Hip inflexibility limits movement of the hips, but might also cause debilitating lower back pain. The sacrum area, where the lower back and pelvis meet, is the body's major nerve center. Tension in this area results in pain in the hips and lower back, and possibly down the legs. Stretching lets you open the hips, relieve tension and maintain mobility.
Adho Mukha Mandukasana
Adho mukha mandukasana is the name of a yoga pose that stretches and opens the hips. This pose translates as "downward-facing frog" and is similar to the well-known adho mukha svanasana, or "downward-facing dog." Both poses have you supported by your limbs and facing the floor, but downward-facing frog forces you to open your hips as you support your body on your inner thighs and knees. Get on all fours to begin, then drop your forearms onto the floor with the elbows apart. Slide your knees outward to the sides to open the hips. Keep your back flat.
Butterfly Stretch
The butterfly stretch opens the hips from a seated position. Gravity pulls the hips open in an opposite way as the downward-facing frog, in which your body helps push the knees apart. Although this is an easy exercise, common places where people lose correct form are in the lower back and feet. The lower back must always be straight, and the bottoms of the feet are in constant contact. Sit with your hips open and feet touching, letting the knees fall to the floor to do the butterfly stretch. Hold onto your ankles and pull your heels as close to your groin as you can.
Lying Butterfly Stretch
The lying butterfly stretch changes the angle of the stretch, making it different from the seated butterfly stretch. The lower back should curve naturally off the floor, not arch. Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet on the floor to begin. Drop your right knee toward the floor without allowing the left glute to come off the floor. Bring the right knee back to the start and repeat on the left. Eventually, drop both legs toward the floor and bring the soles of the feet together.
Garland Pose
The garland pose is another yoga exercise for opening the hips. You use your arms and body weight to push the hips open from a squatting position, thereby stretching the inner thighs and also the ankles and lower back. To do the garland pose, stand with feet hip-width apart and the toes pointing outward. Lower into a deep squat and place your triceps against your inner thighs near the knees. Place your palms together in a prayer position and push your knees apart.
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