You've Heard of Hip Openers, But What About Hip Closers?

"Ten bucks says that if you've taken a yoga class lately-or ever-you've practiced the category of hip stretches known as hip openers. That's yoga shorthand for poses that include a combination of moving the thighs away from each other and turning them outward, such as in Goddess Pose, Bound Angle Pose, and Wide-Legged Forward Bend."

"Whereas hip opening can yield a satisfying muscle release and help increase flexibility, hip closing promotes greater stability and balance."

""Movement variety is generally a good thing, including more ways of moving our hips," says Rawlings. "Especially in directions we don't often emphasize in yoga. It can add variety to our movement practice and help us build body awareness in underexplored positions.""

Hip openers are common yoga poses that move the thighs away from each other and rotate them outward, such as Goddess Pose and Bound Angle Pose. Hip openers contract hip abductors and external rotators while lengthening the inner thigh adductors, producing muscle release and increased flexibility. Hip closers are the opposite actions: the adductors shorten and the outer thighs and side hips lengthen. Hip closers promote greater stability and balance and add beneficial movement variety. Practicing hip-closing positions builds body awareness in directions that are less emphasized in typical yoga classes.

Read at Yoga Journal