If your hips are feeling tight or immobile after long periods of sitting or doing intense workouts, don’t worry. You are definitely not the only one facing such an issue. For a majority of individuals, poor hip mobility happens so gradually that it becomes a usual condition without them even noticing. Not only does it affect how they feel, but it can also cause posture instability and even make a person move less efficiently during workouts. That’s how this hip mobility routine changed the game for me.
I was searching for a workout that was fast, didn’t require any equipment and had genuine results. This 16-minute session was all of that. The 8 simple exercises that were the part of the program really brought out the best in me. The program didn’t require the gym or any equipment.
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Why Mobile Hips Are So Important
Our hips are the base for almost all of our body movements. Walking, standing, lifting, running — everything emanates from the hips. Unfortunately, due to the modern lifestyle (sitting at the desk all day), hips usually suffer from muscle stiffness, poor mobility, and weakness. When these issues start nagging our body, the lower back takes the strain, posture is damaged, and the risk of injuries ramps up.
But here is the good news: a strictly concentrated hip mobility routine can be the first step in healing in you the duration of mere minutes a day. When you are gliding from one range of motion to another very carefully, the small muscles, which actually safeguard the hip muscles, start taking charge and the tension in the surroundings decreases. The consequence is: the balance goes in your favor, you can move with ease, and also, you are less prone to feel pain during your daily workouts and activities.
What This 8-Move Routine Looks Like
The entire movement takes about 60 seconds on one side for each of 8 moves, which comes to about 16 minutes in total. If you’re not really into mobility work or you are very tight, you can perform shorter poses until you are more relaxed and flexible with the exercises. The main point is that the motion must be constant and performed alongside calm inhalations and exhalations.
Each exercise has been conceived so as to address the hip flexors, adductors, rotators, and glutes – the key muscle groups responsible for hip function. Especially if you experience joint sensitivity, I would suggest you expose yourself to the flat surface a yoga mat or a soft surface might be.
Let’s have a closer look at the content:
- Dynamic stretches that are carried out while opening your hips are the main focus here.
- Movements in rotation which are going to improve your internal and external range of motion.
- The glute activation process will help the hips to stay aligned.
- Resets to your body position which make you sit or even stand straighter are at your service.
When you finish, you will be able to tell that your hips have moved through all the directions they are able to — forward, backward, side to side, and rotationally.
What I Experienced After the First Session
Initially, I felt uncomfortable with the postures in some of the exercises. Now that I was moving slowly and that I didn’t miss any task, I started to realize the little positive changes. My hip area was not as “dead” as before, and I was more powerful in exercises (for instance, performing squats or lunges) than I was before.
Another entire story was how it improved my posture. At the usual time in the afternoon, I wouldn’t have been able to sit in.I always slumped forward at my desk by then. But after practising the routine for a few days, I recognized that I was sitting taller without me being actively aware. It was like I had instructed myself unconsciously on how to keep a good posture.
Who Would Benefit from Applying This Hip Mobility Routine?
This set of exercises is beginner-friendly and, at the same time, it can be of real help for those who are substantially involved in weight lifting, running, cycling, or executing high-intensity workouts. In the case of stiffness, being inactive for some time or just having the desire to become more productive, this is absolutely a good place to start.
Sporting an injury or being subject to restricted movement calls for a discussion with a physical therapist as the first course of action. At any rate, this schedule is not only gentle but also easy to modify – just make sure you slow down and take it easy if your body tells you so.
How To Get The Most Of It
Surely, you can become a user of this routine as an isolated session on your days off or combine it with your warm-up before a stronger workout. This is also perfect for lower-body strength days or a recovery after cardio sessions. If you want to benefit from it the most, try to practice it three to four times a week.
Furthermore, if you decide to not stop there, add in strength training exercises to your mobility work that are designed to improve your hip region like glute bridges, Bulgarian split squats, and hip thrusts. Combining strength with mobility is the unbeatable costume for turning the cogs of movement performance for the long haul.
The 16-minute hip mobility routine may not seem like an intense workout but the results are there to witness. In only a week, I felt more flexible, was taller, and moved more elegantly in almost every activity. Sometimes there are simple routines that best suit one’s physical needs.
Has there been a need for you to free your hips up lately? Or are you more about being active and making sure you’re balanced all the while? The mobility session, being both brief and effective, not only helps you get started but also may transform your daily movement activities significantly.
