Supta Padangusthasana: Poses & Adaptations for Hip Health & Hip Issues

• Develops both hip strength and mobility.
• Can be used to teach how to keep thighs “rooted” in hop sockets.
• Supta Padangusthasana (Reclined Hand to Toe Pose)

Strengthening & Mobilizing

In general, keeping your hip joint as mobile as you can and the supporting muscles as strong as possible will help [those with osteoarthritis of the hip] stay functional… Because you can do many yoga poses without bearing direct weight on your hip joints, including prone or supine poses, seated poses, and inversions, yoga provides many ways for you to work on both joint range of motion and strengthening. For example, Reclined Leg Stretch (Supta Padangusthasana) with all four variations, help both mobility and strength. – Baxter Bell MD

Learning to Keep Thighs Rooted in Hip Sockets

I recommend that you teach your student the variations of Supta Padangusthasana—such as holding her foot with a belt—so she can learn to keep her thighs rooted in the hip sockets when doing hip flexion, adduction, abduction, and external rotation. – Marla Apt