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Ive been making the end of 2024 and the start of 2025 all about my hips.

No, Im not channeling my inner Shakira, Im talking about internal hip rotation…obviously.

Woman outdoors on yoga mat kneeling to the side with right leg bent and lifted into the air

Lately, Ive been adding the hip sleeper stretch to my warm-up routines to help open my hips.

What is the hip sleeper stretch?

Increasing hip internal rotation translates to better movement mechanics and improves the range available for motion.

Hip Sleeper Internal Hip Rotation Stretch - YouTube

If you do experience pain, stop immediately and seek medical advice.

He uses a foundation first philosophy, which is fundamental to all forms of exercise.

Over time and with practice, you might find the knee can touch the ground.

Writer Sam performing wide variation of yogi squat

The tighter or weaker your hips, the further from the ground the knee will sit.

As you improve, raise the heel closer toward the hip to make the exercise more challenging.

If the hip sleeper stretch aggravates your knees, give thisone bodyweight exercisea try instead to get you started.

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Its a little kinder to the knee joint and uses movement from a prone position.

PNF stretching is thought by many to be the most effective stretching technique for strength and flexibility improvements.

Heres what Ive noticed so far.

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