Keep your core engaged and your torso tall throughout the exercise. If you want, carefully shift your weight from side to side, slightly extending one knee as you bend the other further, to deepen the stretch and target each side independently. When your knees are at 90-degree angles, place your hands on your thighs for support and press your hips down while keeping your knees in line with your toes. Bend both knees and lower your hips toward the ground, as if performing a wide-leg plié squat. Stand with your feet in a wide stance, toes angled outward. If you’re feeling tight or cranky, take six minutes (your workouts don’t need to be a huge time commitment!) to perform the following six stretches. Regular stretching can help “open up” the hip complex, relieve pain, reduce tension and just make you feel good. So this might explain the stiffness you’re experiencing when standing up or walking around or any reduced range of motion you might encounter ( particularly if you sit a lot). In a nutshell, if you have tight hips, chances are you have lower back or hip pain. The muscles of the lower back are also inclined to tighten up, and the lower back and hips are particularly prone to “hold” tightness due to stress.
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In today’s sit, sit, sit world, it’s incredibly common for the hip flexors (the muscles that run along the front of the hips and into the upper thighs) to shorten, while the glutes become weaker. The 10 Best Functional Exercises for a Full-Body Workout.