Your hips are one of the most mobile joints in the body that can move in just about every direction, so it’s very telling when they’re tight (as Shakira rightly said ‘hips don’t lie’). “Good hip mobility means a healthy lower back, knees and ankles,” says personal trainer, ‘Coach Milad’, co-founder of Tailored Fit PT. You don’t have to carve out chunks of time for your hips either, these four exercises from Milad will only take you seven minutes. Plus, you can do them using just your body weight.
Good hip mobility is basically like a gateway to healthier movement. It can help make everyday activities easier, whether that’s bending down to pick something up, or even squatting to sit on the toilet. Plus, it can lead to better posture, relieving back pain. But, more mobile hips can also improve your athletic performance too, making exercises like deadlifts and squats easier, and help you take longer strides when you run.
Coach Milad suggests doing one to three rounds of this hip routine, three times a week. You could do it at the start or end of your workout, or in your lunch break, either way, setting aside seven minutes isn’t too bad! For the loaded good mornings, he does use a dumbbell, however, if you don’t have one, you can always hold onto a loaded backpack, a heavy book, or a water bottle. As always, if you're not sure how to do the exercises, watch the short video above. Here’s your exercises:
- Figure four stretch – pulse for 20 reps per side
- 90/90 windshield wipers – 20 reps in total
- Couch stretch – pulse for 20 reps per side
- Good mornings – 20 reps in total
Need some more short hip sessions to sprinkle throughout your day? Try these four exercises from Cody Mooney, Managing Partner of pliability and former CrossFit Games athlete. Also, don't forget, as well as stretching and mobility exercises, it's important to strengthen the muscles around the hips too. This three-move workout using a resistance band, will help with just that.
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