A Pilates instructor recommends these five exercises to combat hip flexor tightness

Woman sits on an exercise mat in a living room with the soles of her feet together.

Hip mobility issues can sneak up on you. One day you’re a kid climbing trees and can move your hips in all directions, the next you’re an adult who can’t take the stairs two at a time.

I asked Club Pilates master trainer Pamela Paley why this is, and she explained that aging reduces muscle elasticity around joints, while sitting weakens hip muscles and tightens hip flexors. Then joint conditions, poor posture and a lack of flexibility can cause tightness and imbalances in the hips.