When you have tight hips, it could impact your muay thai practice in several ways: 

…hard time balancing

…can’t generate power with kicks and knees

…are not able to turn your hip over properly when kicking

Good hip mobility requires, like all things, balance. Balance between flexibility and strength. It is the sweet spot between effort and ease that gives you efficiency in technique. Mobile and flexible hips allow you to throw more powerful strikes with less effort so you can conserve your energy in a fight. 

Before we get into the poses, here are a couple of important reminders for stretching: 

…even, regulated breathing during stretching sends important messages to your body that it is safe to relax. Breathe in to find space and lengthen into the pose, breath out to relax tension from your body. Actively imagine breathing into the area where you feel tension, then letting that tension go when you let the breath go.

…it is about sensation, not destination. Discomfort is normal, but pain is not. Let go of what you think the pose is supposed to look like and instead listen to the signals your body gives you.

3 HIP FLEXIBILITY POSES

• Aim to hold each side for 3-5 minutes.

1. Figure Four

Great variation for anyone suffering from knee pain or if your hips are extremely tight. It is important to keep the ankle flexed, and keep your spine and tailbone on the ground at all times. 

To intensify:

1. Gently push crossed leg away from you, or 
2. Bring your knee toward your chest and interlace fingers behind leg or shin, then use your arms to gently pull your knee toward either armpit (different directions give different sensations, so try different versions out for yourself)

2. Modified Pigeon or 90/90 

Once you feel comfortable with figure four, you can try this next stage. 

 

To intensify: 

1. Lean over front leg on forearms, rest head on hands, or place head on floor. Feel free to place a pillow or books under your chest to help you relax into the pose. Remember ease over effort here.

3. Pigeon 

Keep back leg straight, both hips on the ground as much as possible. You should feel no pain in the knees at all, if you do, please choose a modified version above.

To intensify: 

1. Lean over front leg on forearms, rest head on hands, or place head on floor. Feel free to place a pillow or books under your chest to help you relax into the pose. Remember ease over effort here.