscles around our hips are shortening more frequently than they should, which can lead to tight hips.
Hip pain can range from mild to intense and lucky for you, yoga stretching is some of the best ways to relieve hip pain quickly and safely.
Tight hips can be a problem that develops just by doing everyday things like carrying a heavy bag on one side, sitting or standing for long periods, or doing any physical activity with poor form.
When all of those factors tighten the hip muscles, it can cause hip pain that can manifest in a lot of different ways. Sometimes tight hips can also cause poor posture and lower back pain.
Whether you experience simple inflexibility, pinching feelings, or something more (like tendonitis or arthritis), the beginner yoga sequence below can help bring some hip pain relief!
Yoga, an age-old health practice, can help relieve hip pain, according to doctors, because it can strengthen and stretch muscles that are important in supporting aching joints.
"Some of my patients enjoy yoga as a healthy exercise," says Steven Morgan, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Denver Health Medical Center and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. "It has to do with maintaining the flexibility of the joints and strengthening the muscles around the joint. The literature also says the meditation and biofeedback contained in yoga are excellent ways to manage pain for some patients."
Aside from helping with hip pain, yoga is an ancient mind-body therapy that can help with overall well-being, lung capacity, and body composition. Yoga for hip pain is beneficial because it:
Supports the joints. The fine movements and exacting poses required by yoga for hip pain help strengthen the small muscles used to move and stabilize your hip joint. The better supported the joint is, the less stress is placed on it by your own body weight — and the better it feels.
Stretches the muscles. Flexibility can give you a greater range of motion, making your hip joint more usable and free of pain. Yoga for hip pain is one of the best stretches exercises around.
Opens up the joints. Chronic hip pain can lessen the range of motion, restricting the hip joint and placing more weight on a smaller portion of the joint. Yoga for hip pain opens up the hip joint, spreading the load across a greater surface area as your body's natural range of motion is restored.
Experts recommend that people using yoga for hip pain perform more gentle forms of therapy that focus on postures and breathing.
This is one of the most popular types of yoga in the United States, and it is the type most associated with hip pain relief. Hatha yoga practitioners move slowly through a series of gentle stretches, flowing calmly and effortlessly between each pose. Participants in yoga for hip pain breathe slowly and deeply, which is a form of meditation that relieves stress and can help with chronic strain.
Also known as hot yoga, Bikram yoga can help with hip pain. A series of postures are practiced in a room heated to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat helps warm muscles, ligaments, and tendons, allowing them to stretch more easily.
The more strenuous forms of yoga that emphasize strength training over meditation and gentle stretching are not recommended by doctors. Ashtanga yoga, also known as power yoga, is one such form that provides a physically demanding workout in which the practitioner constantly changes positions. Iyengar yoga focuses on holding positions for long periods of time, which may be harmful to your hip pain.
All of the yoga poses provided below are great for beginners and should be fairly simple to perform.
Mountain pose helps build balance and reminds you to engage your core. It is a very effective yoga pose to start your practice with because it is beginner-friendly and allows for complete breath and centering.
Mountain pose helps strengthen your gluteus medius, which helps stabilize your pelvis. It is an approachable and relaxing pose for most.
Mountain poses with leg lifts help strengthen your hip flexors and improve balance.
The fire hydrant pose helps to increase hip joint range of motion.
The boat pose is a great pose to build core strength while also strengthening the hip flexors.
This yoga pose is excellent for stretching the hips and spine.
Bridge pose stretches (and lengthens) the hip flexors while also strengthening the legs and extending the spine.
This pose stretches the piriformis, glutes, and lower back, and relieves tension in the muscles surrounding the lower back.
This is a nice and relaxing stretch for the hips and the groin area.