Quarantine weight gain has become a global phenomenon, thanks to the sedentary lifestyle of our seemingly never-ending lockdown days.  However, piling on extra kilos isn’t the only consequence of the lazy days of COVID-19 lockdown. An inactive life can give you painful hips too. Long hours of sitting and poor posture may be the culprit behind this condition. Pain in the hip is the result of impingement in this joint.

What is hip impingement?

Your hip is the joint that connects your thigh bone with the pelvis, a cup-like structure consisting of several bones. Here, the ball-shaped top of your thigh bone meets the cup-shaped area of your pelvis. Hip impingement occurs when the ball pinches against the cup. Caused by a damage in these structures of the hip joint, this condition manifests itself through pain in the hip or groin. Hip impingement can limit your range of motion too.

Top 3 yoga poses for a pain-free hip

Yoga, we all know, is a powerful weapon against pain management. Yoga asanas like Big Toe Pose, Boat Pose, Cat Pose and others will open up your stiff hip joint and help alleviate pain. Here is a step-by-step guide for these poses.

Bharadvaja’s Twist

This yoga asana involves gentle twist that can work wonders for your spine and abdominal muscles.

• Start in a sitting pose with both your legs stretched out to the front.
• Bend your left knee so that your left toe is just below the hip of the same side.
• Now, bend the right knee, placing the right leg on your left thigh.
• Place your left palm below your right knee.
• Now, twist your right shoulder and take the right hand to the back so that it touches your right toe.
• Look over your right shoulder as you do this.
• Breathe in and out, release your right toe and come back to the starting position.
• Repeat the same on your other side.

Cat Pose

This yogasana gently massages your spine and abdominal organs.

• Start on all fours in a tabletop position making sure that your knees are right below your hips and your wrists are perpendicular to your shoulders.
• Place your head in a neutral position, and gaze fixed towards the floor.
• Exhale and lift your spine up while bending your head towards the floor.
• Inhale and come back to the starting position, pushing your spine down and lifting your head to the neutral position.

Bound Angle Pose

It is one of the most effective poses for hip pain. This pose opens up your hip, allowing a full range of motion to this joint and the muscles around it.

• Sit on your yoga mat with your legs stretched out to the front and spine upright.
• Keep your hands straight and place your palms on the floor.
• Now, fold both the legs so that your soles touch each other.
• Hold your feet with your hands.
• Exhale and bend your head forward touching the floor wit it.
• Hold this position for a few seconds and gently lift your head up, returning to the sitting position.

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