15-Minute Flexibility Routine for Hips and Hamstrings

15:00 total · 11 poses · Beginner · Pin it (opens in a new tab)

A warm-up, then slow holds for the hamstrings, hips and back, finishing with a twist and a rest. Hold each stretch where you feel a mild pull, never pain.

Move slowly; skip anything that hurts. Not medical advice.

Listen as an audio class (15:09)

The same routine as the timer below, as one recording: press play and follow the cues without watching the screen.

Download MP3 (6.9 MB) · Also as a podcast on Spotify (opens in a new tab)

Follow-along timer

Pose 1 of 11

Cat-Cow

Inhale cow (belly down), exhale cat (back round)

1:30

Next up: Downward Dog, knees bent, pedal the feet

0:00 of 15:00

The poses

  1. 1

    Cat-Cow

    Inhale cow (belly down), exhale cat (back round)

    90 s

  2. 2

    Downward Dog, knees bent, pedal the feet

    Breathe steadily; bend the knees as needed

    60 s

  3. 3

    Low Lunge, back knee down

    Exhale to ease the hips forward

    60 s per side (120 s)

  4. 4

    Seated forward fold, knees bent, flat back

    Inhale lengthen, exhale fold a little

    75 s

  5. 5

    Figure Four on your back

    Exhale to draw the legs in

    60 s per side (120 s)

  6. 6

    Lying hamstring stretch with a strap or towel

    Exhale to draw the leg in, inhale to ease off

    40 s per side (80 s)

  7. 7

    Butterfly (Bound Angle)

    Sit tall; breathe into the inner thighs

    75 s

  8. 8

    Happy Baby

    Slow breaths; let the knees open toward the floor

    45 s

  9. 9

    Lying knees-bent twist

    Exhale as the knees lower

    40 s per side (80 s)

  10. 10

    Child's Pose

    Breathe into your back; let each exhale soften your hips

    60 s

  11. 11

    Rest on your back

    Let the breath settle

    95 s

  12. Total 900 s = 15:00

"Per side" means that time on one side, then the same on the other. Transitions are part of each pose's time.

Check first if any of these apply

  • Osteoporosis or low bone density: talk with your doctor or physical therapist before the folds and twists. Use a flat-back hinge from the hips instead of rounding forward.
  • Herniated or bulging disk, or other lower back problems: skip deep forward folds and use a flat-back hinge with bent knees.
  • Glaucoma or severe high blood pressure: ask your doctor before poses that put your head below your heart, such as Downward Dog and Ragdoll.
  • A sciatica flare-up, or a recent hamstring or lower back injury: skip the seated forward fold and the strap stretch.
  • Wrist pain or carpal tunnel syndrome: use fists or forearms for Cat-Cow, or skip Cat-Cow and Downward Dog.
  • Knee pain when kneeling: pad the knee well, or skip Low Lunge and Child's Pose.
  • A recent hip replacement: skip Butterfly, Happy Baby, Figure Four and the twist unless your surgeon has cleared them.
  • Pregnancy: skip poses with long periods lying on your back, or ask your prenatal care provider.

All timed routines