Tight, sticky hips not only limit your movement and make you feel like the tin man, they eventually lead to more serious problems like low back pain, hip impingement, knee pain and problems up and down your body.
However, when healthy, our hips are responsible for letting us run, walk, jump, bike and pretty much anything that utilizes our lower body. If you have healthy hips, then you can do anything you want!
That’s why I’ve put together this 20 minute hip mobility routine that you can do before your workout, after your workout, or it can even be your workout. I love this routine because it’s an effective way to prep your hips for a workout, maintain overall hip health, or to break through training plateaus.
We’re going to create more space around your hip joint and then strengthen that tissue for a one, two punch. Before you know it, you’ll be unstoppable!
Today’s hip mobility routine will focus on:
Hip internal rotation
Hip external rotation
HIp flexion
Hip extension
Hip adduction
Hip abduction
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
You’ll want to grab something like a yoga block, pillow or towels for this routine.
WHAT CAUSES HIP PROBLEMS
If you’ve been struggling with issues like tight hip flexors, IT bands, glutes, hamstrings or hip impingement, it’s all stemming from your hip joint.
Yes, even though you might feel the problem in your muscles, it’s coming from your joint. That’s where all of those muscles are connected to in the first place so it makes sense, right?
And a healthy hip joint has these two characteristics:
Space around the joint
Strength and control performing the essential actions of your hips
If these two characteristics are limited, the body will start to compensate by using other areas of the hip to pick up the slack.
Hello tight…everything in your hip!
This tightness or sticky feeling is like a warning sign from your nervous system that says “Hey, pay attention! Something’s not working right down here!”
So how do we calm your nervous system down and ultimately, relieve that hip pain? (HINT: It’s a lot easier than you might think).
HOW TO UNLOCK YOUR HIPS
We already know that lack of space, strength and control around your hip joints is a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, the solution is a lot easier than you might think.
To relieve hip pain and unlock tight muscles, we use mobility exercises to attack the essential movements of your hip which include hip internal rotation, hip external rotation, hip flexion, hip extension, hip adduction, and hip abduction. This causes your nervous system to calm down and:
Releases all of that tightness…and all of those aches and pains
Increases range of motion and flexibility
Decreases movement compensations, reducing the risk of future problems
Improves balance, posture, and all movement
Develops strength and control at your joint which increases sports performance
If you’re dealing with hip issues of any kind, understanding this will be your first step towards making change.
Even though these exercises in the routine above will look simple, for those with tight hips or pain, you’ll notice that it will be challenging or feel heavy to get into each position.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
If you found that these hip mobility exercises were challenging to get into without compensating, that's a sign that you need to build strength at your hip joint.
Right now you might be ok to deal with it but ignoring this signs will eventually lead to some problems.
The good news? I’ve put together the Healthy Hips 10 Day Challenge that will help you unlock your tight, sticky hips in less than 10 minutes a day.
You’ll get the exact system I use to target the most essential areas of the hip (I call this the “Hip Hierarchy”), full coaching on how to assess your hips, and a full plan with exercises for how to unlock those hips.
Beginners to advanced movers welcome! Click the image below to check it out and I’ll see you on the inside!
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ABOUT COACH MATT PIPPIN
Matt is a Strength and Mobility Coach with over 15 years experience in his field and has coached over a thousand professional, collegiate and everyday athletes with the goal to help them move, feel and perform at their highest level. He's incredibly passionate about bringing simple and effective online mobility training programs to everyone who wants to take control of their self care and make lasting change. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Certifications:
NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Level 3: Fascial Stretch Specialist
Level 1: Institute of Motion Health Coach
Certified FRC Mobility Specialist (FRCms)
Level 1 Kinstretch Instructor
Weck Method Qualified