Yoga for Hips: 5 Strengthening Exercises and 2 Openers

Yoga can strengthen your hips, mainly the glutes and the deep muscles that hold the pelvis level when you stand on one leg. Poses such as Bridge, Warrior II, Garland Pose and Warrior III load the hip muscles with your own body weight, and slow, controlled holds build strength and control. Pair them with a few hip openers so the joint gets both strength and range of motion.

Type: strength and mobility guide for the hips. Level: beginner to intermediate, every exercise has an easier version. Props: a mat and a block.

Why hip strength matters

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint where the thigh bone meets the pelvis. It carries the weight of your upper body every time you stand, walk or run, and it links the movement of the legs to the trunk.

Three muscle groups do most of the work:

• Gluteus maximus extends the hip. It drives you up out of a squat and lifts the pelvis in Bridge.
• Gluteus medius and minimus, on the outside of the hip, keep the pelvis level when you stand on one leg. When they tire, the opposite hip drops and the knee tends to cave inward.
• Hip flexors, with the psoas as the best known, lift the thigh toward the belly. Long hours in a chair keep them short, which is why a lunge stretch feels so strong for many people. More in our guide to the hip flexors and the psoas in yoga.

When the glutes do not do their share, other muscles take over. The hamstrings and the lower back often pick up the slack. Our article on the glutes and yoga goes deeper into how the gluteal muscles work.

Hip strengthening exercises

1. Bridge (hip lift)

1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart. Your shins point straight up, so the knees sit roughly above the heels.
2. Press your heels and the outer edges of your feet into the mat. Draw your lower belly in.
3. Inhale and lift your hips. Stop when your body is a straight line from knees to shoulders. Push up from the glutes; the lower back should not arch.
4. Exhale and roll down one vertebra at a time. Repeat 8-10 times, then hold the top for five breaths.

To make it harder, lift one foot and do the same on a single leg. Keep both hip points level. Full instructions in our guide to Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose).

2. Warrior II

1. Step your feet wide apart. Turn the front foot forward and the back foot in slightly.
2. Bend the front knee until it sits over the ankle. Aim it toward the little-toe side of the foot so it does not fall inward.
3. Press the outer edge of the back foot down and let the pelvis face the long edge of the mat.
4. Hold for five to eight breaths. The front thigh and the outer hip do the work.

The cue that matters most: keep the front knee tracking over the toes. That is the outer hip muscles holding the thigh in line. See our Warrior II guide for the details.

3. Malasana (Garland Pose)

1. Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips, toes turned out.
2. Exhale and bend your knees. Lower your hips toward the floor as far as they will go with the heels down.
3. Bring your palms together at the chest and press the elbows lightly into the inner knees. Lengthen your spine.
4. Stay for five breaths. To work strength, rise halfway and lower again, slowly, five times.

If your heels lift, put a folded blanket under them or sit on a block. Step-by-step help in Malasana (Garland Pose).

4. Warrior III

1. From a high lunge, lean your chest forward and shift your weight onto the front foot.
2. Lift the back leg until it is level with your hips. Your body forms a T.
3. Point the toes of the lifted foot down to the floor. If they turn out, the hip has opened. Roll it back down until both hip points face the mat.
4. Hold for three to five breaths, then step back and change sides.

This is the hardest one here for the outer hip of the standing leg. Put your hands on blocks or a wall if you need to. More in our guide to Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III).

5. Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)

Half Moon asks the same muscle, gluteus medius, to hold you up sideways. The standing hip works hard while the top hip lifts and opens. Start with a block under the bottom hand. Our guide to Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) walks you through it.

For a gentler balance on one leg, Vrksasana (Tree Pose) works the standing hip in the same way with less load.

Try the 10-minute hip drills with Lizette: active inward and outward rotation of the hips, level 2.

Hip openers to balance the strength work

A strong hip also needs room to move. Two openers pair well with the exercises above.

Low lunge. From Downward-Facing Dog, step your right foot between your hands and lower the left knee. Lift your chest and let the pelvis sink forward and down. You will feel the stretch in the front of the left hip. Breathe for five to eight breaths, then switch. See Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge).

Butterfly. Sit with the soles of the feet together and the knees wide. Hold your feet and sit tall on your sitting bones. Let the knees drop slowly with gravity; do not push them down. If your back rounds, sit on a block. See Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose).

When those feel easy, Pigeon Pose gives a deeper stretch into the outer hip and glutes.

Who should go carefully

• Hip or knee pain, or a recent injury: check with a physiotherapist or doctor first. Sharp pain in the groin or the joint is a signal to stop.
• Hip replacement: deep squats and deep hip flexion are often restricted for a period after surgery. Follow your surgeon's rules.
• Pregnancy: balance poses on one leg can be done next to a wall. Deep squats suit some bodies and not others; ask your midwife.

Pain that stays after practice, clicking with pain, or a hip that locks is worth getting checked. Our 10 tips to avoid yoga injuries cover the basics.

Common mistakes

• Arching the lower back in Bridge. Lift from the glutes and keep the ribs soft. If you feel it in the lower back, come down a little.
• Letting the front knee fall inward in Warrior II and lunges. Aim the knee over the second and third toes.
• Opening the hip in Warrior III. Toes of the lifted foot point down.
• Only stretching. Many people with tight hips have weak hips too. Do both.

Where sources disagree

Can yoga build as much strength as the gym? Yoga poses load the hips with body weight and long holds. That builds strength and control, especially if you are new to training. Strength coaches point out that without extra load, progress levels off after a while. Both are right: yoga is a good base, and people who want maximum strength add weights.

Weak hips cause knee and back pain. Studies on runners' knee pain found that programmes strengthening the hip muscles reduced pain. That is a link, and hip work is a reasonable part of treatment. It does not mean every sore knee comes from the hips. A physiotherapist can tell you what is going on in yours.

Emotions are stored in the hips. It is a common line in yoga classes, and some people do feel emotional during long hip openers. There is no good evidence that the hip joint stores feelings. A calmer explanation: long, quiet holds give the mind room, and whatever you are carrying comes up.

For a full class, try the 45-minute Strengthen Your Hips flow or browse our yoga strength classes.

Frequently asked questions

Can yoga strengthen your hips?

Yes. Poses such as Bridge, Warrior II, Warrior III and Half Moon load the glutes and the outer hip muscles with your body weight. Hold them for several breaths and repeat them a few times a week, and the hips grow stronger and steadier.

What are the best yoga poses for strengthening the hips?

Bridge for the glutes, Warrior II for the outer hip and thighs, Malasana for strength through a deep range, and Warrior III or Half Moon for balance on one leg. Tree Pose is a gentler start for balance.

What is the number one exercise for hips?

There is no single best one. For the glutes, a single-leg Bridge is hard to beat. For the side of the hip that keeps the pelvis level, standing on one leg in Warrior III or Half Moon asks the most. A good session includes both.

What emotion is held in the hips?

Many yoga teachers say the hips hold stress or sadness, but there is no scientific evidence that a joint stores emotions. Some people feel emotional in long hip openers, likely because slow, quiet holds leave room for feelings that were already there.

How often should I do hip strengthening exercises?

Two to three times a week works for most people. Give the muscles a day between hard sessions. A short daily hip opener is fine alongside.

Should I stretch or strengthen tight hips?

Both. Tight hips are often weak hips, and a muscle that is strong through its full range tends to feel less tight. Pair strength poses like Bridge with openers like Low Lunge and Butterfly.