Spending long hours at your desk, especially from dawn to dusk, makes it all too familiar to feel those tight, achy hips. The solution might seem easy — just getting up and stretching! — yet we all know how a busy workday can fly by with hardly a moment to leave our chairs (and that’s okay!).
Fortunately, you can enjoy a delightful hip stretch without leaving your seat! This is a fantastic way to
have your muscles feel more relaxed and loose.
feel more at ease.
gently calms your nervous system
While getting up from your chair and adding some movement is undoubtedly the best way to keep your hips feeling loose and limber, these five seated hip stretches offer a fantastic alternative if you're short on time or if standing is a bit tricky for you.
THE SEATED STRETCHES
1-SEATED FIGURE-4 STRETCH
Instruction:
Start seated with a straight back and both feet flat on the floor.
Cross your right ankle over your left knee.
Press your right knee as far as it can comfortably go and bend forward at the hips without arching your back.
Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then switch legs.
2-SEATED TORSO ROTATION
Instruction:
Start seated with a straight back and both feet flat on the floor.
Cross your right leg completely over the left.
Rotate your torso toward the right, grabbing onto the back of the chair with one or both hands for support.
Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then switch legs.
3-HIP FLEXOR STRETCH
Instruction:
Start seated with a straight back and both feet flat on the floor.
Scoot to the front of the chair.
Drop your right knee toward the ground, coming into a half-kneeling position, and rotate your trunk to the left.
Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then switch sides.
4-SEATED HAMSTRING STRETCH
Instruction:
Start seated with a straight back and both feet flat on the floor.
Scoot to the front of the chair.
Extend your right leg straight in front of you and bend at the hips, reaching toward your toes.
Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then switch legs.
5-SEATED BUTTERFLY STRETCH
Instruction:
Start seated with a straight back and both feet flat on the floor.
Scoot to the front of the chair.
Keep your feet together and separate your knees as wide as possible. To widen your stretch, you can use your hands to lightly press on the inside of your lower legs.
Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
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