6 Stretches for Hips

I've talked in-depth on A Daily Dose of Fit about the benefits of stretching. Why you should stretch. When and how you should stretch. And I've written a few posts with ways to actually get down and stretch. Stretching is important and my favorite. And I hate when I have to rush through it, which was the case this morning.

I got to the gym later than I anticipated, which means I had to stray from the plan for a bit. Unfortunately, this meant cutting out some hip work and cutting short my stretch routine. I was fine with cutting out the hip work. Mine are still sore from Barre Fit on Monday. Which is why I wasn't fine with cutting short my stretch routine. My hips are desperate for some relief!

So, let's talk about stretches for hips:

As a runner, it's important for me to keep my hips moving freely. Tightness in the hips leads to tightness in the back or down the leg around the knee. Loose and limber is the way to be.

Here are a few of my favorite hip stretches:

This inner-thigh stretch will loosen you up AND save you time. Both sides, each stretched at the same time. Alternately, you can do a deep side lunge to work one side at a time if you prefer. With pigeon pose, you'll have to do both sides individually.

Use a block if you need to. Drop your chest. Always modify as you see fit. You can also bend your back leg to get a bonus quad stretch:

It's a bit of an advanced stretch, so proceed with caution. Never force yourself into a stretch position. It's just not worth the risk.

Here's another relatively easy stretch for you:

Remember, it's not enough to simply get into a low lunge. You have to push your hips forward, or toward the ground a little to feel it in (in my case above) the right hip. I'm focusing on the left hip in this picture:

Here's the thing about this stretch: I'm doing a little more than just folding forward. My legs are crossed, but my hips are actually tilted. Or, I stuck my hip out before I folded forward. Like this:

Trust me, you'll feel it.

You'll also feel your hamstrings when you stretch them with some assistance:

 Not complicated, but deep and effective. It doesn't matter where the assistance comes from...a band, towel, jump rope. Maybe even another person. Just take it slow and don't go beyond what feels right.

If you need a workout to go with these stretches, check out the #wildworkoutwednesday link-up!

Questions? Let me know.
I've got one for you (as usual).

Question: Do you build stretching into your daily routine? If you need to cut a workout short, what's the first to go?