Strength, stability, and flexibility are all important aspects of a well-rounded fitness routine. When it comes to hip mobility exercises, having strong and mobile hips can help you move better during activities like walking, running, or even playing sports.
But why is hip mobility so important?
In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of hip mobility exercises, cover the exercises you can do to improve your hip mobility and provide a hip mobility workout for you to try.
The Importance Of Hip Mobility
Having strong and flexible hips is important for maintaining balance and proper body alignment. When we lack hip mobility, it can cause us to favor one side of our body over the other, leading to potential muscle imbalances. Improved hip mobility can also help increase speed, agility, and power in our movements.
Additionally, proper hip stability exercises can help reduce the risk of dysfunction or injury due to weak or unstable hips. Weak muscles around the hip joint can cause pain and inflammation. Doing exercises that strengthen your hip muscles will not only improve your hip mobility but also your overall stability and strength.
Lastly, hip mobility exercises will mitigate low back pain and knee pain which is the foundation of corrective exercises.
Understanding Hip Mobility
Hip mobility is defined as the ability of the hip joint to move through its full range of motion. Hip immobility can be caused by a variety of factors, such as tightness in the muscles surrounding the hip, poor posture, and even a sedentary lifestyle.
It is important to note that hip mobility exercises are different from hip stability exercises. Mobility exercises are designed to increase your range of motion and flexibility, while stability exercises help activate and strengthen the muscles around your hips.
Nevertheless, hip mobility exercises also help strengthen the muscles that surround the hip joint. Strengthening these muscles can help improve how our hips move by increasing the range of motion, meaning they are better able to move freely and with less pain.
Overall, these are injury prevention exercises that are beneficial for anyone, no matter what your fitness level.
Exercises for Hip Mobility
Listed below are exercises you can do to improve your hip mobility:
1. Lunge
- Drop your knee into hip internal rotation and lean slightly forward
- Then press your knee away and press it in towards your body about five times. If this creates some sort of impingement, you should then create more tension on the band and try again.
2. Runner’s Lunge Freestyle
- During the second stage of our approach, pick your back leg up and look for spots where you might feel a lot of stiffness. Here, we’re priming our hips for external rotation.
- Repeat this movement for about one minute or until you feel less stiff.
3. Butterfly Stretch & Pigeon Pose
- Drop into a pigeon pose and move your front foot in front of your body
- Drive your femur back and this is also a freestyle where you move your hips around to feel where it’s tightest.
- Bring your knee a little bit out toward the mat
- Outside of the mat, create a little bit more internal rotation of the hip. This is a really good hip opener and stretch.
- Lower your hips to the floor and hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat several times.
4. Fire Hydrants
- Start on your hands and knees, then lift one leg up to the side.
- Squeeze your glutes as you raise your leg higher, then lower it back down to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side for 10-15 repetitions.
5. Lateral Leg Raises
- Start by lying on your side with your legs stacked together.
- Lift the top leg towards the ceiling, then lower it back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for 10-15 repetitions, then switch sides and repeat.
6. Single Leg Deadlifts
- Start by standing on one leg, then bend your knee and hinge forward, keeping your back flat.
- Allow your free leg to extend straight behind you and hinge forward towards the floor.
- Push through your heel to raise the torso back up to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.
Hip Mobility Workout
For those looking to maximize their hip mobility and improve overall flexibility, we recommend doing this hip mobility workout three times per week. It includes exercises that target all the hip muscles and help to increase your range of motion. Plus, with variations of the workout, you can easily adjust the exercises to meet your fitness level. Make sure to take the time to stretch after each workout, as this will help prevent any muscle soreness and improve your hip mobility even further.
Personal Training In Austin, Texas
Doing exercises to improve your hip mobility can be challenging, and it’s important to have proper form to ensure you get the most out of your workout. We recommend consulting with a healthcare professional before attempting any exercises.
Plus we offer additional resources on exercises on our blog. It’s filled with helpful guides, exercises, and workout tips to help you reach your fitness goals.
If you’re looking for guidance and support, Rx Fit can help! We offer personal training services in Austin, Texas to help you reach your fitness goals. With our professional trainers, you can be sure that you are taking the right steps to improve hip mobility and overall flexibility.
