Your hips are like the hinges of a door, facilitating your ability to walk, run, and sit comfortably. When your hips are “rusty,” movement is difficult and even painful. But when they’re “well-oiled,” suddenly, everyday tasks become much easier. So how do you keep your hips running smoothly? Adding hip mobility exercises to your workout routine.
For our March 2024 Movement of the Month Club, you’ll be guided by Alicia Rios, CSCS, personal trainer and programming manager for Bold, an at-home, digital fitness platform. She’s dedicated her career to creating personalized exercise prescriptions for people who want to maintain strength, mobility and independence as they age.
Below, Rios offers quick, effective hip mobility exercises to loosen up the area around the hips, improving range of motion and reducing the risk of injury. Follow along as she demonstrates each of the six moves, which you can then combine into a feel-good flow.
If you’re following along with our Movement of the Month Club, you’ll do one move each day, Monday through Saturday. Then on Sunday, you’ll do the full 5-minute routine. Do each move for 50 seconds (25 seconds on each side, where necessary) before moving on to the next one, for a total of 5 minutes.
If you’re feeling especially tight or if you have more time, feel free to do each move for as long as feels good. With consistent practice, you’ll begin to feel more agile, less strained, and overall more in tune with your body’s needs. So, let’s dive into this 5-minute routine that your hips—and yes, the rest of your body—will thank you for.
1. Quadruped Hip CARs
CARs (controlled articular rotations) improve flexibility and range of motion in your hips, leading to better posture and improved strength.
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Start on all fours: hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
Lift your right knee an inch off the floor, then draw it up toward your right elbow.
Begin to slowly circle the hip in the largest circle possible, aiming to move through its full range of motion.
Bring your knee up toward your chest, out to the right side, around toward the back (as much as your mobility allows), then back toward the ground to the starting position.
Move deliberately and slowly, making sure to focus only on the right hip.
Reverse the move and rotate in the opposite direction.
Once you’ve done those rotations, switch to the other leg.
2. Adductor Rock Back
This move really zeroes in on the groin area to build better mobility through the hips.
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Start on all fours: hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
Extend one leg out to the side, keeping the other knee under your hip and tucking your toes.
Rock back by pushing your hips toward your heel, feeling a stretch in the groin of the extended leg.
Keep your back straight and head in line with your spine.
Perform 5 to 8 reps on one side before switching legs.
3. Seated Windshield Wiper
This dynamic movement can help improve hip strength and reduce lower back pain and even knee pain. (Everything in your body is connected!)
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Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you and hands behind you for support.
Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground, wider than hip-width apart.
Drop both knees to one side, then lift them back to the center and drop them to the other side, like windshield wipers.
Move in a controlled manner, focusing on the rotation in the hips.
Repeat.
4. 90-90 Hip Switch
The 90-90 hip switch is great for getting motion back into your hips to improve their range of motion and decrease tightness.
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Sit with one leg bent in front of you at 90 degrees and the other bent at 90 degrees behind you. Keep your spine straight and chest lifted.
Hold your hands up at chest level and maintain an upright torso as you lift and rotate your hips, switching the positions of your legs so that you’re in the opposite 90-90 position.
Repeat, focusing on smooth transitions.
5. Seated Hip Flexor Hurdle
Improve the strength of your hip flexors for more stability and a stronger core with this mobility move.
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Extend one leg straight out in front and bend the other so your foot is near the opposite inner thigh and your knee is pointing up toward the ceiling (for more of a challenge, keep your nonworking leg straight).
Place your hands behind your glutes or hug your bent knee.
Lift the straight leg, moving it in an arc over an imaginary hurdle to the side and then back to the starting position.
Perform the movement slowly and with control, focusing on the hip’s range of motion.
Repeat on this side for 5 to 8 reps before switching to the other leg.
6. Seated Hip Internal Rotation
This move not only helps improve hip mobility but also strengthens the gluteus medius, located on the outside of the hips, which improves stability and can even help with posture.
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Sit in the middle of the seat of a chair with your knees bent to 90 degrees, knees over ankles.
Place your fists in between your knees and engage your core.
Lift your right foot off the floor and sweep it out to the side as far as you comfortably can, keeping your foot flexed. Your right knee should be in the same position as it started, squeezing the fists together.
Bring it back to the floor and repeat for 5 to 8 reps.
Switch to the other leg.
