Sitting for long periods, overtraining, running and cycling—especially without warming up properly—can all contribute to tight hips. This tightness is often caused by tension around the hip flexor muscles, which, if unaddressed, can lead to a reduced range of motion, limited mobility and an increased risk of injury.
The good news? You can improve hip flexibility without spending hours stretching. According to Tom Merrick, also known as the Bodyweight Warrior, you only need these five drills to make a difference.
Merrick, a calisthenics expert and fitness coach known for his strength and flexibility workouts, says: "These five stretches will have all essential ranges of the hip covered and can be applied from beginner to advanced."
How to do Tom Merrick’s stretch workout
For detailed instructions on each exercise, watch Merrick's longer YouTube video. In it, Merrick also recommends testing your flexibility by holding a lower-body position, like a deep squat, before starting the routine, then performing the position again afterward to highlight the difference the stretches can make.
"If you want to move better and have more lower body freedom you need to start training your flexibility and it all starts in the hips," he explains in the video, before offering expert tips on how to perform his five favorite stretches effectively.
Why weak hips are bad for you
Weak hip flexors can make activities like running, climbing stairs, sitting, standing and walking painful or difficult, forcing your other muscles to overcompensate. This can affect your gait (the way you walk), lead to poor posture and contribute to lower back pain, as tight hip flexors pull the spine downward.
As mentioned, weak hips can result from prolonged sitting or repetitive hip-flexion movements such as cycling or running. Inactivity or underuse of the hip muscles can lead to muscle atrophy (muscle degeneration), while conditions like osteoarthritis may also be factors.
To relieve tight hip flexors, try mobility exercises that both lengthen and strengthen the muscles, like Merrick’s workout above. You could also try these hip stretches to undo the damage of sitting and team them with some hip-strengthening moves.
Shop yoga mats
It's useful to have something rolled out on the floor for these stretches, which can cushion your joints. All of the options below feature in our round-up of the best yoga mats and have been tried-and-tested by our in-house experts.
