Tight Hips: 7 Stretches, Symptoms, Causes, Prevention, And More

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HealthlineSubscribe7 Stretches to Relieve Tight Hips

Medically reviewed by Courtney L. Gilbert, PT, DPT, AIB VR/CON — Written by Claire Gillespie — Updated on May 15, 2025

Stretches
Symptoms
Causes
Prevention
Takeaway

Certain yoga poses, like the butterfly, and stretches, including those using a foam roller, can loosen tight hip muscles.

A feeling of tightness across the hips comes from tension around the hip flexors. The hip flexors are a group of muscles around the top of the thighs that connect the upper leg to the hip. These muscles allow you to bend at the waist and raise your leg.

Some of the main hip flexors are the:

Iliopsoas
rectus femoris
tensor fasciae latae
sartorius

Tight hips can affect anyone, from people who spend several hours a day sitting to regular gym-goers and professional athletes. Some people are also more prone to tightness in that area of their body.

Tight hips may put you at increased risk for injury due to the increased demands on tissues that aren’t moving properly.

Read on to learn more about tight hips and how to relax these muscles.

Stretching and safety

Stretching shouldn’t feel painful.

If any of the below stretches or poses feel painful (rather than having the mild discomfort of a stretch), you may be stretching too deeply. Do not practice any stretch or pose that hurts.

Pain may also indicate an injury or another health condition that may require more specific treatment and physical therapy. If you feel pain when stretching, it is best to talk with a doctor or physical therapist.

7 Stretches to loosen up tight hips

Foam roller stretches and hip flexor stretches can help to relieve tightness in the hips.

Sometimes, hip pain and tight hips can have an underlying cause. If these stretches don’t help relieve your hip tightness, consider talking with a doctor or physical therapist. If any stretch causes you pain, avoid that stretch.

1. Foam roller stretch

You can use a foam roller to loosen up tight hips.

Lie face down, with your foam roller beneath and slightly below your right hip.
Place your left leg to the side with the knee bent at a 90-degree angle.
Rest your forearms on the ground in front of you to take some of your body weight off your hip. This can make the stretch less painful.
Stretch your right leg behind you, with your toes pointed backward and the front of your foot flat against the ground.
Slowly move backward and forward over the foam roller.
For an extra stretch, add some side-to-side movement as you roll.
Continue for up to 30 seconds. As you roll, identify any trigger points (any points that feel extra tight or painful). You can focus on those areas for about 10 seconds to relieve some of the tightness.
Repeat with your left hip.

»Read More:What Are the Benefits of Foam Rolling?

2. Kneeling hip flexor stretch

You can do this stretch daily to help loosen your hip flexor.

Kneel on your right knee.
Put your left foot on the floor with your left knee at a 90-degree angle
Drive your hip forward. Maintaining a straight back, lean your torso forward.
Hold the position for 30 seconds.
Repeat 2 to 5 times with each leg, trying to increase your stretch each time.

3. Pigeon stretch

This stretch can be used daily to improve mobility in your hip flexors.

Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position.
Bring your right knee forward and place it behind your right wrist.
Place your right ankle in front of your left hip.
Straighten your left leg behind you, ensuring your left knee is straight and your toes are pointed.
Keep your hips square.
Gently lower yourself to the ground.
Stay in this position for up to 10 seconds.
Release the position by pushing on your hands, lifting your hips, and moving the legs back into your starting position on all fours.
Repeat on the other side.

4. Spiderman stretch

The Spiderman stretch can help warm up your body before a workout. It can be used alone or alongside other hip flexor stretches.

Begin in the push-up position.
Step forward with the left foot, bringing it to the outside of your left hand.
Stretch the hips forward.
Hold this position for two seconds, then return to start.
Repeat five times to complete one rep.
Repeat with the right leg.
Perform three reps with each leg.

5. Butterfly stretch

This is a great stretch to practice after a workout or if you need a break from sitting in a chair.

Sit on the floor with both legs straight out in front of you.
Bring the soles of your feet together, and then move your heels as close to your body as you can.
Lean forward with a straight back.
Push on your thighs with your elbows for a deeper stretch.
Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.

»Read More:How to Do a Better Butterfly Stretch

6. Horizontal squat stretch

This stretch can also help loosen your back muscles.

Begin with your elbows and knees on the floor, and your knees bent at 90 degrees.
Walk your knees as far apart as you can and lengthen the spine.
Lower your upper body onto your forearms as you draw your hips back and down.
Hold for up to 60 seconds.

7. Sitting stretch

If you work in an office, you can try this at your desk. You can also do this while watching television, riding in a car, or on an airplane.

Sit on a chair with your back straight.
Place your right ankle on your left knee.
Fold your torso forward until you feel a gentle stretch.
Hold for up to 60 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.

3 yoga poses for tight hips

How do you know if your hips are tight?

Tight hips normally cause pain and discomfort in the upper groin area. You may also experience lower back pain or hamstring strains. Tight hips often lead to issues in the lower back, knees, and sacroiliac joints.

A simple way to assess the flexibility of the hip flexor muscles is called the Thomas test:

Lie on your back on the floor, a bench, or another stable, flat surface.
Bring both knees to your chest.
Hold your right knee against your chest.
Straighten your left leg.
Lower your left leg as far as possible.
Repeat with the other leg.

Hip flexors are considered tight if either leg cannot completely lower to the surface you are lying on.

What causes tight hips?

A sedentary lifestyle can lead to tight hip flexors and hip flexor pain. Excessive sitting can cause the muscles to relax and deactivate. They become progressively weaker and shorter, sometimes causing a painful condition called adaptive shortening.

Tight hips may also be caused by:

standing after long periods of sitting
a tipped pelvis, which creates a structural imbalance
postural habits like leaning over into one hip or leaning forward into both hips when standing
sleeping all night on the same side of the body
having one leg longer than the other

Tight hips may also flare up when you perform lower-body exercises, like squats and deadlifts.

What can you do to help prevent or reduce the risk of tight hips?

It may not be possible to prevent tight hips, but you can reduce your risk of hip pain:

If you sit at a desk for long periods, get up and move around every hour or so, or try using a standing desk to change things up.
Warm up properly before any workout.
Stretch at the end of every workout.

Stretching and massage can also reduce your risk of muscle tightness and pain.

Massage helps relieve tight hips by:

stretching tissues that foam rollers cannot reach
breaking down scar tissue
increasing blood flow to tissues
releasing endorphins to reduce pain
relaxing the muscle through heat generation and circulation

You can also massage yourself using a foam roller, a tennis ball, or your hands.

The bottom line

Foam roller and hip flexor stretches, such as the Spiderman stretch, should help loosen the tight hip muscles. Treatment from a qualified sports and remedial massage therapist can also provide relief.

It’s still best to talk with a doctor if you have persistent pain in any part of your body. They can determine if your pain results from an underlying medical cause.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Eimiller K, et al. (2024). Reliability of goniometric techniques for measuring hip flexor length using the modified thomas test.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11297360/
MacTavish F. (2017). Personal interview.
Cruikshank T. (2017). Personal interview.
Long A. (2015). 3 Stretches for opening up tight hips.https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/5681/3-stretches-for-opening-up-tight-hips

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Medically reviewed by Courtney L. Gilbert, PT, DPT, AIB VR/CON — Written by Claire Gillespie — Updated on May 15, 2025

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