The 3 Best At-Home Stretches for Hip Flexor Pain Relief

We’ve all felt tight hip flexors after a long run or prolonged sitting like in an office or on a plane. Tight hip flexors can lead to discomfort and restricted movement, and keeping your hip flexors healthy is crucial for mobility. 

Understanding hip flexor pain and knowing how to treat it can help with your long-term mobility, as well as more immediate pain relief. In this article, we’ll explore three simple, effective hip flexor stretches that you can practice at home.

At-home stretches for hip flexor mobility

Taking care of your hip flexors is important to make sure you can keep walking, running, bending, and standing throughout your life. Alongside hip flexor strengthening exercises, it’s important to regularly practice hip flexor stretching. Here are three easy at-home stretches for hip flexor pain relief:

1. Passive pendulum swing

2. Bridge pose stretch

3. Massage ball relief

Watch Aimee from Well Daze Collective demonstrate three easy hip flexor stretches, or read on for more details:

Passive pendulum swing - gentle hip mobility exercise to loosen tight hip flexors

The passive pendulum swing stretch is a low-impact hip mobility exercise which involves swinging one leg back and forth in a relaxed motion, gradually increasing the range of motion in the hip joint. The passive pendulum swing is a great beginner stretch and can be done at home with no special equipment.

The benefits
The passive pendulum swing stretch can be incredibly beneficial as it can help to loosen tight hip flexors and increase your range of motion in a gentle and supported way. This stretch also helps improve your overall hip flexibility and is gentle enough to include as a warm-up for exercise like running, or as a break from sitting or standing in the middle of your work day.

Step-by-step instructions
Here’s how to do a passive pendulum swing stretch at home:

1. Stand next to a wall, a chair, or another sturdy object you can use for balance

2. Swing your leg forward and backward gently, guiding your hip through the range of motion 

3. Gradually increase the range of motion as your hips loosen up

Tip: bend your stabilizing knee slightly to make this stretch more comfortable.

Bridge pose stretch - glute activation and hip flexor pain relief

The bridge pose stretch is a useful dynamic stretch that helps to activate our glutes while relieving hip flexor pain. You can do the bridge pose stretch at home with a yoga mat, or even a clean and comfortable floor area. This is a key exercise to incorporate into your hip flexor stretching routine.

The benefits
The bridge pose stretch can be beneficial because activating the glutes and core muscles can help improve your overall posture and alignment while relieving tension in the hip flexors. This stretch can be done easily at home and is dynamic so that you can work within your own range of motion.

Step-by-step instructions
Here’s how to do a bridge pose stretch at home:

1. Lay down flat on your back and place your feet flat on the ground and your hands by your side.

2. Push your hips to the ceiling, maintaining core stability

3. Hold for 30 seconds, and then gently lower back down

Tip: pull your heels towards your body, placing them underneath or as close to your glutes as possible, this will provide a stable base.

Massage ball release - deep tissue stretch to target hip tension

The massage ball release stretch is a stretch that uses a massage ball to release deep muscle tension in the hip flexors. You can use any hard ball like a tennis ball to help during this movement, and the act of massaging the hip flexors and surrounding muscles helps to improve blood flow and reduce discomfort.

The benefits
Practicing self-massage techniques at home is an easy way to provide targeted deep tissue massage without seeing a specialist. The massage ball technique can help to release tightness in the hip flexors, and reduce discomfort.

Warning: if you are experiencing severe pain in the hip flexors seek medical advice. Do not apply too much pressure when using a massage ball, and avoid areas where you feel a sharp or tingling pain.

Step-by-step instructions
Here’s how to do a massage ball release stretch at home:

1. Take a massage ball or tennis ball in your hand and place it on the inside or your hip

2. Use your hand to guide the ball around the area

3. Move the ball back and forth across your hip, providing a massage for the area

Tip: if you feel any sore or “sticky” points, hold the ball in that area for a minute or two until you feel a release.

Additional relief for hip flexor stretching

If your muscles are particularly sore, or if you’re recovering from an injury you may want to consider using a topical pain relief product to support your hip flexor stretches. Topical pain relief products like MEDISTIK can be applied to the impacted area to relieve discomfort. 

“I love prescribing MEDISTIK to my clients for home care. If you've been training for a marathon or active in daily life and you're feeling pain and tension, this is a great tool”
- Aimee Sutton, RMT & CIMT