Hip Mobility Exercises: 7 Simple Moves for Stiff Hips

Updated 6 November 2026

Good hip mobility exercises move the hip through its full, comfortable range, slowly and often. Seven simple ones are below: 90/90 hip switches, standing hip circles, cat-cow with a hip shift, a supported deep squat, a half-kneeling hip flexor stretch, a figure-four on the back, and standing leg swings. Most people need only 10 minutes a day.

These are general exercises taught by many physios and trainers. They are not White Tiger Qigong forms, and we do not call them qigong. Later in this post we explain how qigong looks at the hips, and which of our forms work them.

Qigong is a complementary practice. Use it alongside regular medical care, never instead of it.

What are the best hip mobility exercises?

The best ones are the ones you can do every day without pain. Start with two or three from the list below, then add more as your hips loosen. Move slowly and breathe out as you go deeper.

How do I do 90/90 hip switches?

This one trains your hips to rotate inward and outward.

1. Sit on the floor. Bend both knees to 90 degrees, with both knees falling to your left.
2. Lift both knees and turn them over to your right side, one smooth move.
3. Do 8 to 10 switches. Use your hands behind you for support if you need it.

How do I do standing hip circles?

Standing hip circles warm up the whole hip joint. Hold a wall if your balance is unsure.

1. Stand on your left leg with a soft knee.
2. Lift your right knee to hip height.
3. Draw a slow, big circle with the knee, out to the side and back down.
4. Do 8 circles one way, then 8 the other way. Swap legs.

How do I do cat-cow with a hip shift?

1. Come onto your hands and knees. Hands under shoulders, knees under hips.
2. Breathe in. Lift your tailbone and let your belly drop (cow).
3. Breathe out. Tuck your tailbone and round your back (cat).
4. Now sway your hips to the right, then to the left, as you move. Do 8 rounds.

How do I do a deep squat hold with support?

Hold a door frame, a sturdy post or a counter.

1. Stand with feet a little wider than your hips. Turn your toes out a little.
2. Hold your support with both hands.
3. Bend your knees and sink as low as feels comfortable. Keep your heels down.
4. Stay for 20 to 30 seconds and breathe slowly. Stand up and rest. Repeat 3 times.

How do I do a half-kneeling hip flexor stretch?

This stretches the front of the hip, which gets tight when we sit a lot.

1. Kneel on your left knee. Put your right foot flat in front of you.
2. Tuck your tailbone under a little and squeeze your left buttock.
3. Shift your weight forward until you feel a stretch at the front of your left hip.
4. Hold 30 seconds, breathing slowly. Do 2 holds, then swap sides.

How do I do the figure-four stretch on my back?

This is a lighter version of pigeon pose.

1. Lie on your back with both knees bent and feet on the floor.
2. Rest your right ankle on your left thigh, just above the knee.
3. Reach through and hold the back of your left thigh. Pull it gently toward you.
4. Hold 30 seconds. Do 2 holds, then swap sides.

How do I do standing leg swings?

Hold a wall with one hand.

1. Stand tall on your left leg.
2. Swing your right leg forward and back like a pendulum. Do 10 swings.
3. Face the wall and swing the leg across your body and out to the side. Do 10 swings.
4. Swap legs.

Who should be careful with these exercises?

Check with a doctor or physiotherapist first if you have had a hip replacement or hip surgery, or if you have sharp or sudden hip pain. Stop at once if you feel sharp pain, pinching in the joint, numbness or tingling.

Take care too with severe arthritis or poor balance. See your doctor if hip pain lasts more than a few days, wakes you at night, or follows a fall.

Why do hips get stiff, and what does Chinese medicine say?

Hips get stiff from too little movement and also from too much heavy load. Joints are fed by synovial fluid, the slippery liquid inside the joint. Slow, repeated movement through a full, comfortable range acts like a pump for the joints.

The hips also join the top and bottom of the body. The hip flexors and the psoas link the two halves. The diaphragm connects to the psoas, so your breath and your hips affect each other. That is why we ask students to breathe slowly during every stretch above.

In Chinese medicine, the Girdle Vessel (Dai Mai, 帶脈, dài mài) is the only channel that runs sideways, like a belt around the waist and hips. Its job is to hold the other channels together. In our teaching, it is also where emotions and old tension are held.

Why does one stretch feel blocked even when I try hard?

It may be your bone shape, not tight muscles. If you feel the stretch in the muscle you are stretching, that is flexibility, and it can improve with practice. If you feel a block or a pinch on the opposite side of the hip, stop there. Everyone's range is different, and pushing past a bone block does not help.

Which White Tiger Qigong forms work the hips?

Qigong uses active range of motion. Your own muscles move the joint, relaxed but engaged. Four of our forms work the hips:

• Girdle Vessel Rotation (Dai Mai Rotation) from Dragon Meridian Qigong, a slow spiralling of the hips.
• Tiger Qigong from 5 Element Qigong, done in a horse stance.
• Leopard Qigong from 5 Element Qigong, shifting from bow stance to horse stance.
• Dragon Ball from 8 Trigram Qigong, with a soft hip movement.

These are taught step by step in our classes, so we do not list the moves here.

What does the research say about hip mobility training?

Research on simple hip stretching is small but encouraging. Here is what two studies found.

• Zhou and colleagues (2019, Journal of Sports Science and Medicine) tested stretching styles in 16 adults averaging 63 years old. Dynamic stretching with no added weight raised hip flexion range more than static stretching an hour later (7.8% versus 1.0%). See the abstract on PubMed.
• Watt and colleagues (2011, PM&R) ran a randomized trial in 82 healthy older adults. After 10 weeks of twice-daily hip flexor stretching, passive hip extension range improved. Those who started with limited hip extension while walking also took longer strides. See the abstract on PubMed.

Both studies were small to medium, and neither tested qigong. We do not claim they show qigong improves hips. They suggest that regular, simple hip movement may help range and walking.

How often should I do hip mobility exercises?

Aim for a short session every day, or at least four days a week. Ten minutes is enough. Little and often beats one long session.

Where to go next

• Want to learn the hip-opening qigong forms? Dragon Meridian Qigong Level 1 teaches Girdle Vessel Rotation. It is where every student starts, including complete beginners.
• Want to try Tiger and Leopard? The 5 Element Qigong Online Course teaches both forms.
• Want to keep going every week? The White Tiger Qigong Membership gives you four qigong systems on one clear path, with live classes every week.

Keep reading: Qigong for hip pain · Lower back pain exercises · Fascia release exercises