Move Those Hips: Mobility Exercises for Better Flexibility

Why Your Hips Hold the Key to Pain-Free Movement

Hip mobility movements are exercises that help your hips move freely through their full range of motion with strength and control. Here are some of the most effective movements:

Essential Hip Mobility Movements:

• Hip CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations) - Move your hip in controlled circles to improve range of motion.
• 90/90 Stretch - Targets both internal and external hip rotation from a seated position.
• World's Greatest Stretch - A dynamic movement combining a hip flexor stretch with thoracic rotation.
• Pigeon Pose - Deeply stretches hip flexors and external rotators.
• Frog Squats - Opens the hips while strengthening the glutes.
• Standing Leg Swings - A dynamic warm-up for hip flexors and extensors.

Whether you sit at a desk for hours or push through intense workouts, you've likely felt tight hips. Tight hips don't just limit movement; they can cause a chain reaction of problems like lower back pain, knee discomfort, and poor posture.

The good news is your hips are designed for mobility. Consistent practice with the right movements can restore this freedom and reduce pain.

I'm Lou Ezrick, founder of Evolve Physical Therapy. For nearly two decades, I've helped patients improve their hip mobility movements with targeted exercises. My experience shows that sustainable hip health requires both flexibility and strength.

Why Hip Mobility Matters: More Than Just Flexibility

Your hips are designed for 360-degree motion, making them one of the most mobile joints in your body. This allows you to walk, run, and squat with ease. However, modern lifestyles often lead to tight, restricted hips that cause pain and limit movement.

What Causes Tight Hips?

The main culprits behind tight hips are too little movement and too much repetitive movement.

Prolonged sitting is a major offender. When you spend hours at a desk or in a car, your hip flexor muscles can become short and stiff. Your body essentially "forgets" how to access its full range of motion.

On the other hand, repetitive movements without proper recovery, such as running or cycling, can also lead to stiffness. Continuous use without incorporating full range of motion work can cause tightness and pain.

Signs and Symptoms of Tight Hips

Tight hips don't just cause discomfort in the hip joint; they create a cascade of problems. You might experience:

• Sudden or sharp hip pain, especially when walking.
• Lower back aches as your spine compensates for the lack of hip movement.
• Neck tightness due to postural imbalances.
• Difficulty standing up straight or maintaining good posture.
• Pain in your glutes or knees, which take on extra strain.
• Discomfort during simple motions like getting out of a car.

Flexibility vs. Mobility: A Crucial Distinction

Understanding the difference between flexibility and mobility is key. While often used interchangeably, they are distinct concepts.

Feature	Flexibility	Mobility
Definition	Passive range of motion	Active control through range of motion
How it works	Being moved by external force	Using muscle strength to control movement
Example	Someone pushing your leg into a stretch	Actively lifting your leg high while maintaining control
Focus	Muscle length	Strength + flexibility combined

True hip mobility combines flexibility and strength, giving you controlled movement through your full range. This is why hip mobility movements are more effective than simple stretching.

The Life-Changing Benefits

Regular hip mobility movements offer significant benefits. You'll likely notice improved athletic performance, such as better squat depth and glute activation, which helps protect your knees and lower back.

Pain reduction and injury prevention are even more crucial for daily life. When your hips move well, other body parts don't have to overcompensate, reducing chronic pain. Better posture naturally follows, allowing you to move with greater ease. Improved daily function makes everything from picking something up off the floor to walking feel more comfortable and effortless.

At Evolve Physical Therapy, we believe understanding the root causes of hip discomfort is the first step toward relief. For more on this, visit our guide on What Causes Hip Pain.

A Guide to the Best Hip Mobility Movements

Your hips are designed to move in all directions, but modern life can restrict that freedom. The right hip mobility movements can restore your range of motion and build the strength to maintain it. Think of these exercises as daily maintenance for your hips.

Foundational Exercises for Daily Hip Health

These are your go-to movements for preventing bigger problems down the road.

Hip CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations)

Hip CARs take your hip through its complete range of motion—forward, out, back, and around—while keeping your pelvis and spine still. This movement is a powerful way to maintain joint health and improve your brain-hip connection.

How to do them: Stand next to a wall for balance or get on all fours. Slowly lift one leg and draw the largest circle possible with your knee. Move deliberately and with control. Start with 3-5 slow circles in each direction, twice a day.

90/90 Stretch

This seated stretch targets both internal and external hip rotation, making it great for spotting imbalances between your hips.

How to do it: Sit on the floor with both knees bent at 90 degrees, letting them fall to one side. Your front shin should be parallel to your body and your back shin perpendicular. Sit on a pillow if needed. Lean forward over your front leg for an external rotation stretch, or lean back to work on internal rotation. Hold each position for 1-2 minutes. For more on this, see our guide on Hip External Rotation Mobility.

Dynamic Hip Mobility Movements to Reduce Stiffness

Use these movements to warm up before exercise or to break up long periods of sitting.

World's Greatest Stretch

This dynamic stretch combines a deep lunge with a spinal twist, opening up your hips and upper back. Start in a push-up position, step one foot forward outside your hand, and reach the opposite hand toward the ceiling. This targets your hip flexors, groin, hamstrings, and upper back. Perform 5-10 slow repetitions on each side.

Frog Squats, Standing Leg Swings, and Tabletop Hip Circles

These movements complete your dynamic warm-up. Frog squats open your inner thighs. Standing leg swings (forward-back and side-to-side) wake up the hip joints. Tabletop hip circles (on all fours, drawing circles with one knee) improve hip-spine coordination.

For more exercises, especially if you have arthritis, explore these Exercises for healthy hips from Versus Arthritis.

Deep Stretches and Strengthening for Lasting Change

These hip mobility movements combine stretching with strengthening for lasting results. True mobility requires both flexibility and control.

Pigeon Pose

This yoga pose deeply stretches the outer hip and glutes. From all fours, bring one knee forward, angle your shin across your body, and extend your back leg. Use a pillow under your hip for support if needed. Hold for 30-60 seconds per side.

Couch Stretch and Glute Activation

The intense couch stretch is highly effective for tight hip flexors. Kneel with your back foot on a couch or wall and step your other foot into a lunge. Keep your core engaged and gently push your hips forward.

Pair this with glute bridges and clamshells to build strength. Glute bridges activate your glutes to counteract tight hip flexors, while clamshells target the gluteus medius for hip stability. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 glute bridges and 8-15 clamshells per side.

For a comprehensive approach, explore our guide on 5 Hip Movements to Help Strengthen and Prevent Pain.

Creating Your Personalized Hip Mobility Routine

The secret to improving your hip mobility movements isn't marathon sessions but small, consistent daily practices. Your hips didn't get tight overnight, and they won't open up that quickly either. However, even five minutes of daily attention can make a remarkable difference.

How Often and When to Practice

Consistency is key. Aim to practice your hip mobility movements daily. They work well as a warm-up before a workout, a cool-down after, or as a way to shake off stiffness in the morning or unwind at night. The timing matters less than the consistency.

Sample Routines for Different Lifestyles

Your routine should reflect your unique needs.

• For Runners: Your hips work hard. Before a run, warm up for 5-10 minutes with dynamic moves like Standing Leg Swings and the World's Greatest Stretch. Afterward, cool down with deeper stretches like the Couch Stretch and Pigeon Pose, plus strengthening exercises like Glute Bridges and Clamshells.

• For Office Workers: Sitting creates tight hip flexors and inactive glutes. Start your day with Hip CARs and Tabletop Hip Circles. Take brief movement breaks during the day for Frog Squats or a 90/90 Stretch. End your day with deeper stretches like the Couch Stretch and Pigeon Pose, plus Glute Bridges to reactivate stabilizing muscles.

Tools and Techniques

While your body is your main tool, foam rollers and lacrosse balls can help release tension in your glutes and inner thighs before you stretch. Myofascial release techniques can also address the connective tissue around your muscles for deeper relief.

Most importantly, listen to your body. Mobility work should feel challenging but never cause sharp or pinching pain. If it does, back off or modify the movement.

Your hip mobility journey is a process. At Evolve Physical Therapy + Sports Rehabilitation, we create personalized programs to address the root causes of stiffness. If you need professional guidance, explore our approach to Physical Therapy for Hip Pain.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hip Health

We get many questions about hip mobility movements at Evolve Physical Therapy + Sports Rehabilitation. Here are some of the most common.

Can these exercises help my lower back and knee pain?

Yes. Your body is a connected system, or kinetic chain. When your hips are stiff, your lower back and knees often overcompensate, which leads to pain.

Your lower back takes on extra strain when your hips can't move freely during daily activities like bending or standing. Also, tight hip flexor muscles, which attach to your spine, can pull on your lower back and contribute to issues like sciatica.

Your knees are also affected. When your powerful hip muscles aren't absorbing force correctly during walking or running, your knees take the impact. Improving hip mobility and strength can often resolve knee pain by addressing the root cause.

If you have pain in the front of your hip, our guide on Anterior Hip Pain can provide more insight.

Are there any risks, and when should I see a physical therapist?

Hip mobility movements are generally safe, but it's crucial to distinguish between productive discomfort and bad pain. A stretching sensation is normal, but sharp, shooting, or pinching pain is a signal to stop immediately.

Be cautious if you have a known condition like hip impingement or a labral tear, as certain movements could worsen your symptoms. If you've had hip surgery, consult your doctor or physical therapist before starting a new routine.

You should see a professional if:

• Your hip pain doesn't improve after a few weeks of gentle exercise.
• The pain is getting worse.
• You have trouble with basic activities like walking.
• You experience sudden, severe pain, especially with swelling or fever.

At Evolve Physical Therapy, we can diagnose the cause of your pain and create a safe, effective plan. We offer specialized programs like Physical Therapy for Labral Tears.

The NHS provides helpful guidance on when to seek medical attention for hip pain.

What's a common misconception about stretching for hip mobility?

The biggest myth is that static stretching alone will fix tight hips. Many people stretch consistently but find the tightness returns quickly.

The problem is that static stretching increases flexibility (passive range of motion) but doesn't build the strength and control needed to use that new range. True mobility is usable range of motion. Your nervous system needs to trust that you can control these new positions safely.

This is why active mobility work, which combines stretching with strengthening, is so effective. It teaches your body that these new ranges are safe and functional. While we can't say weak glutes directly cause tight hip flexors, we know that when glutes are inactive, other muscles overwork, leading to imbalances.

That's why we take a 360-degree approach to hip health, looking at mobility, strength, and how your hips work with the rest of your body.

Open up Your Body's Potential

Remember the feeling of moving without stiffness or pain? That freedom is what your hips are designed to provide daily. As the powerhouse of your body, your hips play a role in nearly every movement you make. By practicing targeted hip mobility movements, you can open up a cascade of benefits.

Pain in your lower back and knees can fade as your hips function properly. Your athletic performance can improve, and even simple daily tasks become easier. The journey to better hip mobility is a marathon, not a sprint. Reversing stiffness takes consistent, patient effort, but your body remembers every small step.

The rewards are immeasurable: moving, feeling, and performing better in all aspects of life.

At Evolve Physical Therapy + Sports Rehabilitation, we know that every person's path to better movement is unique. We create personalized programs that address the root cause of your discomfort, not just the symptoms.

Our holistic approach combines hands-on treatment with specialized exercises to guide you back to the freedom of movement you deserve.

Take control of your movement by exploring our holistic physical therapy services and start your journey towards pain-free living today.