This yoga stretch is considered the ‘gold standard’ for stronger hips, so I added it to my routine for a week

I’m a marathon runner who sits down behind a desk from 9-5 and carts a 28-pound toddler around on one hip — if my hip flexors weren’t tight, I’d be a medical marvel. In an effort to address this (and to try and keep my maranoia at bay during the week before my sixth marathon this weekend), I added the 90/90 stretch to my morning routine.

It’s considered the gold standard for hip flexibility, so I was intrigued to see if I noticed any difference after a week of regular stretching. Read on to find out what happened.

As a reminder, what works for me might not be right for you and your body. If you’re pregnant or postpartum, or you’re recovering from an injury, it’s always best to check in with a medical professional before trying something new.

How to do the 90/90 stretch

As with all yoga poses and stretches, the key to getting the most out of this exercise is to do it with good form. All you’ll need for this exercise is one of the best yoga mats to make things more comfortable.

• Sit on your mat, and position your front leg at a 90-degree angle, so your shin is parallel to the wall in front of you. Keep your ankle neutral so your toes are pointed straight ahead.
• Place your back leg at a 90-degree angle to the side. Your back knee should be in line with your back hip.
• Keep your spine straight, sitting as tall as possible, and avoid the urge to lean to the side. Think about sitting into both hips equally, and squaring your hips to the front of the mat.

Hold for 60 seconds if you can, breathing deeply, then switch your legs and do the same on the other side. Complete 2-3 sets in total.

What are the benefits?

Addresses internal and external rotation

Most hip stretches will only focus on opening the hips outward, but the 90/90 stretch lets you do both. Your back leg will be in an internal rotation as you stretch, so if you’re like me and spend a lot of time sitting down, you’ll probably feel it here the most.

Improving the internal rotation of your hip joint is essential for your walking and running workouts, but it can also help prevent the pinching feeling you might get when climbing the stairs or performing squats or lunges.

Reduce lower back stiffness

When your hips are locked, your lower back takes on a lot of the load when you’re walking and twisting. By freeing up your hips with this move, you can help alleviate lower back pain and reduce the stress on your back.

Help improve your balance and stability

Again, if your hips are tight, your body will likely be unaligned. This is because tight hips can pull your knee out of line, which can be a problem for runners and cyclists and lead to injuries. You’ll also be stretching the deep stabilizer muscles in your glutes, helping improve your overall balance and power.

What happened when I added it to my routine for a week

This is a stretch that you need to try for yourself, as trying to explain it is far harder than the stretch itself. My hip flexors are extremely tight, so I found it incredibly difficult on the first few days to sit tall in this move, especially for 60 seconds at a time.

I could really feel the move in my back hip, and had to focus on staying balanced and sitting into both hips equally, as it was tempting to collapse into the opposite side to make the stretch easier.

By the end of the week, I was definitely able to hold the stretch for longer and could feel my hips loosening in just seven days. Of course, physically I looked the same, but my hips didn’t feel as pinchy as I moved. I’m notoriously bad at stretching, but this is a yoga move I’m going to keep in my routine, especially after 16 weeks of marathon training.

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