Build Flexible Hip Strength: 4 Step Routine for Desk Workers

After sitting for hours each day, many people’s hips suffer from two things: weakness and stiffness.

Not a fun combination!

But there are three ingredients to fix this:

Mobility: getting movement into the joint releases synovial fluid, which can relieve stiffness and delivers the nutrients your hip joint needs to be healthy.
Strengthening: strong surrounding muscles provide support to the joint itself as well as protecting its tendons and ligaments.
Stretching: lengthening the muscles surrounding the hip allows for proper range of motion and helps prevent the muscles from getting injured.

I’ve put together a routine that not only gets movement and strength building into your hips, it also stretches the major lower body muscles that get tight from sitting: your hip flexors and hamstrings.

In this 4 Step Routine for Desk Workers you will:

Release tension in your hips
Strengthen deep stabilizing hip and core muscles
Stretch and strengthen major muscles in your legs

This is also a great starting point to get you back on track to stable, balanced hips if you’ve experienced hip discomfort on one side.

Prefer a set of follow along videos? Click here to see what I’m working on!

Step 1: Mobility – with support to warm up & release synovial fluid

Come onto you your knees and step your front foot forward preparing to come into a low lunge
Use your arms to take some of the load off your legs, either with yoga blocks or a chair beside you
Shift your hips forward until your front knee is in line with your ankle, then back until your hips are in line with your back knee
Continue this movement 5 times

Tip: Finding the right distance between your back knee and front foot can take some experimenting. If your front knee easily goes further than your ankle, try stepping your foot further away. On the flip side, if you aren’t able to bring your knee in line with your ankle, try stepping closer until you can.

Step 2: Mobility – Unsupported to build strength & stability

Focus on fully engaging the muscles in your legs as well as your core to keep you balanced, then bring your arms by your sides
Continue to the previous movement, except raise your arms above you head as you shift your hips forward, then down by your sides as you shift them back
Repeat this movement 5 times

Tip: The further the distance between your front foot and your back knee, the more challenging it will be. Feel free to experiment with different levels to find what works best for you.

Step 3: Strength – Hold the Low Lunge

The next time you shift the hips forward, hold it there.
After 30-60 seconds shift the hips back to take a short rest, then repeat one more time.

Tip: If holding this pose feels challenging, instead of keeping the arms lifted, you can bring your hands to your front thigh for some extra support.

Step 4: Stretch

Stay in your low lunge, but return to using your blocks or chair for support.
Allow your lower body to relax, and sink your hips until you feel a stretch in the front of your back hip and the glute of your front leg.
Hold for 30-60 seconds.

Then shift your hips back, flex your foot and straighten your front leg.
Hinge forward from your hips until you feel a stretch in your front leg’s hamstring
Hold for 30-60 seconds.