Do your hips ever feel stiff? Do you wish you could move more freely in any direction?
If so, it's time to give your hips some love.
Unlocking the full potential of your hip mobility can make a world of difference when it comes to athletic performance.
Through simple exercises, stretching, and targeted therapy work for the hips, athletes can take charge of their body’s agility.
In this blog post, we are about to uncover the best hip mobility exercises that can take your athletic potential to a whole new level:
Hip Mobility Strength Exercises
These are some of the most result-driven hip mobility workouts for athletes and everyone else:
1. Butterfly Hip Stretch
The Butterfly Hip Stretch is a highly beneficial hip mobility exercises for athletes.
It helps to release tension in the hips and inner thighs, making it particularly useful for individuals with tightness in these areas.
Regular practice of the Butterfly Hip Stretch can enhance the range of motion in the hip joints, making daily activities like walking, running, and even sitting more comfortable and efficient.
Step-By-Step Guide:
- Sit on the floor with your back straight and legs extended in front of you.
- Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together, allowing your knees to drop towards the ground.
- Hold your feet with your hands, interlacing your fingers around your toes.
- Gently press your knees down towards the floor using your elbows, feeling a stretch in your hips and inner thighs.
- Keep your back straight and your chest lifted throughout the stretch.
- Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds, breathing deeply.
- Release the stretch slowly and repeat as desired.
2. Frog Squat
Regular practice of the Frog Squat can lead to better hip stability and balance, making it beneficial for various physical activities and sports that involve lateral movements or quick changes in direction.
Additionally, this exercise can help alleviate tightness and discomfort in the hip region, especially for individuals who spend prolonged periods sitting or have sedentary lifestyles.
Incorporating the Frog Squat into your hip mobility exercise routine can improve overall hip health and enhance your performance in daily activities and exercises requiring optimal hip mobility.
Step-By-Step Guide:
- Start by getting down on all fours, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Slowly widen your knees apart as much as you comfortably can.
- Keep your toes pointed outward, and gradually sit back towards your heels, maintaining a neutral spine.
- You should feel a stretch in your hips and groin area. Adjust the depth of the squat according to your comfort level.
- Hold the pose for 20-40 seconds, breathing deeply and relaxing into the position.
- To come out of the stretch, push yourself back up to the starting position.
3. Hip 90/90
By sitting in the 90/90 position, with one leg bent in front at a 90-degree angle and the other leg bent behind at a 90-degree angle, this hip mobility stretche targets the hip adductors, abductors, and external rotators.
Holding this position gently stretches the muscles around the hips, including the glutes and hip flexors.
Moreover, it can help reduce tightness and discomfort in the hip region, improve overall hip joint health, and contribute to better posture and alignment during everyday activities.
This exercise is particularly useful for athletes, individuals with sedentary lifestyles, and those seeking to enhance their hip flexibility for improved athletic performance and reduced risk of hip-related injuries.
Step-By-Step Guide:
- Sit on the floor with your right leg extended straight in front of you.
- Bend your left knee and swing it back, so your left shin is parallel to your body, and your left foot is beside your right hip.
- The angle between your right thigh and the floor should be close to 90 degrees, and your left thigh and shin should also form a 90-degree angle.
- Gently rotate your upper body towards your right leg, feeling a stretch in your right hip and glutes.
- Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds while keeping your back straight and chest lifted.
- Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
4. Kneeling Lunge
It is one of the best mobility workouts for hips and glutes as it helps to release tension and tightness in the hip flexors, which can be particularly beneficial for individuals who spend long hours sitting or have limited hip mobility.
Regularly practicing the Kneeling Lunge can lead to increased hip flexibility, better range of motion in the hip joints, and improved hip stability.
Additionally, the Kneeling Lunge can aid in improving posture and balance by strengthening the muscles around the hips and promoting proper alignment during various daily movements and exercises.
Step-By-Step Guide:
- Start in a kneeling position on the floor with both knees bent at 90 degrees.
- Step your right foot forward, positioning it in front of you, so your knee is directly above your ankle.
- Your left knee should be on the ground behind you, and your left foot can either be flexed or pointed, depending on your comfort.
- Gently shift your weight forward onto your right leg, feeling a stretch in your left hip flexor and quad.
- Keep your upper body upright, and avoid arching your back.
- Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds, breathing deeply.
- Return to the starting position and switch legs to repeat on the other side.
5. Lying Hip Rotation
Regular practice of Lying Hip Rotation can increase hip range of motion, making it beneficial for activities involving rotational movements like sports and dance.
Moreover, this hip mobility exercise can alleviate lower back pain caused by tight hip muscles and improve overall hip joint health.
It is an excellent addition to any warm-up routine or cooldown session, promoting better hip function, flexibility, and comfort in daily movements and physical activities.
Step-By-Step Guide:
- Lie flat on your back with your arms extended out to the sides, forming a T shape.
- Bend your knees and bring your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart.
- Keeping your shoulders on the ground, gently drop both knees to the right side towards the floor.
- Hold the pose for 20 seconds while feeling your left hip and lower back stretch.
- Return your knees to the center, then drop them to the left side, stretching the right hip and lower back.
- Hold the stretch for 30+ seconds on this side as well.
- Repeat the rotation from side to side as desired.
Final Verdict
All in all, getting up and moving is the key to unlocking our hip mobility potential.
By putting just a bit of effort into doing these hip mobility exercises daily, we are one step closer to becoming masters at being active and living fuller lives.
So, if you’ve been feeling a little stiff in the hips lately, why not give it a go? After all, there’s no time like the present to start making some serious gains.