Stretch Tight Hips and Glutes; Easy Stretch for Tight Glutes and Hips

alfie vente
Dec 26, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Jan 28

Stretch Tight Hips and Glutes

Stretch tight hips and glutes with this simple stretch. If you are unsure about a technique to ease the pain and discomfort of tight glutes and hips, this video can help! Watch now to learn.

Can exercises cause this tightness?

Yes. There are certain exercises that, if over done or done incorrectly can cause muscles of the hips and glutes to tighten. Add, lack of stretching to this and over time pain and tightness can occur. There has to be a balance of activity, resting and stretching.

When these muscles become tight, it can cause pain and discomfort locally, down the leg and to the lower back.

A common presentation, can be when one side works harder or compensates because of weakness or injury to the opposite side. You can have tightness of one glute/hip. Over time, this can cause a chain reaction of pain, tightness and discomfort upwards and downwards towards the feet.

This is what we call a "pelvic imbalance". You want to be sure to avoid this presentation as it can be difficult to "re-balance". Nip it in the bud. Stretch tight hips and glutes before it can become a longer term problem.

What exercises or movements can cause glute and hip tightness?

There are numerous. Below are a few common ones. Remember, you need to factor in a lack of stretching and rest to go along with over doing these exercises or just doing them incorrectly..

Common activities that can
tighten glutes/hips

Squats: A very common exercise to develop power and strength to the glutes/hip area. At times exercises such as the squat can become "addictive". It's the easiest exercise to see strength gains in a relatively short amount of time. With this comes the part where the individual can neglect the time to stretch. This can lead to increased tightness and pain over time.
Lunges: Lunges are like one legged squats. The lunges when performed, needs to have an evenly balanced pelvis and an even "pushing" technique from side to side. Imbalanced pelvis and pushing off more with one leg versus the other can lead to tightness.
Skating: The crouched/semi squat position and the side to side pushing motion with the thigh, recruits the glute and hip muscles. Hence, hockey players and skaters tend to have very developed thighs and glutes. These individuals require more attention to maintaining flexibility of the glutes and hips.
Running on uneven surfaces: This includes hill running. A typical injury that can occur from this is IT Band syndrome. There are two muscles in the hip that blend into this tendinous tissue that runs down the outside of the thigh to just below the knee. These two muscles are the Gluteus Maximus and Tensor Fascia Latae. When these glute/hip muscles become tight, it can pull on the IT Band causing pain in the glute, thigh, and knee. For runners, it is extremely important to have a stretching protocol that focuses on the lower extremities in general.

The Stretch

Be sure to stretch tight hips and glutes and see the benefits. Below is the stretch:

Lie flat on your back.
Grab your thighs and hug them towards your chest.
Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat.
Breathe through stretch.
Feel the pull in the glute/hip area. Never to the point of pain
Remember to always consult with your healthcare provider regarding any exercise protocol.