If you’ve ever been told to “open your hips,” you’re not alone.

Most yoga classes, YouTube videos, and even some well-meaning therapists push deep hip stretches as the cure-all for stiffness and discomfort. But for many women (and men) over 50, that advice backfires.

Truth bomb: most hips don’t need to stretch more — they need to stabilize.

As we age, we gradually lose muscle activation around the hips, glutes, and core. When those muscles go quiet, your body creates its own “safety brace” by feeling tight and achy. Forcing extra range on top of that only adds fuel to the fire.

A 2022 systematic review found that hip abductor strength and activation are critical for balance and mobility at every age — independent of flexibility pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Translation: stronger, smarter hips beat "more bendy" hips every time.

A One-Minute Experiment

1. Sit in a chair, feet flat on the floor.
   
2. Without actually moving your legs, pretend you’re spreading the floor apart with your feet.
   
3. Hold that gentle tension for 10 seconds, then relax.
   
4. Repeat three times, breathing normally.
   

You didn’t stretch anything.

You woke up the deep stabilizers that keep your hips aligned and your lower back happy. Many readers feel an instant sense of support — proof that stability, not flexibility, was missing.

“I couldn’t get down to the mat without help. Two weeks in, my hip pain was down 20% — and now I’m moving up and down on my own again.” — Nancy

Need More Help?

• Inside our VIP Online Program you’ll find step-by-step classes that build strength, stability, and mobility — without risky stretches or intimid­ating poses.
  
• Curious why typical yoga cues can feel unsafe? Read “Online Yoga Isn’t the Problem — The Wrong Kind of Yoga Is.”
  

Nervous about yoga in general? “Why So Many Women Over 50 Are Afraid of Yoga (and What to Do Instead)” breaks it down.

Coming in July

I’m hosting a free live class on July 17, 2025 where I’ll teach three more no-stretch moves that relieve hip and back pain fast. Seats will be limited; details hit the blog and email list soon. CLICK HERE to sign up! Spaces are limited, please cancel if you can't make it.