3 Moves For Healthier Hips

3 Chair Moves to Loosen Tight Hips Fast

If your hips feel tight right here, it’s usually not because your hips are “bad.” It’s because your hips are supposed to move freely—forward and backward, and rotate in and out—but the muscles around them often tighten up to protect your hips and your lower back. And when that happens, the joint starts to feel jammed, your range of motion shrinks, and discomfort can spread into your lower back, knees, and the rest of your body.

Here are three simple chair moves you can do right now to loosen your hips up—especially that rotation most people never train.

Why This Works

Your hips are designed to glide and rotate smoothly inside the hip capsule. But when the surrounding muscles get stiff, your body stops using the hip the way it’s meant to. Then your lower back tries to “help,” your knees absorb extra stress, and suddenly the problem isn’t just your hips anymore.

So the goal here is simple:

• Create space in the hip capsule

• Open the outside of the hip

• Restore internal rotation (the missing piece for most people)

Move 1: Create Space in the Hip Capsule

This first one is all about creating room in the joint—like your hip is being gently “un-jammed.”

How to do it

1. Walk up to a sturdy chair.

2. Place one foot on the chair.

3. Keep your knee up and stable.

4. Slowly sink your body weight backward (like your hips are sitting back).

You should feel a traction-like sensation—almost like the hip is being pulled open.

Option: Stay still and breathe, or do tiny controlled rocks to explore the stretch.

Time

• 1 minute left

• 1 minute right

Bonus: If you can safely place your foot on a slightly higher surface, your body weight will open the hip even more.

Move 2: Hip External Rotator Stretch (Outside of the Hip)

Now we’re opening up the outside of the hip—great if you feel tight glutes or outer hip tension.

How to do it

1. Put your foot on the chair again.

2. Let your knee and foot fall outward.

3. You should feel the stretch on the outside of the hip.

If you don’t feel much:

• Hinge forward from the hips (flat back, no rounding).

• Bring your belly button toward your leg.

• Use fingertips on the chair for support if needed.

Time

• 60 seconds per side

Bonus: Higher surface = deeper stretch.

Move 3: Hip Internal Rotation (The One Almost Nobody Does)

This is the hidden key. Most people never train internal rotation, but it’s a major reason hips feel stuck.

How to do it

1. Put your foot on the chair.

2. This time, guide the knee inward (instead of outward).

3. You should feel a deep internal stretch inside the hip.

If you feel discomfort inside the knee:

• Don’t force it.

• Grab your thigh and assist the rotation by gently twisting the thigh with your hands.

• Hold for a second or two, then breathe and relax deeper.

Time

• 1 minute left

• 1 minute right

Important: You want a deep hip stretch sensation—not sharp knee pain.

Simple Routine

Do all three moves like this:

• Move 1: 1 minute each side

• Move 2: 1 minute each side

• Move 3: 1 minute each side

That’s about 6 minutes total, and your hips will feel noticeably looser—especially if you do it daily.

Conclusion

If your hips feel tight, it’s often because they’ve stopped moving the way they’re designed to. These three chair moves work because they restore the exact motions your hips need most: space, external rotation, and internal rotation—especially that last one that nearly everyone skips.

Try these for one minute per side, stay slow, breathe deeply, and give your hips time to open up. When your hips move better, your lower back and the rest of your body usually feel better too.