Let’s Get Inspiration for the Thigh Opening Stretch
The world is a little chaotic these days, but the Lifehacker Fitness Challenge is still here for you, as always. We’re working on flexibility this month, and now that we’ve covered back arch and ankle mobility, it’s time to open up your hips.
I like it when in yoga some stretches are called “opening”. This distracts from achieving a certain level of flexibility. Instead, I’m trying to figure out what opportunities it gives you. You may have sat cross-legged a lot. What happens if you do the opposite? What does it give you the ability to do or feel?
So I think now is a good time to try stretches that will make our legs and hips move in a way that they cannot while we spend time at desks and on sofas. Try it:
From knees to chest . Lie on your back, bring one knee to your chest, and place the other leg on the floor (or as flat as possible).
Evaluate the angle of the pose . Sit on the floor with your feet together. If you can put your feet close to your body, that’s fine; otherwise, find a comfortable corner. (Keep your heels together, if you can not put the soles exactly.) For more stretch , lie and also put back on the floor .
Stretching the legs with a belt . If you don’t have a yoga strap, anything will do, including a towel or a pair of sweatpants slung over your leg. Lie on your back and lift one leg straight into the air (it’s okay for your leg to point forward rather than straight up). Pull the strap slightly to stretch the hamstring by pulling the leg out, then let the leg tilt to the side.
Hopefully taking a few minutes to breathe in these stretches will help you feel a little better physically and mentally.