Tight hips - need suggestions

[Lulu Belle]

I have really tight hips right now. Does anyone have any suggestions for DVDs that might help?
Thanks!

[toaster]

Lulu, have you done any Classical Stretch? Miranda does a ton of work for the hips, from standing exercises to lying stretches. Are you into yoga? Barbara Benagh has a nice practice for the hips/SI joint on her Yoga for Stress Relief DVD, and there are plenty of other yoga options for tight hips as well (Eoin's Pursuit of Happy Hips, Tilak Pyle's Yoga: Altar of the Heart, Baron Baptiste's Unlocking Athletic Power, just to name a few).

If you want something more rehab-oriented, there is a nice hips practice on Total Body Solutions with Debbie Siebers. I hope these ideas help!

[lrb04]

Lulu Belle~ I have really tight hips that have improved with an extra stretch after exercising which I have done for a month now. I have been using Karen Voight's Yoga Focus - second half stretch which is about 23". I also have her Full Body Stretch & newest Core Conditioning & Stretch. CC & S have 4 sections which can be done indivually or all. The lower body is about 11" & gets the hips a little too & hip-butt section is 14" & works that area. I still need to improve my flexibity but in doing this I have improved mine so much more than I ever thought I could. Find something that works for you & do it as often as you can & your hips will improve with time.

[F1mom]

Buti Fitness. Even the 25 minute workouts make a huge difference.

[cherimac]

Fran-you beat me to recommending Yoga Focus/Yoga Power!

Beth-which section of YfSR is that?

Ellen's Fusion Floor works the hips well and has great hip openers at the end.

[mrsscififanec]

I don't have a DVD suggestion but i highly recommend the use of a foam roller. A few years ago my hips got very tight and no amount of stretching or even restorative yoga practices came close to giving me the release i needed as using the foam roller.
It is painful as all get out at first but so worth it !

[RachelW]

I have also had success with massage therapy. I found a great therapist that would really stretch me out. She was so functional in her approach with me and I loved it.

[patrice]

A.M. Yoga for your week..Hip openers. Love it.

Patrice

[Lorelai]

I don't have a dvd suggestion, but I do have a suggestion. I also have tight hips, and I find that also stretching my hamstrings and glutes helps. It's all in the same area. I was first introduced to this during a yoga/ Pilates class in high school PE, and back then I thought it was really weird, but now I understand the merit. Here's what I do (with no way to describe it without sounding silly): I scoot my bum all the way against a wall, and then stretch my legs up the wall, if that makes sense. I get a great stretch through the hamstrings, and will often stay for a few minutes (bear in mind that hamstrings are extremely tight). Then I put the soles of my feet together, as if doing butterfly, and I find that in this position, gravity is my friend and it gets into the hips nicely. You can also gently add some pressure by using your hands to press your thighs toward the wall to deepen the hip stretch. It was only by doing this that I realized my right hip is a lot tighter than I thought it was. Then, I get the BEST glute stretch by crossing, say, my right ankle over the opposite thigh just above the knee, and stretching my left leg up the wall keeping the left knee bent and the sole of my foot against the wall. Then you can adjust your bent leg, or gently add pressure to your thigh by pushing towards the wall again, to get a great stretch through the glutes. You can do this sitting, but in my opinion it works a lot better my way - gravity is with you, and you aren't sinking back onto your wrists or anything. My lower back always feels wonderful after going through all this. I've been trying to do it almost every night, spending 5-10 minutes to really get a good stretch. Hope this helps - to quote Ellen: "It's a little unorthodox, but it works!"

[andtckrtoo]

Power Yoga for Happiness - Magically Hips segment. Every time my hips get tight, my sciatic nerve flairs and this, without fail, makes it better. I love all of Eoin's work - he told me that he specifically plans his yoga DVD's to help open hips as open hips are so important to to life.