This Hip Abductor Stretch will change your life.

If your hp abductors always feel stiff and tense then this article is for you. I am going to show you a stretch that will immediately loosen up this area of your body.

How do I know it will work? Because my lateral hip used to feel tight ALL the time too. Once I began integrating the below stretch in my routine, the outside of my hips finally started to open up.

Even more importantly, I began understanding what my hip abductors needed to maintain their length and strength. I share these longer-term strategies with you too so be sure to read the whole article to get the most value!

World’s Best Hip Abductor Stretch

Ok so what is this stretch that I’ve been raving about? It is called the Hip Twist stretch and it directly targets the hip abductors and all the other lateral hip muscles.

The beauty of this stretch is that it separates your hip from your pelvis. When this part of your body does not get enough movement, things get a bit “stuck.”

The pelvis and hips need to work together but also independently for healthy movement. You’ll know this is a good stretch for you within a few seconds, as the stretch sensation is usually pretty intense.

It is common for one side to feel tighter than the other. If you find it difficult to get into the starting position to perform the stretch, try the modified version below.

By moving your feet further away from you, you reduce the amount of hip flexion in the movement and it should make the position easier to access.

The modified version may be all you need but if you feel up to it, try the regular version after a few weeks. You may also want to think about improving your hip flexion as this is likely contributing to the difficulty in getting your hip in the starting position.

Other Stretches for the Hip Abductors

The Hip Twist is one of the best stretches to reduce tension in the hip abductors that I’ve come across. But you might feel like you rely on it too much after a while.

Ultimate movement freedom comes from doing less, not more. You shouldn’t have to do a few stretches to feel “normal.” This is why I recommend you focus on movement, not on tension.

For the purposes of this article, think about what kind of dynamic movements require hip abduction and get better at them. An easy movement you can experiment with is simply coming in and out of the hip twist position you’re already working on.

Stretches help but eventually you want to get better at the actual movement. We didn’t evolve to sit in passive stretches. We evolved to MOVE.

Another more challenging but elementary movement that requires hip abduction is a squat. Start with elevating your heels and see how this feels for you. 

When you focus on movement rather than tension, you see the whole picture. Not just tight muscles, stiffness or common aches and pains. But how you move and what exercises you need in order to make your body more resilient.