Many people of all fitness levels and abilities, ages, and backgrounds, struggle with hips that feel like the tin man in the Wizard Of Oz! It doesn’t have to be this way!
Did you know you can improve BOTH strength and mobility at the same time?
Here are 5 of my go-to exercises that deliver a huge bang for your buck and improve both hip strength and mobility!
#1) Side Lying Hip External Rotations
This exercise helps improve hip external rotation.
If you struggle to keep your knees from collapsing in during squats or other movements, this exercise will be very useful to you.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie down on your side. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Fully extend your upper leg.
- Bend the knee of your lower leg to approximately 90 degrees. If you can’t keep your bottom knee on the floor (likely the case for many people), place a pad underneath your knee. As your hip external rotation improves, you will likely be able to progressively reduce the height of the pad. Lightly press down on this knee for the duration of the exercise.
- While keeping your body still, use your hip external rotators, and lift your foot/lower leg off the floor, and to a range where you are able to use proper form.
- Once you get to your end range, pause and contract your hip external rotators.
- Use a range where you can maintain proper form/don’t compensate. Return to the starting position with complete control.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps per side.
#2) Prone Single Leg Hip Extensions With Block Squeeze
This exercise strengthens the glutes, and improves shoulder and scapular stability.
To note, in this video I am using a smaller range of motion as this is likely the range many will need to use when they are starting out (in order to not compensate by arching the back).
If you don’t have a yoga block you can use a pillow or other object.
Coaching Tips:
- Get onto your forearms and knees. Your shoulders should be above your elbows, and thighs in a vertical position. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Place a yoga block or other similarly sized object behind your knee.
- Your lower leg should be pointing up towards the ceiling. For the duration of the exercise, keep your knee bent at about 45-90 degrees, contract your hamstrings and glutes on this side, and squeeze the yoga block.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Use your glutes and extend your hip, and lift your knee off the floor to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. Be very cognizant that you perform the extensions by using your glutes, not by arching your lower back.
- In the top position, pause for a count and really squeeze your glutes.
- Lower to the bottom/starting position with complete control.
- For the duration of the exercise, press your body away from the floor and protract your shoulder blades (spread them apart and move them away from your spine, and around your ribcage). Do not mindlessly hang out on your shoulders.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or shoulder blades to elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, excessively round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps per side.
#3) Supine Band Resisted Hip Internal Rotations + Block Squeeze
This exercise improves hip internal rotation.
If you don’t have a yoga block you can use a pillow or other object.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on your back on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Place a band around your feet (or ankles). There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Place your thighs in a vertical position, and bend your knees.
- Place a yoga block/object between your knees. For the duration of the exercise, press your knees into the block/object.
- While keeping your thighs vertical and parallel, internally rotate your femurs (thighbones). When you do, your feet will travel away from the midline of your body.
- Use a range where you can use proper form/don’t compensate.
- Return your legs and feet to the starting position with complete control.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your thighs in a vertical position, and knees above your hips.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
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#4) Half Kneeling Hip Mobility/Hip Strengthener Against Wall + Band Resistance
This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, improves hip mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band around your feet. Get into a kneeling position, and lightly rest your hands against a wall/stable surface.
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Start with both knees bent at about 90 degrees.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes (on the planted side).
- While keeping your knees bent at 90 degrees, lift one leg so your knee moves away from the midline of your body, then returns to the midline of your body, and finishes with your thigh parallel to the floor or higher.
- Pause for a count in the top position, then perform the reverse movements and return to the starting position with control.
- Stop before your leg/foot comes into contact with the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knee on the planted side to fall inside or outside of your foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes on the planted side.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per side.
#5) 90 Degree Hip Mobility/Strengthener Lifts
This exercise strengthens the glutes, and improves hip mobility (internal and external rotation).
Coaching Tips:
- Sit on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Bring one leg so it is ahead of you, and bend your knee to about a 45-90 degree angle. For the duration of the exercise, keep this leg in this position, and flat on the floor.
- On the other side, bring your leg behind you, and bend it to about a 45-90 degree angle.
- Place a low object so it is on the inside of the lower leg of the back leg.
- Place your hands so they are on the outsides of your thigh of the front leg, and lightly rest your hands on the floor.
- While keeping your knee of the back leg on the floor, use your hip muscles and lift your foot/lower leg over the object in a medial direction.
- Lightly touch your foot to the floor, then lift your foot/lower leg over the object in a lateral direction.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not let your foot or leg strike the object.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps per side.
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