Mobilize Your Hips: Unlock Your Body’s Potential

There is a secret to good musculoskeletal health and preventing lower back pain, knee pain, and limited movement. The secret is to mobilize your hips. Mobility which is the ability of a joint to move actively through a range of motion.

I struggled with limited hip mobility and lower back pain for years. My love of endurance running didn’t help much in that department either. The repetitive strain of running along with lack of mobility training caused many injuries during my running career. Many of my clients have tight hips, which causes a range of issues for them.

Having good hip mobility is not just important for athletes, but for everyone in their daily lives. Unfortunately, many of us spend a lot of time sitting, which can lead to a restriction in hip range of motion. Over time, this restriction can become a significant issue, affecting our overall health and wellness. That’s why it’s crucial to rediscover the mobility we were born with and maintain it throughout our lives.

Your Hips Don’t Lie

We sit a lot that includes me. I sit a lot too. Excessive sitting can have a significant impact on hip mobility in two major ways: weakening the glutes and shortening the hip flexors. Both muscles play a crucial role in activating the hips, and when they are weak or inactive, the lower back takes over.

The lumbar spine, or lower back, is not designed for a lot of activity. Its primary function is to provide support and stability to the core. However, with poor hip mobility caused by prolonged sitting, the hip extension is no longer sufficient, and the lower back takes on more load. This can lead to lower back pain and discomfort.

That’s why it’s essential to prioritize hip mobility within any fitness routine. Whether you’re an athlete or just looking to improve your overall health and wellbeing, these three hip mobility exercises are a great place to start. The best part is you can perform these exercises at work, home or while watching TV. You can set up a home gym or you can do these exercises without any special equipment. I’ve compiled a list of exercises and created YouTube video for you to mobilize your hips.

So, don’t let tight hips hold you back any longer. Unlock your body’s potential with hip mobility exercises and start feeling better today.

Standing Hip Mobility Exercises to Mobilize Your Hips

Side to Side Lunges:

1. Take a wide step with your left leg to the side of you. Both your toes should be pointed in the same direction and your feet should be flat on the floor.
2. Bend your left knee as you step outward and keep your hips back. It should feel like you are trying to sit just one side of your lower body in a chair. Feel the stretch in your right inner thigh or adductor muscles.
3. Lift your body up towards the center and immediately bend your right knee, keeping your left leg extended.
4. Switch right to left eight to ten times.

Lunge to Hinge:

1. Stand at the top of your mat and place one leg back and one leg forward. Keep your feet hip distance apart.
2. Bend your front knee. Making sure that your front-leg shin is straight over the top of your foot.
3. Inhale and lift your arms overhead.
4. Keep your torso up to stack on top of your hips. Lift your lower belly and draw your ribs in. Feel the stretch in the hip flexors of your back leg.
5. Then hinge at your hips, while extending your front knee.
6. Lift your toes up to the ceiling and plant your heels into the floor.
7. Reach with your fingertips towards the ankle of the front foot. Feel the stretch in front hamstrings, glutes, and calf muscles.
8. Switch between high lunge to hinge three to four times on one side.
9. Repeat the exercise on the other side.

Standing Hip External Rotation:

1. Start in a standing position. It is a good exercise for balance training as well. Stand close to a wall or a stable object if you are not sure about your balance abaility.
2. Lift your knee to about hip level. You can keep your knee lower if you have limitations.
3. Rotate your leg towards the outside of your body.
4. When the leg cannot rotate any further begin to lower the leg to ground level.
5. Press your hand on the same side as the lifted leg to the inside of your knee.
6. Feel the isometric push from your hand. Hold for two to three seconds and then repeat.
7. Practice three to four repetitions on each side.

BottomLine:

Incorporating these exercises into your workout routine or daily work routine will help reduce your hip and lower back pain.