The diagnostic
Your hip range of motion dropped six degrees this week. That is not "tightness" — it is the system trying to protect a joint that did not get loaded well.
The instinct is to stretch harder. The instinct is wrong. Stretching alone restores ROM temporarily; without the load context, it regresses within 24 hours.
What works is loaded mobility — taking the joint through end-range under controlled tension.
Three drills, 10 minutes
1. 90/90 hip switch (3 sets of 8 per side)
Sit on the floor with one leg in front (90°) and one behind (90°). Slowly rotate to switch sides without using your hands. Reach end-range deliberately, do not bounce.
2. Cossack squat (3 sets of 6 per side)
Wide stance, weight on one leg, opposite leg straight with heel down. Lower hips toward the loaded heel. Pause at the bottom for 1 second.
3. Couch stretch with extension (90 seconds per side)
Rear foot on a couch or bench, front foot forward in a lunge. Squeeze the rear glute. Posterior pelvic tilt. Lean back gently. Breathe.
Do this every day until ROM returns. Then twice a week to maintain.
The behaviour change
If you sit more than 6 hours a day, no amount of mobility work will compound. Add a 90-second hip flexor stretch at every coffee break — set a timer if needed. The cumulative dose matters more than the intensity.
Why this works
ROM is a function of how the nervous system grades risk at end-range. Loaded mobility tells the system the position is safe. Static stretching tells it nothing. Behaviour change keeps the loaded position recent enough to matter.
Six degrees come back inside two weeks if you are honest with the protocol. Steady wins.