Runner's hip mobility

How the session works

1. 1 Do it on a mat after a short walk or easy jog so the muscles are warm.
2. 2 Press start. The app names each move, cues it, and counts each interval down.
3. 3 Use it before a run as a primer or after one to loosen off — keep ranges comfortable.
4. 4 It runs six to ten minutes; switch pigeon for the supported version if a knee complains.

The moves

• Standing hip circles 20s · each side

  Hold a support and draw slow circles with the knee — pain-free arc only.

• Half-kneeling hip-flexor stretch 30s · each side

  Tuck the tailbone, squeeze the back glute, ease gently forward.

• Pigeon pose 40s · each side

  Square the hips, keep the front shin comfortable, fold forward slowly.

• Glute bridge 30s

  Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes at the top.

• Clamshell 30s · each side

  Knees bent, open the top knee, keep your hips stacked.

• 90/90 hip switch 40s

  Stay tall, rotate from the hips, lower both knees side to side.

What it's good for

• Opens the hip flexors and rotators that running keeps tight.
• Fires the glutes with a bridge and clamshell so they share the load.
• Works as a pre-run primer or a post-run loosen-off.

The evidence. Hip mobility and glute activation are commonly used by runners to move more freely and share load away from the knees; evidence supports short-term range-of-motion gains, with the biggest payoff from doing it consistently.

Safety

• Knee-friendly by default — no routine here loads the knees deeply. Stop any move that causes sharp or pinching knee pain and use the gentler option offered; pad a kneeling knee with a cushion.
• If pigeon pinches the front knee, use the supine/supported pigeon instead — it gives the same stretch off the joint.
• Move slowly within a comfortable range and never force a stretch. Gentle mobility eases stiffness and improves range, but it is not a treatment for joint pathology — see a clinician for persistent or worsening hip or knee pain, or after an injury or surgery.

Frequently asked questions

Should I stretch my hips before or after running?

Use gentle mobility and glute activation like this before a run as a primer, and save longer holds for after when you're warm. This routine works either way — shorten the holds before, lengthen them after.

Why do runners get tight hips?

Running repeats a narrow range and keeps the hip flexors working hard, while the glutes can switch off. Mobility plus glute activation restores range and balance.

Is pigeon pose bad for your knees?

Pigeon is fine for many people but can stress a sensitive front knee. If yours complains, use the supine (lying) figure-4 version — you get the same glute and rotator stretch without loading the knee. This routine offers that swap.