"My hips are so tight." It's the most common complaint I hear from new clients. They've been stretching for months — pigeon pose, couch stretch, hip flexor lunges — and nothing changes. Their hips still feel tight. Here's why: they're not actually tight.
Tightness vs. Perceived Tightness
True structural tightness — where the muscle tissue is physically shortened and won't lengthen — is rare outside of pathology. What most people experience is perceived tightness: a sensation of tension that's actually your nervous system applying the brakes because it doesn't feel safe in that range of motion.
Your body tightens up around joints it can't control. If your core is weak, your hip flexors work overtime to stabilize your pelvis. If your glutes aren't firing well, your hip rotators grip. The tightness is a symptom, not the problem.
Tight hips need more stretching. If you just stretch consistently enough, the tightness will resolve.
If stretching hasn't fixed the problem after weeks of consistent effort, more stretching isn't the answer. You likely need to build strength and stability in the ranges your body is guarding against.
The Fix: Stability Before Flexibility
Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs)
Slow, controlled circles of the hip through its full range of motion. 5 in each direction per side, daily. This teaches your nervous system that the range is safe.
90/90 Hip Switches
Sit on the floor in a 90/90 position and slowly transition side to side. This builds active control through internal and external rotation — the ranges most people lack.
Half-Kneeling Holds with Core Engagement
Hold a half-kneeling position with your core braced for 30 seconds per side. This teaches your body to stabilize the pelvis without gripping the hip flexors.
Goblet Squat with Pause
Hold a kettlebell and sit into the bottom of a squat for 3-5 seconds. Own this position under load. This is active flexibility in practice.
Try this test: can you raise your knee to hip height while standing on one leg without leaning or twisting? If not, your "tight" hips may actually be weak hips. The prescription is very different.
- ✓Most hip tightness is your nervous system guarding unstable ranges
- ✓Stretching alone doesn't fix the root cause — stability does
- ✓Build active control through CARs, 90/90s, and loaded mobility work
- ✓If weeks of stretching haven't helped, try strength-based approaches
- ✓A strong hip is a mobile hip