How can I stretch my hips when I can't bend my knees?

August 13, 2024 7:45 AM

Yogis: for years i have practiced gomukhasana (cow face pose) to stretch my outer hips. Now I am having trouble bending my left knee sideways. Meaning, I can bend my knee in the straight forward plane, like in a lunge, but not sideways, like sitting cross-legged. What is an alternative stretch to stretch my outer hips?

Pretty much just that. I do a very gentle yoga practice because I have very very tight hips, groin and hamstrings. I can still stretch my hamstrings by lying on my back with a belt and I can still do wide-legged or straight-legged forward bends, but not cross-legged or bound angle pose. Any ideas for an alternative stretch?

posted by Ollie to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)

Do you find seated twists reach your outer hips? What if you put a brick between your knees and focus on keeping them aligned?

Or you could try supta padangusthasana II which might go well with your hamstring stretch.
posted by london explorer girl at 7:58 AM on August 13 [1 favorite]

Seconding supta padangusthasana, but including variation III, pulling the leg across the body to stretch the outer hip.
posted by minervous at 8:37 AM on August 13 [1 favorite]

For an IT band stretch, try a forward bend with one leg crossed behind the other (that link is to youtube with an ad). No need to bend knees though of course not locking them is healthiest. Start from a forward bend, then move one foot to the floor behind and crossing to the other side of the first foot.

The IT (iliotibial) band is a thick band of fibrous tissue that runs along the outside of your leg. It starts at the hip and extends to the outer side of the shinbone just below the knee joint.
posted by RoadScholar at 9:08 AM on August 13

Have you tried foam rolling (or massaging the area)?
posted by oceano at 2:48 PM on August 13

Gate pose is good for stretching the outer rear hip.
posted by lizard music at 5:55 PM on August 13

Don't know what it's called, but maybe this lunge used by PTs and others?
posted by fiercekitten at 6:22 PM on August 13

Response by poster: Thank you everyone. I tried supta padangusthasana variation 3 and that worked pretty well, as well as the IT band stretch. I’ll try the others and see if they help at all.
posted by Ollie at 6:19 PM on August 19