Hip pain is one of the most common issues people face today. Hours spent at a desk, poor posture, muscular imbalances, and even overuse from workouts can all leave your hips stiff, achy, and less mobile than they should be.
The good news? You don’t have to live with it.
Yoga for hip pain works because it improves flexibility, restores balance, strengthens the muscles that support your hips, and more. Here’s what this blog will walk you through:
→ 10 yoga stretches for hip pain
→ The muscles that often cause hip discomfort and common symptoms
→ How yoga fits into long-term relief
10 Yoga Stretches for Hip Pain
1) Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Helps with: Opening tight hip flexors
This is how to do it:
Step 1) Step your right foot forward into a lunge, keeping your left knee to the ground.
Step 2) Keep your chest lifted, shifting your hips forward until you feel a stretch in your left hip.
Step 3) Place both of your hands on your thigh or reach them overhead for a deeper stretch.
→ Hold: 20 to 30 seconds per side
2) Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
Helps with: Stretching piriformis + glute muscles
This is how to do it:
Step 1) From a plank pose, bring your right knee forward and place it behind your hands.
Step 2) Extend your left leg straight back behind you.
Step 3) Keep your hips square and lean forward over your bent leg.
→ Hold: 20 to 30 seconds per side
3) Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)
Helps with: Releasing inner thighs + easing lower back tension
This is how to do it:
Step 1) Lie flat on your back, then pull your knees up toward your chest.
Step 2) Grab the outsides of your feet with your hands.
Step 3) Open your knees wide, gently rocking yourself side to side.
→ Hold: 30 to 45 seconds
4) Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)
Helps with: Stretching groin + inner thighs
This is how to do it:
Step 1) Sit with your feet pressed together and knees open to the sides.
Step 2) Bring your heels in closer toward your hips for a deeper stretch.
Step 3) Hold your feet with your hands, sitting up nice and tall.
→ Hold: 30 to 60 seconds
5) Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)
Helps with: Stretching hamstrings + hips
This is how to do it:
Step 1) Sit with your legs extended straight out in front of you on a yoga mat.
Step 2) Inhale and lengthen your spine, then fold forward over your legs.
Step 3) Reach for your ankles or shins – wherever you can comfortably hold.
→ Hold: 20 to 30 seconds
6) Reclined Figure Four (Supta Kapotasana)
Helps with: Stretching glutes + piriformis
This is how to do it:
Step 1) Lie down on your back with both of your knees bent.
Step 2) Gently cross your right ankle over your left thigh.
Step 3) Grab behind your left leg and slowly pull it toward your chest.
→ Hold: 20 to 30 seconds per side
7) Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana)
Helps with: Deep outer hip stretch
This is how to do it:
Step 1) Sit down and cross your right knee directly over your left, stacking them if you can.
Step 2) Sit up tall, gently hinging forward to deepen the yoga stretch.
Step 3) Keep both of your sit bones on the ground (AKA don’t lean to one side).
→ Hold: 20 to 30 seconds per side
8) Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
Helps with: Relieving lower back + outer hip tightness
This is how to do it:
Step 1) Lie on your back, feeling your breath, then hug your knees to your chest.
Step 2) Drop both of your knees to one side while keeping your shoulders flat on the floor.
Step 3) Stretch your arms out wide for some extra support here.
→ Hold: 20 to 30 seconds per side
9) Frog Pose (Mandukasana)
Helps with: Opening the groin + inner hips
This is how to do it:
Step 1) Start in a tabletop position, slowly widening your knees apart.
Step 2) Make sure to keep your ankles in line with your knees and feet flexed.
Step 3) With control, lower your hips back and down to feel the stretch.
→ Hold: 20 to 30 seconds
10) Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)
Helps with: Gentle hip release + boosting circulation
This is how to do it:
Step 1) Sit sideways on a yoga mat next to a wall. Swing your legs up as you lie down.
Step 2) Rest both of your arms by your sides, palms facing upward.
Step 3) Relax and breathe in and out, letting your hips settle into the mat.
→ Hold: 1 to 3 minutes
Why Yoga for Hip Pain Works
Yoga for hip pain is effective because it does more than just stretch your muscles; it helps give your body a full reset. Engaging in a regular yoga routine can improve flexibility, boost circulation, encourage better posture, and even lower stress levels that can exacerbate pain. [1]
Science says that gentle stretching and mindful movement release tension in tight muscles like the hip flexors, glutes, QL, and piriformis – four of the most common culprits behind stubborn hip pain. By loosening these areas, yoga helps restore mobility and ease discomfort. [2]
It’s important to note that yoga poses for hip pain complement other treatments, rather than replace them overall. Used consistently, they can support physical therapy, strength training, or recovery tools, making them a safe, natural addition to your long-term hip pain self-care plan. [3]
Common Hip Pain Symptoms
→ Stiffness when you’re sitting or standing
→ Pain radiating to your lower back or thighs
→ Clicking or popping in your hips
→ Discomfort during walking, bending, or exercise
→ Limited range of motion
→ Swelling or tenderness around your joint
→ Instability or weakness
→ Groin pain
→ Night pain or discomfort when sleeping
Muscles That Could Be Causing Your Hip Pain Symptoms
Most times, hip pain comes from things like tightness or weakness in surrounding muscles.
Here are some of the most common culprits:
Psoas
Runs from your lower spine to the front of your thigh.
→ Referred Pain: Deep ache in the front of your hip or lower back.
→ Causes: Prolonged sitting, bad posture, repetitive hip flexion, or muscle guarding.
Iliacus
Lines the inside of your pelvis and connects to the thigh.
→ Referred Pain: Front of your hip and groin.
→ Causes: Extended sitting, weak core, overuse in running, or pelvic misalignment.
Piriformis
A small, pear-shaped muscle deep in your buttocks, behind the glutes.
→ Referred Pain: Buttock pain, tingling down your leg, or sciatic-like discomfort.
→ Causes: Overuse in sports, sitting on hard surfaces, trauma, or muscle imbalance.
Glute Maximus
The largest buttock muscle – it’s responsible for hip power and extension.
→ Referred Pain: Pain in your buttock or across the sacrum.
→ Causes: Weakness from inactivity, poor lifting mechanics, and overtraining.
Glute Medius
A stabilizing muscle on the side of your hip.
→ Referred Pain: Outer hip pain that can radiate down your outer thigh.
→ Causes: Weakness from too much sitting, poor walking mechanics, or pelvic instability.
Hamstrings
Muscles running along the back of your thighs.
→ Referred Pain: Pain in the back of your thigh, below the glutes, or a hip pulling sensation.
→ Causes: Sitting for long periods, tightness from sports, or inadequate stretching.
Adductors
Muscles along the inner thighs that pull your legs inward.
→ Referred Pain: Groin pain, inner thigh ache, or hip stiffness.
→ Causes: Sudden directional changes in sports, sitting cross-legged, or overstretching.
Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL)
A small muscle on your outer hip that feeds into the IT band.
→ Referred Pain: Outer hip, thigh, or knee pain.
→ Causes: Overuse from running, prolonged standing with poor posture, or IT band tightness.
Quadratus Lumborum (QL)
A deep lower back muscle that attaches to your pelvis and spine.
→ Referred Pain: Lower back ache, pain radiating into your hips, or discomfort when standing.
→ Causes: Carrying heavy bags on one side, sitting too long, or compensating for a weak core.
These are the exact areas yoga stretches for hip pain are designed to target. For a deeper look at pain points, check out our Hip Pain Location Chart article. And if you struggle with stubborn muscles like the QL or glutes, self-message tools like The Claw can provide even more relief.
Massage: Before Yoga for Hip Pain
Before you dive into doing yoga stretches for hip pain, it helps to prepare your muscles with a targeted massage. Think of it as priming the canvas before painting – by releasing tension first, your yoga poses go deeper and feel way more effective. That’s where The QL Claw comes in.
Using the QL Claw before yoga is like having a massage therapist at your side every time you unroll your mat. This simple yet powerful self-massage tool targets deep muscle groups that are notoriously difficult to release; the very ones most often responsible for hip pain symptoms:
→ Quadratus Lumborum (QL): The Claw’s angled design gets deep into the sides of your lower back, breaking up tension in the QL and relieving pain that often radiates into your hips.
→ Psoas: One of the hardest muscles to get to, The Claw applies precise pressure by your hip crease to release tightness in this hip flexor, easing stiffness from sitting and improving posture.
→ Iliacus: By targeting the inside of the pelvic crest, The QL Claw helps unlock your iliacus, restoring smooth hip mobility and reducing the forward tilt that can put strain on your lower back.
→ Glute Medius: Positioned under your outer hip, The Claw releases knots in the glute med, improving stability, reducing outer hip pain, and setting you up for better balance in yoga poses.
→ Piriformis: The QL Claw presses into the deep layers of your glutes to relax the piriformis, relieving pressure on your sciatic nerve and reducing buttock pain that can radiate down the leg.
→ Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL): With targeted pressure along your outer hip, The Claw releases the TFL, reducing tension on your IT band and making hip openers feel less restricted.
See the Claw in action on a hip muscle (Iliacus) below.
By spending a few minutes massaging these muscles with The Claw before yoga, you create space and mobility in your hips. The result? Each stretch feels smoother, less restricted, and more restorative, so you get the most out of your yoga practice while reducing any flare-ups.
See what others are saying about their experience with The Claw here:
More Hip Pain + Yoga Resources
Relieve Hip Pain While Sleeping
Yoga for Hip Pain FAQs
Which Yoga Is Best for Hip Pain?
Some examples of the best yoga poses for hip pain are ones like Low Lunge, Pigeon Pose, Frog Pose, Supine Twist, and Happy Baby. These stretches target tight hip flexors, glutes, piriformis, and inner thighs – the muscles most often responsible for hip pain and discomfort.
What Is a Red Flag for Hip Pain?
A red flag for hip pain is when discomfort is sharp, sudden, or persistent, even after rest. Other warning signs include swelling, inability to bear weight, or pain that worsens at night. These may point to something beyond just simple muscle tightness and should be checked out by a doctor.
Where Is the Pressure Point to Relieve Hip Pain?
The primary pressure points to relieve hip pain are located in the glute muscles, outer hips, and lower back. Applying gentle pressure in these areas – either with your hands, a massage ball, or a recovery tool like The QL Claw – can help release tightness that contributes to hip discomfort.
Should I Do Yoga With a Sore Hip?
Yes, you can do yoga with a sore hip, but choose gentle poses that stretch without forcing. Avoid deep lunges or intense hip openers if they increase pain. Instead, stick to yoga stretches for hip pain, such as the Reclined Figure Four, to encourage blood flow and mobility.
Resources:
1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8459826/
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11343886/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35419342/
4. Donnelly, Joseph M. Travell, Simons & Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: the Trigger Point Manual. 3rd ed., Wolters Kluwer Health, 2019.
5. Davies, Clair, and Amber Davies. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief. 3rd ed., New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2013.