What are the best hip-opening stretches?

A spread that hits the hips from several angles — a figure-4 and supported pigeon for the glutes and rotators, a half-kneeling hip-flexor stretch for the front of the hip, the 90/90 for rotation, and a frog for the inner thighs. This routine guides all of them.

How often should I do hip mobility?

Daily is fine for gentle mobility — there is no recovery cost to easy stretching. Most people feel loosest doing a short set most days rather than one long session a week.

Why are my hips so tight?

Long hours sitting keep the hip flexors short and the glutes quiet, which leaves the hips feeling stiff. Regular movement and a set of openers like this one help most.

Workouts & Recovery · Recovery

Hip openers

A full set of guided hip openers — circles, a figure-4, the 90/90 switch, a supported pigeon, a hip-flexor stretch and a frog — that loosen tight hips from every angle. The app names each move, cues the form, counts every hold down and switches sides for you, so you can close your eyes and just breathe. Knee-friendly by default: nothing loads the knees deeply, and a gentler option is offered wherever a move runs warm.

Moves: 6
Length: ≈ 6 min
Level: All levels

Also known as hip opening stretches, hip mobility routine, hip openers.

How the session works

1Find a clear patch of floor with a mat or rug; have a cushion handy for kneeling.
2Press start. The app names each move, cues it, and counts each hold down.
3Move slowly into each stretch and stop short of any sharp or pinching pain.
4It runs five to twelve minutes — pick the length that fits, and breathe throughout.

The moves

Standing hip circles20s · each side
Hold a support and draw slow circles with the knee — pain-free arc only.
Supine figure-430s · each side
Thread the arms through and pull the back thigh toward your chest.
90/90 hip switch40s
Stay tall, rotate from the hips, lower both knees side to side.
Supine pigeon40s · each side
Ankle over the opposite thigh, draw the leg in — let the floor do the work.
Half-kneeling hip-flexor stretch30s · each side
Tuck the tailbone, squeeze the back glute, ease gently forward.
Frog stretch40s
Knees wide on a padded surface, sink the hips back slowly.

What it's good for

Targets tight hips from every direction — flexors, glutes, rotators and inner thighs.
Knee-friendly throughout, with a gentler option wherever a move runs warm.
Guided holds keep you in each stretch long enough for the hips to actually release.

The evidence. Regular mobility work reliably improves perceived range of motion and eases the stiffness that builds from long sitting; it is a comfort-and-movement tool, not a fix for joint pathology.

Safety

Knee-friendly by default — no routine here loads the knees deeply. Stop any move that causes sharp or pinching knee pain and use the gentler option offered; pad a kneeling knee with a cushion.
Move slowly within a comfortable range and never force a stretch. Gentle mobility eases stiffness and improves range, but it is not a treatment for joint pathology — see a clinician for persistent or worsening hip or knee pain, or after an injury or surgery.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best hip-opening stretches?: A spread that hits the hips from several angles — a figure-4 and supported pigeon for the glutes and rotators, a half-kneeling hip-flexor stretch for the front of the hip, the 90/90 for rotation, and a frog for the inner thighs. This routine guides all of them.
How often should I do hip mobility?: Daily is fine for gentle mobility — there is no recovery cost to easy stretching. Most people feel loosest doing a short set most days rather than one long session a week.
Why are my hips so tight?: Long hours sitting keep the hip flexors short and the glutes quiet, which leaves the hips feeling stiff. Regular movement and a set of openers like this one help most.

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Disclaimer. This guided session is low intensity and intended for healthy adults, but it is not medical advice. Move within a comfortable range, stop if anything hurts, and check with a clinician first if you're pregnant, recovering from injury or surgery, or managing a heart, joint or blood-pressure condition. FitHQ may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this page.