Increase Range of Motion with These 8 Hip Mobility Exercises
Table of Contents
What Is Hip Mobility
Mobility is important for every individual, regardless if you are a world-class athlete or someone who hasn’t been active in a while. To be mobile means that we are able to move our bodies freely, without restriction and pain. What many people do not realize is that over time, our bodies will lose their ability to be mobile and move freely.
It will become increasingly difficult as we age to move quickly from one position to another and it can be harder to perform the activities that we used to do! Lucky, with proper attention to our range of motion, flexibility, and strength, we can maintain and even improve our mobility at every age
Hip mobility specifically refers to our ability to move the hips. Reduced or poor hip mobility can impact many of our activities and movements, and sometimes even cause injury. The hips are supported by many muscles that work together to help us move effortlessly. It is our job to stretch and maintain these muscles to achieve optimal functioning in our bodies!
Why is Hip Mobility Important
There are many reasons why Hip mobility is important! One of the more notable reasons is injury prevention. Often tight Hips can be a signal for muscle weakness or tightness in the Hamstrings, or even manifest itself as pain in the back or even the knees. Remember that the Hips are made up of multiple muscles that have a varying origin and insertion points. If the Hips are tight, they can pull on these points and cause pain in other areas of the body.
Moreover, Hip mobility is important to athletic performance. Having a full range of motion in the hips can allow the body to jump higher, squat deeper, and achieve more powerful movements.
Hip Mobility Benefits
Maintaining and improving the mobility of the Hips has many benefits. This includes,
More powerful movements
Reduced risk of injury
Increased range of motion and flexibility
Better performance
Less pain in the back and knees
Improved quality of life
Remember that increasing mobility in the Hips is not achieved overnight! It will take consistent practice before you begin to see improvements in the mobility of your hips.
Hip Muscles
The Hips are many up of many muscles that are layered on top of one another and can be grouped together. There are three main muscle groups that impact the movement of the Hips. These muscle groups are,
Each muscle group is made up of different muscles that work together to create movement at the Hips. In the Iliopsoas group, there is the Iliacus, Psoas Major, and Psoas Minor. The Glutes are made up of the Gluteus Minimus, Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Maximus, and the Tensor Fasciae Latae. The Deeper muscles of the Gluteals include the Piriformis, Obturator Internus, Obturator Externus, and Quadratus Femoris. Finally, the Hip Adductors are comprised of the Gracilis, Pectineus, Adductor Brevis, Adductor Longus, and Adductor Magnus.
8 Hip Mobility Exercises
Below are 8 Hip Mobility Exercises that you can try at home! Click on each exercise to read its full exercise tutorial, including images of how to perform the movement. Try each exercise for 3 sets of 10 reps to start, or hold the position for 30 seconds on each side.
Why Should You Perform these Hip Mobility Exercises
If you sit for the majority of the day or are looking to increase your Hip mobility, you should be consistently performing these Hip mobility stretches. Not only will these stretches help to increase your flexibility, but they will also help to relieve pain and reduce the risk of injury.
When we sit during the day, our Hip flexors can become short and tight, these exercises will help to relieve the symptoms associated with tight hips and will help you to keep your Hips healthy! There is a popular saying that goes, ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it’. This is true when it comes to your mobility in any region of the body!
