FlowlyHips — finding more room
A short sequence for hips that feel tight after sitting or long days.
ProtocolFoundational12 min practice
When this may be useful
When your hips feel restricted, after long periods of sitting, or as preparation before stronger leg work.
Before you begin
Move slowly and stay in ranges where the sensation is a stretch or an effort, not a pinch.
Understand
Hips move in several directions, and most of us practise only two or three of them regularly. Feeling 'tight' often means a direction is unfamiliar rather than genuinely short. Exploring range you can control is more useful than forcing range you can only reach.
Practise
The sequence
01Knee circles
5 each direction, each side
On your back, one knee bent towards the chest, circle slowly in each direction.
- Purpose
- Explore hip rotation without load.
- What to notice
- Where the circle stops being smooth.
02Figure four
45 seconds each side
Cross one ankle over the opposite thigh and draw the legs gently towards you.
- Purpose
- Access external rotation.
- What to notice
- Whether your pelvis lifts off the mat.
- Modification
- Keep the lower foot on the floor.
03Side-lying leg lifts
8 each side
On your side, lift the top leg to hip height and lower with control.
- Purpose
- Build capacity around the outside of the hip.
- What to notice
- Whether the waist collapses towards the mat.
04Kneeling hip extension
30 seconds each side
In half kneeling, shift the weight forward a small way until you feel the front of the back hip.
- Purpose
- Explore extension, which sitting rarely asks for.
- What to notice
- Whether the lower back arches instead of the hip extending.
- Modification
- Cushion under the knee.
Notice
Stand up and walk a few steps. Does anything feel different in your stride?
Reflect
A moment to notice
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