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Yin Routine · All Levels

Tight Hips After Running

18 minutes, three shapes, front of the hip to back

18 min · 3 poses · no props

Running shortens the front of the hip, and sitting afterwards makes it worse. This is the three-shape practice from the class: Dragon for the front of the hip, Sleeping Swan for the back of it, and a reclined twist to undo the run through the spine. Long holds, nothing fancy. Do it after a run while you're still warm, or on a rest day.

Follow the class with me

The full class on YouTube, Yin Yoga for Tight Hips After Running (20 min). Or press play on the timer below and go at your own pace.

Before you press play

The 15-Minute Post-Run Reset

A filmed class with Katie: follow-along video, hold timer and written cues. Free, yours to keep.

No spam, ever. Unsubscribe any time. I'll only send Yin.

Press play and follow along — each hold is timed, with a gentle chime and fifteen seconds to move into the next pose. Use Skip or Prev to move at your own pace.

On Strava? Finish this routine and press Log to Strava to post it to your feed: the poses, the holds, and the body map. First, connect your Strava from your account page. It takes one tap, once.

Where it works

Front and back body map with the muscles this routine works picked out: the hip flexors, quads, outer hip, glutes and lower back
Front and back. In rose: the hip flexors, quads, outer hip, glutes and lower back.
Save this body map

What's in this routine

  1. Dragon Low lunge, back knee down. Let the hips sink. Keep the feeling in the hip, not the knee.
    3 min each side
  2. Sleeping Swan Front shin across the mat, fold over it and rest. The glutes and the outer hip.
    3 min each side
  3. Reclined Twist Knees drop to one side, shoulders heavy. Undo the run's compression through the spine.
    2 min each side

Common questions

When should I do this hip routine?

After a run while you're warm, or on a rest day. Long, deep holds right before a run can leave the hip feeling loose rather than springy, so keep anything pre-run short and moving.

How often do runners need to do this?

A couple of times a week, kept up for a few weeks, does more than one heroic session. You'll feel the difference after one practice, and it fades over a few days. This tissue responds to time, not effort.

What if I only have ten minutes?

Do Dragon on both sides and stop there. Three minutes a side on the front of the hip is most of the work, and the rest can wait for a day when you have the full eighteen.

My front knee hurts in Sleeping Swan. What do I do?

Bring the shin closer to your body, or slide a cushion under the hip on that side so it isn't hanging. If the knee still complains, lie on your back and do Reclined Swan instead. The feeling belongs in the hip, never the knee.

For your next run

The 15-Minute Post-Run Reset

✦ A filmed class with Katie — free for you

This page is a routine with a timer. The Post-Run Reset is the full thing: a properly filmed 15-minute class you follow along with me, with the hold timer and written cues underneath. Pop your email in and I'll send it, yours to keep.

No spam, ever. Unsubscribe any time. I'll only send Yin.

More routines

After the Run 19 min · A 19-minute Yin routine for straight after a run: Dangling, Dragon, Swan and five minutes with the legs up the wall. Bedtime Wind-Down 22 min · A gentle 22-minute bedtime Yin routine — soft, supported shapes to downshift the nervous system and melt toward sleep, with a built-in hold timer. Deep Legs & Hamstrings 22 min · A 22-minute Yin routine for tight legs, hamstrings, calves and feet — deep forward folds and foot stretches held slowly, with a built-in hold timer.