The 10 Best Hip Stretches for Men (and Anyone Else Who Sits All Day)

If you’re looking for the best hip stretches, you already know that sitting all day is brutal. Having a desk job can be a real pain in the neck. And back. And, especially, the hips. Hip stretches can help alleviate a lot of that lower body pain, but knowing how to stretch out your hip flexors properly is key—otherwise you’re just going to injure yourself.

The hip stretches listed below come straight from physical therapists and are the ones they recommend the most. Get ready to move your hips like you’re Shakira and it’s 2006.

What Causes Tight Hips?

Tight hips are a common woe, but if you bring this complaint to a physical therapist, expect to get asked some follow-up questions. “There can be different causes of the perception or feeling of ‘tight hips,’” says Joel Roth, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, the director of sports physical therapy at Select Medical and the sports residency director at NovaCare Rehabilitation in Philadelphia.

Dr. Roth explains that a lot of people experiencing pain or stiffness in their hips will describe their discomfort as “tight,” but this is a complaint, not a clinical term. “Having a feeling of tight hips does not necessarily mean a loss of range of motion exists,” Dr. Roth says. “Identifying the cause of this feeling is important to address appropriately.”

This is where knowing some hip anatomy 101 comes in handy. University of North Carolina professor Michael Gross, PT, PhD, FAPTA, explains that the hip is where the thigh bone meets the pelvis; a juncture that forms the ball-and-socket joint. There are two major parts of the hip joint, the femoral head (a ball-shaped piece of bone) and the acetabulum (a socket in the pelvis that the femoral head fits into). There are 21 muscles that cross the hip, which are used for both movement and stability. Because of this, if you come to a physical therapist complaining of hip pain, be ready for them to ask you exactly where you’re experiencing that pain.

Dr. Gross and Dr. Roth say there are several main causes of hip pain or stiffness. As previously mentioned, prolonged time sitting is a big one. “If you do a lot of sitting, the soft tissues on the front of the hip, the joint, the joint capsule on the front of the joint, the ligaments, and the front of the joint—they are all going to be placed in a shortened position,” Dr. Gross says. These would be the hip flexor muscles, the ligaments, and the joint capsule. He explains that all of the soft tissues in the body have a certain amount of elasticity, but if you keep them in a shortened position, they’re going to want to shorten. This means that spending the majority of the day sitting can cause the hip flexors to tighten up.

Hip discomfort or stiffness can also be genetic. Numerous genes are associated with joint stiffness. Dr. Roth adds that individuals with excessive mobility, underlying joint or muscle related issues, general deconditioning or strength deficits can all complain of hip tightness.

If you are already in pain, Dr. Gross recommends seeing a physical therapist. Hip stretches will surely be part of your Rx, but having a PT guide them will ensure they’re done in a way that won’t make your pain worse. To prevent hip pain or stiffness, hip stretches can help. This, Dr. Roth explains, is because they improve range of motion.

Dr. Roth adds: “In order to make long-lasting gains, however, it is my experience that coupling stretching with strength training is a good general approach. Strength training for the hips should include compound movements in multiple planes such as squats, step ups, bridges, and deadlifts.”