If your hips feel tight from sitting too long, you’re definitely not alone. Whether you’ve been at a desk, driving around St. Pete, or just moving less than usual, stiff hips can sneak up fast, and they don’t just feel uncomfortable. Tight hips can mess with how you walk, how you lift, and how your body functions overall.
At Made Possible Personal Training, we see it all the time. People come in for personal training in St. Petersburg, Florida, and the first thing we notice is how their hips are limiting the rest of their movement. The good news? A few focused exercises can help restore that mobility and get your body moving better again.
Here are three moves we use with clients every day to improve mobility, flexibility, and posture, especially after long periods of sitting.
1. Inchworm to World’s Greatest Stretch
This one lives up to the name.
Start by inching your hands forward into a high plank. Step one foot next to your hand and open up through your torso. You’ll feel this everywhere, hips, hamstrings, groin, even your upper back.
This movement helps:
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Open up the hip flexors
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Stretch the hamstrings
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Mobilize the thoracic spine
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Reconnect your upper and lower body
It’s one of our go-to moves to reset the body before a workout or after a long day of sitting.
2. Toe Hold to Squat
This one’s simple but powerful.
Start by holding your toes and slowly easing down into a deep squat. This helps your hips, knees, and ankles find better alignment while waking up the posterior chain (the muscles along your back side).
Great for:
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Improving squat depth
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Easing joint stiffness
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Building awareness through your hips and lower body
We use this one in both senior training and strength training sessions because it helps restore natural movement patterns in a gentle, accessible way.
3. Couch Stretch
Don’t let the name fool you. This one’s intense.
Set up by placing one knee on the ground with your back foot elevated on a bench or couch. Lean into the stretch and breathe. This deeply targets the quads and hip flexors, which tighten up fast after sitting.
Use this to:
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Release the front of the hips
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Improve posture
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Restore mobility before weight-bearing exercises
We recommend holding this stretch for at least 30 seconds per side and doing it regularly, especially if you work a desk job or drive a lot.
Why Hip Mobility Matters
Tight hips can cause a chain reaction through the rest of your body. They affect how you move, how you lift, and even how you feel during daily activities. At our personal training studio in St. Petersburg, we build these kinds of movements into your custom fitness program because they help everything else fall into place.
Whether you’re just getting started or looking for the best personal trainer near you to help with pain-free movement, we’ll meet you where you’re at and help you move forward.
Want help getting your hips (and the rest of you) moving better?
Book a free consultation with one of our professional personal trainers in St. Pete and let’s get your body back to feeling strong and mobile again.
