27 Yoga Poses for Hip Flexibility

Yoga hip flexibility is a great way to improve your overall physical health and mobility. Whether you’re looking to improve your sports performance, reduce back pain, or simply improve your overall posture and strength, incorporating yoga hip flexibility into your routine can help you achieve your goals. Through specific hip-focused poses and stretches, yoga hip flexibility can help improve the range of motion in your hips, as well as the strength of the muscles that support your hip joints. Additionally, yoga hip flexibility can help to reduce tightness in the hips, improve your balance, and even reduce stress levels. With regular practice, you can unlock your body’s full potential and enjoy the various physical and mental benefits of yoga hip flexibility.

Let’s face it; most of us sit all day at work, class, or home. Sitting for long periods, especially with your knees bent (like you’re reading this blog post), the hip flexors shorten and get tighter. This can lead to a whole host of issues, from back pain to knee pain. It's therefore important to include some yoga hip flexibility poses in your practice that will give you more range of motion in your hips so that you don’t feel like Goldilocks after sitting for too long: too tight, too extended, or just right.

1. Child’s Pose Yoga Hip Flexibility

Begin the yoga hip flexibility in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Then, engage your core and shift back to your feet as you extend your arms overhead. Lower your forehead to the floor and relax your mid-back area for a light stretch. After that, take several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Lastly, relax and return to the starting position.

Child’s Pose

Advanced Version - Child’s Pose

Begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Next, move your toes together and widen your knees. Then tighten your abdominal area and shift your hips back to your feet as you extend your arms overhead. After that, walk your hands to one side and lower your head to relax your mid-back area. Holding this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and repeat the movement on the opposite side.

Advanced Version - Child’s Pose

2. Cat-Cow

Begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, hip-width apart. Then, contract your abdominal area. After that, slowly raise your head as you arch your mid-back, then slowly round out your mid-back as you lower your head. Repeat the sequence of movements.

Cat-Cow

Variation 1 - Cat-Cow

Begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, hip-width apart. After that, contract your abdominal area. Then, slowly spin your spine into circles from one direction to the other. Repeat the movement, then move to the Downward Dog position.

Variation 1 - Cat-Cow

3. Downward Dog to Walk the Dog

Begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Tuck your toes against the floor to stack your heels over your toes. Then, tighten your abdominal muscles. After that, push back with your arms as you lift your hips and alternately bend your knees to lengthen your back. Slowly lowering one heel at a time, similar to a walking movement. Take deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

 Downward Dog to Walk the Dog

Alternative Exercise: Downward Dog to Walk the Dog

For this exercise, you need a table, a chair, or anything stable for stability.

Begin in an upright standing position in front of a table with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Then, tighten your abdominal muscles and hinge through your hips to bend your upper body and arms forward to a 90-degree angle. While Holding on to the table for support. Bend one knee to lift your heel off the floor, while keeping your other leg straight. Repeat the movement on the opposite side.

Alternative Exercise: Downward Dog to Walk the Dog

4. Knee Circles

Begin in a 4-point kneeling position on the floor with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, wider than hip-width apart. Maintain good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Engage your core. After that, move your right knee out to your side and create big circles from one direction to the other. Then, return to the starting position. Repeat the sequence of movements on the opposite side.

Knee Circles

5. Downward Dog to Forward Fold

Begin in a 4-point kneeling position on the floor with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, hip-width apart. Stack your heels over your toes. After that, tighten your abdominal muscles, push back with your arms, and lengthen your back as you lift your hips. Then, walk your feet towards your hands on the mat into a forward fold position and bend your knees for comfort. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth, then move to the Rag Doll pose.

Downward Dog to Forward Fold

6. Rag Doll

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. After that, tighten your core and hinge through your hips to lower your upper body forward. Then, lower and wrap your hands around your elbows while keeping your knees slightly bent. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Rag Doll

7. Forward Fold

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Then, tighten your core and hinge through your hips to lower your upper body downward. After that, place your hands on the floor and lower your head. Bend your knees a little and wrap your hands around your ankle. Pull your upper body towards your legs. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

 Forward Fold

8. Forward Fold to Half Lift

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. After that, tighten your core and hinge through your hips to lower your upper body downward, and soften your knees to reach your fingers on the floor to keep your spine straight. Hold the position for a couple of seconds, then place your hands on your knees to lift your upper body halfway up, ideally parallel to the floor. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement.

To intensify this movement, you can keep your legs straight as you press your fingers on the floor.

Forward Fold to Half Lift

9. Extended Side Stretches

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Contract your abdominal muscles. After that, take a deep breath, extend your arms overhead, and interlace your fingers. Then, exhale and bend your upper body to one side, opening through the side of your body by tilting your chest upward. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat the movement on the opposite side.

 Extended Side Stretches

10. Chest Opener with Goddess Arms

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. After that, extend your arms at your sides at a 90-degree angle at shoulder height and bend your arms to stack your wrists over your elbows with your palms facing outward. Engage your core. Then, slowly arch your back and pull your arms back for a light stretch through the chest and front of the shoulders, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you tilt your head backward. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Chest Opener with Goddess Arms

11. Chest Stretch

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. After that, extend your arms to the back, squeezing your shoulder blades. Then, clasp your hands together as you arch your mid-back, lifting your head as you open your chest up while pushing your arms down. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Chest Stretch

12. Chest Stretch with Forward Fold

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. After that, extend your arms at your sides to squeeze your shoulder blades together. Then, lift your head and grasp your hands together and push them downward. Drop your head backward to open your chest. Then slowly hinge through your hips and drop your upper body into a forward fold, lifting your clasped hands toward the sky. Soften your knees for comfort and hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Repeat the sequence of movements.

 

 Chest Stretch with Forward Fold

13. Chaturanga

Begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips, hip-width apart. After that, step back with both knees to increase the angle of your body. Engage your core. Then, bend your arms as you lower your upper body toward the floor as you straighten your legs. Keep your upper body parallel with your elbows bent and close to your upper body. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

 

Chaturanga

14. Cobra or Up Dog

Lie on your stomach with your feet shoulder-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Plant your hands on the floor beside your chest. After that, contract your abdominal muscles and lift your chest using your arms as you slightly arch your back. Then, keep your gaze forward, and be careful not to overextend your neck or back. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Cobra or Up Dog

Variation 1 - Cobra or Up Dog

Lie on your stomach with your feet shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Plant your hands on the floor beside your chest. After that, contract your abdominal muscles and slightly lift your chest, using your arms as support. Then, keep your gaze low, and be careful not to overextend your neck or back. Turn your hips to the side, from one direction to the other. Repeat the movement several times.

 Variation 1 - Cobra or Up Dog

15. Downward Dog

Begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, hip-width apart. Then, tighten your abdominal muscles, push back with your arms, and straighten your legs as you lift your hips. Hold this position for three deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your nose, like an ocean breath.

Downward Dog

Repeat the sequence of movements:

• Exercise #5 - Downward to Forward Fold
• Exercise 8 - Forward Fold to Half Lift
• Exercise #7 - Forward Fold
• Exercise #9 - Extended Side Stretches 
• Exercise #10 - Chest Opener with Goddess Arms
• Exercise #11 - Chest Stretch
• Exercise #12 - Chest Stretch with Forward Fold
• Exercise #13 - Chaturanga
• Exercise #14 - Cobra or Up Dog
• Exercise #15 - Downward Dog

Hold this position for three deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

16. Seated Butterfly

Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with the soles of your feet together in front of you. Maintain good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Place your hands on your ankles. Then, engage your core and flap your knees up and down like butterfly wings. Repeat the movement. 

Seated Butterfly

17. Downward Dog to Warrior II

Begin in a Downward Dog position, tighten your abdominal muscles and extend your right leg upward behind your body as far as possible. To intensify this movement, you can make big circles in the air with your right leg or bend your right knee and make circles. Then plant your right foot forward on the floor between your hands. After that, lift your upper body into an upright position and grab each of your elbows and place your hands behind your head. Then, stretch your head backward, then straighten your back leg as you turn your upper body to the left side while extending your arms out at your sides like a T position. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths. Repeat the sequence of movement as need before switching to the opposite side.

 

 Downward Dog to Warrior II

18. Warrior II with Side Stretch

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. After that, bend your left knee and pivot your right foot behind you so that your toes are pointing out to the side at about a 45-degree angle. Then, engage your core and extend your arms to your sides at shoulder height. Raise both arms overhead and grasp your hands together. Bend your upper body to one side. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths. Repeat the sequence of movement as need before switching to the opposite side.

 

Warrior II with Side Stretch

19. Warrior Flow

For this exercise, you can put yoga blocks in front of you, right beside your front foot for support.

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet wider than shoulder width apart. Maintain good alignment with your upper body. Then, extend your arms to the side at shoulder level. Engage your core. After that, lower your upper body towards your  bent knee, with your left hand on the floor and your right arm extended above, ideally in good alignment with your shoulders. Then slowly place both hands at your back and lift your upper body upward, with your left hand reaching overhead as you arch your mid back. Hold each position for a couple of seconds. Repeat the sequence of movement as need before switching to the opposite side.

 

Warrior Flow

20. Runner’s Lunge

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head shoulders, hips and legs. Engage your core. Then take a big step forward with one foot then lower your upper body as you place your hands beside your bent knee while keeping your back leg extended. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Runner’s Lunge

21. Downward Dog to Knee Circles

Begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, hip-width apart. After that, engage your core and push back with your arms, and straighten your legs as you lift your hips. Then lift one leg and stack your top knee over your opposite hip. Pull back your shoulders in a straight line, opening the heart and squeezing the shoulder blades together. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.  Relax and return to the starting position. Repeat the movement on the opposite side.

 

Downward Dog to Knee Circles

22. Back Bend

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet flat on the floor, wider than shoulder-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. After that, take a big step backward and bend your front knee. Then engage your core and lift both hands overhead, then bend your elbows as you place your hands behind your head and arching your back. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Repeat the movement ton the opposite side.

 

Back Bend

Repeat the sequence of movements twice:

• Exercise #20 Warrior Flow
• Exercise #13 Chaturanga
• Exercise #14 Cobra or Up Dog
• Exercise #18 Downward Dog to Knee Circles
• Exercise #19 Runner’s Lunge

23. Warrior II to Dragonfly Twist

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet considerably  wider than shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Pivot your left foot to point your toes to the side. Engage your core and lift your arms at shoulder level. Engage your core and lower your body down by pressing your right hand on the floor, while keeping your back leg straight and your left arm extended upward. Hold the position for several deep belly breath, in through your nose and put through your mouth. Return to the staring position and repeat the movement on the opposite side.

 

Warrior II to Dragonfly Twist

24. 5-Pointed Star Pose to Side Lunge (Skandasana)

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet flat on the floor, wider than shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Then, spread your arms and your legs at a 45-degree angle, just like a star pose. Place your hands together in a “praying position” as you move into side lunge. While, holding this position for several deep belly breaths. Walk with your hands on the floor before you repeat the movement on the opposite side.

Lastly, Lower your seat as far as your body will allow while keeping pain-free to intensify this movement.

5-Pointed Star Pose to Side Lunge

Repeat the sequence of movements:

• Exercise #18 Downward Dog to Knee Circles
• Exercise #13 Chaturanga
• Exercise #14 Cobra or Up Dog
• Exercise #1 Child’s Pose
• Exercise #11 Chest Stretch with Forward Fold

25. Wide Legged Forward Fold

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet flat on the floor, wider than shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.  Secondly, place your hands on your hips. Then, engage your core. After that, hinge your hips to lean your upper body forward for your arms to reach the floor. And then, Plant your hands on the floor, your fingers pointing at the back of your feet. Lastly, holding this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

 Legged Forward Fold

26. Knees to Chest

Lie on your back, your knees bent, and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Lift both knees towards your chest and hold onto your knees with both arms. You should feel a light stretch in your lower back, hips, and glutes. After that, take several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and return to the starting position.

Lastly, to intensify this exercise, gently rock your knees from side to side.

Knees to Chest

27. Spinal Twist

Lie on your back, your knees bent, and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Spread your arms at your side, relaxing your upper body. Engage your core, then twist through the lower back, pelvis, and spine to bring both knees to one side. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement on the opposite side.

To intensify this movement, turn your head to the opposite side of your knees. You can also place a pillow, a folded blanket, or a cushion either under or in between your knees for comfort.

Spinal Twist

Sitting all day, your hips may tend to fall into extension. And when you try to move your hips into flexion, you might find that they can’t go as far as you want. This is where the hip flexor stretches come into play. They’re great for stretching those hip flexors. To keep your hips flexible, performing hip flexor stretches regularly is essential.