Hip openers for a day spent sitting

Sitting keeps your hips in one folded angle for hours. Opening them takes about as long as reading a Slack thread.

1. 

   1. Seated figure-4

   Sit tall. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee (tight? rest it on your shin instead). Hinge a little forward from the hips until you feel a stretch in the outer hip, stop before sharp pain. Chair on wheels? Brace it against the desk first.

   Feel it: the outside of your hip and glute

   Avoid: Pressing down on the bent knee.

2. 

   2. Standing hip flexor stretch

   Hold the desk and step one foot back into a short lunge, back knee soft. Squeeze the back-side glute and gently tuck the pelvis under (flatten the low-back arch) until you feel a stretch in the front of the back hip.

   Feel it: the front of your back hip

   Avoid: Arching the low back.

3. 

   3. Standing glute squeeze

   Stand with soft knees. Squeeze the glutes firmly for a few seconds, then release. Don’t lock the knees.

   Feel it: your glutes switching back on

   Avoid: Locking the knees.

4. 

   4. Seated hip opener

   Sit tall with feet planted. Slowly open both knees outward, then bring them back toward center.

   Feel it: the inside of your hip opening

   Avoid: Collapsing the low back.

5. 

   5. Seated cat-cow

   Sitting, breathe out as you round your mid-back and tuck the chin slightly (cat), then breathe in as you lift the chest and look forward (cow). Move slow.

   Feel it: your spine moving one segment at a time

   Avoid: Rushing or forcing end range.

• For the figure-4, sit tall first and hinge forward from the hip, not the back.