Should This Feel Good?
We’re still talking about Pigeon Pose. Clearly, with so much to talk about, Pigeon has a lot going for it. Except… when it hurts.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it. Just, that you shouldn’t feel badly about not doing it, or not feeling able to do it.
Do what feels right for you! It’s one of the reasons we designed our Hip Love programs with personalization. Not every exercise is for every body.
One of Pigeon’s benefits is it stretches the groin. This area is often tight and Pigeon can be an intense stretch, making overstretching more likely.
For healthy hips, we need to pay attention to both the outer and inner areas. But in a way that works for your body. Here’s an alternative that can be kinder:
Wide Squat with Shifting
Stand with legs wider than hip distance apart and feet turned out. (You may need to adjust the width once you get into the exercise)
Bend the knees into a squat. Keep your knees tracking over your toes and try to keep your upper body upright.
Allow the sits bones to feel heavy and weighted
- Slowly begin to shift your weight to one side, straightening the opposite knee. You may not be able to straighten the knee all the way and that’s okay.
- Slowly shift to the other side.
- Try to keep the hips in one horizontal line as you shift back and forth between sides – not rising up in the middle and lowering back down. You may need your squat to be less deep to achieve this.
- Slowly repeat this from side to side 8-10x
Try this and let us know what you think. Click here to let us know feedback.
Remember, not every exercise is for every body. Be kind to your body.
Wishing you happy hips!