Your hips aren't the problem - osteopath reveals the area many people forget to stretch to ease tightness

By stretching other muscles in the body aside from those in the hips, you might find that your tight hips, lower back discomfort, and discomfort after a long day sitting down slowly slip away.

The primary cause of these issues, aside from tight hips? Tight glutes. “The glute muscles are an important part of pelvic support and link strongly to the hips," says Fatema Contractor, consultant osteopath and director at The Health Suite. "Keeping them strong and prioritising stretching is really important, especially if you are sedentary for long periods or enjoy exercises such as running."

Instead of doing the frog stretch or kneeling lunges, which are useful movements but predominantly focus on the hips, Fatema recommends trying the following glute exercises...

Glute stretches

1. Glute bridge

How to do a glute bridge | Bupa Health - YouTube

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"The glute bridge is good for stretching out the hips and activating the glutes, which helps build strength," she says. Strong glutes will help stabilise the pelvis and hip joints, making them stronger and reducing strain on small muscles and ligaments around the hips.

Here's how to do it:

• Lie with your back on your yoga mat.
• Stretch your arms out by your side, bend your knees and make sure your feet are rooted to the floor.
• Slowly raise your hips, bringing your glutes off the floor.
• When you reach the top, squeeze for a couple of seconds, then release and lower.
• Repeat this 10 times.

2. Seated Figure-4 Stretch

Seated Figure Four Stretch for Piriformis - YouTube

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To do this glute stretch, you don't even need to stand up from your chair. The figure-4 stretch targets the hips and the piriformis muscle as well. This is a small one that sits deep in the buttocks and connects the lower spine to the upper thigh bone.

Here's how to do it:

3. Pigeon pose

Pigeon Pose - Hip Rotator Stretch - CORE Chiropractic - YouTube

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As well as being a stretch for tight hips, the pigeon stretch is "good for releasing any tightness and tension" in the glutes. If you can, bring your head down closer to your front bent leg to really feel this stretch in your glutes and lower back.

Here's how to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees.
• Slowly bring your right knee to the outside of your right wrist as you extend your right leg behind you.
• Your left shin should be parallel to the top of your exercise mat.
• Bring your torso towards the mat as much as you can.
• Repeat on the other side, holding the stretch for at least 30 seconds each time.

4. Lying knee to opposite shoulder stretch

Supine Piriformis Stretch (knee to opposite shoulder) - YouTube

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You should feel this glute stretch almost immediately as you pull your leg towards your opposite shoulder, stretching out your lower back, hips, and glutes.

Here's how to do it:

• Lie down on your mat with your legs out straight and arms by your sides.
• Bend and bring one leg up to your hip, supporting it with your hands.
• Gently bring your knee across your body and up towards the opposite shoulder.
• Hold for at least 30 seconds, then switch sides.

5. Seated twist

Seated Spinal Twist - CORE Chiropractic Exercises - YouTube

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If you follow a chair yoga workout, this is another stretch your can do from sitting down. You can also do it from a chair. Make sure to move slowly if you have limited mobility in your upper body.

Here's how to do the seated twist:

• Sit down on a chair or on your yoga mat, with your legs extended.
• Cross your left leg over your right, and slowly twist your upper body to the left.
• Hug your left knee with your right arm for support.

Along with the glutes, Fatema says that tightness in the lower back, knee and feet issues can also cause discomfort that many mistake for hip tightness. So, if these glute stretches don't work, consult an osteopath or physiotherapist, as it could be linked to another issue.

Pain or discomfort in your hips (as well as your lower back) can be linked to having weak glutes, too, rather than tight ones. This is where exercises like squats, deadlifts, crab walks, and hip thrusts (or weighted glute bridges) will be handy.

“If pain is severe or prolonged, it’s important to see an osteopath or a physiotherapist for a thorough assessment," she says.