‘Hips don’t lie, they play tricks,’ says Mobility Coach: 3 moves you need to get ‘fluid’ hip mobility
In a world dominated by fitness hacks — some effective, some embarrassingly poorly researched — it’s hard to know what will and won’t truly improve hip health. If you’re in need of a low-impact workout, look no further; we have brought you these three beginner-friendly exercises that really help.
To do it, scroll through for top tips to help unlock tight hips, relieve tension in your joints and open up your lower body. Focus on slow, controlled movements without rushing the exercise, and try to avoid pushing past your last mile – push yourself to your limits, and focus on making small improvements over time rather than forcing your body.
I am a travel coach, and I spend my time teaching others to improve theirs. It’s time to improve fluid hip mobility – and this is the way to start.
3 steps to liquid hip mobility
1. Half frog (inside rotation)
The half frog is a variant of the full frog pose, which involves opening both legs at the same time to mimic the frog’s resting position. From this position, you can practice lifting your foot off the ground while resting your bent knee on the mat or ground beneath you.
Exercise improves internal hip rotation, which is important for movements that involve moving your limbs closer to your body. Try elevating your knee on a yoga block for more space, if you like, like I did above. If not, do this with your leg lying on your mat.
2. Shells
The clamshell exercise not only strengthens your outer glute, the gluteus medius, which helps abduct the hips; the movement also opens your groin and stretches the inner thighs, targeting the adductors.
I like to use the loop band above my knees for this movement, but you can use your own body weight if you like. Focus on keeping your body in a modified side plank position, with your elbow resting on your mat and your shoulder resting on top of your arm.
From here, push gently with your arm to avoid dropping your shoulder and putting pressure on the joint. Keep the hips, knees and ankles together, and focus on opening the top knee as much as possible.
3. Motion picture-4 stretching
A photo 1 of 2
The figure 4 stretch, also known as the modified pigeon pose, or the supine 90/90 exercise, is great for simultaneously stretching and opening your hips. It’s kind to your lower back because you’re in a supported position on your mat, and you can put a towel or blanket under your hips for extra support.
Start with your foot on the mat, knee bent, to start. When you feel comfortable, raise both legs in the air toward your chest to deepen the stretch. If you can reach without forcing your shoulders away from the mat, connect your hands behind your leg to grab the hamstrings and bring the leg closer to you.
Keep your head on your mat and tuck your chin in slightly to maintain a neutral spine. I recommend moving between two positions, staying in each position to breathe.
Principle
Start with 30 seconds per exercise (each side) and focus on your breathing. Repeat 2-3 times. As you begin to dissolve the tension, you may want to increase the time you spend on each task.
If you can, widen your inhalation and exhalation for 3-4 seconds and inhale towards your stomach, like you are blowing up and deflating a balloon. I recommend adding these beginner-friendly exercises to an existing walking routine and repeating them a few times a week, or using them as a small stand-alone pre-workout circuit.
If you have an injury, health condition, or before or after giving birth, talk to your doctor before starting a new type of exercise.
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