Good hip flexibility is a major aspect of muay thai, and here are the best muay thai hip stretches you can use.
Having mobile hips allows for faster and more powerful strikes and solid blocks.
Having good hip mobility also allows for efficiency in technique. This allows you to throw powerful strikes even late into the fight while conserving maximum energy.
Having mobile and flexible hips also allows for injury prevention and more effective recovery after hard training.
So what are the best muay thai hip stretches?
- Lunge
- Butterfly
- Pigeon
- Cossack
- Figure 4
- Frog
- Knee to Chest
The 7 muay thai hip stretches discussed below will set you up for possibly the best gains in your muay thai game if you consistently perform them.
Some of these stretches are suitable mainly for post stretching while some can be modified to be more dynamic to be used as a warm up pre training to increase your mobility before you train.
| Pre Training Mobility/Warm Up | Post Training | |
| Lunge | Good as a mobility warm up also | Deep long stretches |
| Butterfly | Long hold stretching | |
| Pigeon | Better for post training | |
| Cossack stretch | Dynamic stretching version good for warm up | Long holds for post training |
| Figure 4 stretch | Better for post training | |
| Frog stretch | Best for post training | |
| Knee to chest | Standing version a great dynamic warmup | Lying version for deep stretches after training |
1. Lunge
Target : quad, hip flexor
This should be one of your staple muay thai hip stretches.
It can be done before training by including a static hold that will help to fire up the hip flexors to improve mobility.
It is also very beneficial to perform after training or exercising. Perform the hip flexor stretch in sets of long hold uf up to 2 minutes.
Build up from holding around 15-30 secs at first.
A super tough version of this stretch is the ‘couch stretch’ by Kelly Starrett.
Set a baseline and whatever stretch you chosse try to improve on the baseline littlle by little.
Have a goal to work toward and stick with it.
2. Butterfly
Target – groin, inner thigh, hips, knees
This stretch is a great way to open up the hips and release the groin and inner thigh area.
Baddha konasana in yoga this stretch is also excellent for keeping your hips and especially groin in good health for efficient recovery from hard training and over use.
These are best done after training with long holds and deep stretches with focussed breathing.
3. Pigeon
Target : hip rotators, hip flexors, psoas, groin
The pigeon stretch is an excellent overall hip opener exercise.
This stretch is a single sided stretch so you can focus on one side of your hips at a time.
It is also great for developing hip rotation, both internal and external which will help with hip mobility required for the muay thai roundhouse kick.
4. Cossack Stretch
Target : glutes, quads, hamstrings, hip adductors
Very similar to the side lung stretch. The Cossack squat however also includes external rotation of the leg and hip to end up with the foot of the stretched leg facing up to the sky.
The Cossack stretch is a great overall hip mobility exercise as well as effective long hold stretch.
It can be done as a dynamic stretch to warm up and a static hold stretch after training.
5. Figure 4 stretch
Target : outer hips, lower back, glutes
This is a lying stretch focusing on one side at a time.
This stretch is especially good for the outer hips and lower back and is helpful for reducing post training soreness and tightness – especially for your lower back.
This stretch is great for cooling down and increasing flexibility and aiding in post training recovery for your next training session.
6. Frog Stretch
Target – hip rotation, hip flexors, inner thighs, groin muscles
This is another more advanced stretch from yoga that is very beneficial as a muay thai hip stretch.
The frog stretch is best done after training or in a dedicated stretching session after proper warm up. It is also excellent for post training recovery and keeping your hips in good shape.
Targeting rotation is especially beneficial for muay thai as the hip is compleylty revolved when throwing the traditional muay thai kick.
This is one area beginners in muay thai have difficulty achieving in their muay thai kick. The frog stretch can deifnitely help with turning the kick over as in traditional muay thai.
7. Knee to Chest Stretch
Target : hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, low back
The knee to chest strtech is a great stretch for the hips and especially for muay thai.
It is a functional movement that is applied when blocking kicks with your shins by raising them up to your chest and torso area.
I find the mobility version of this stretch – done walking with a 2-3 sec hold – is great as a warm up for muay thai training.
The lying version can be held for a longer deeper stretch and can be done for after training as part of your cool down for better recovery as well as improving flexibility in this movement.
7 Best Muay Thai Hip Stretches – Summary
So there you have it the 7 stretches discussed in this post are beneficial for your overall hip mobility and flexibility which will only benefit your muay thai game.
Being able to move fluidly with efficiency and energy conservation is key to fighting and training hard as well.
Having good fluid hips will also help prevent low injury and protect your joints and low back as well.
It is important to work these muay thai hip stretches into your pre and post training routines or in dedicated mobility/flexibility sessions after a good warm up.
Set goals and targets after you have an established baseline and work toward increasing the length and time of each stretch each session.
