Tired of dealing with hip pain, knee pain, or even both? Do we have something for you! This tried and true primer is something we have given to our patients and see great success in reducing and in some cases eliminating pain! Our lower bodies from our hips to our ankles all work together. Where there is dysfunction in one area, compensation in another is to follow. That leads to not just pain and discomfort, but injury. With these 3 hip mobility exercises you can say goodbye to your knee and hip pain!
Why This Primer Works
Not only is this primer effective because it works on your mobility from a holistic approach, but it targets your external rotation. Why does external rotation matter? Simply because the hip controls the position of the knee. The more mobile, flexible, stable, and strong the hip is, the better the knee will be! External rotation is important because our external rotators are often weak. Weak external rotators cause the knee to collapse inward when running or exercising. Targeting these muscles will keep the knee where it should be as you do athletic and everyday activities.
The Hip Mobility Primer
Standing Hip Flexor Stretch
This flexibility exercise helps open the front of the hip. With our typical 9-5’s this area of the body when in the seated position becomes shortened and tight. Start in a split stance position and drop your back knee. Keep both your hips pointing forward and squeeze the glute of the back leg. This will help extend and open the front of the hip. Do this on each leg for 30 seconds.
Not Your GMA’S Fire Hydrants
Exactly as stated above, these are no regular fire hydrants! It all begins the same by starting on all 4’s with your spine in a neutral position. Keeping your hips pointing towards the ground open one leg out to the side. Using the same leg, externally rotate your hip, squeezing your glute, before coming back down to all 4’s. This is going to activate and stabilize that external rotator!
Hip Circles
The final exercise of this primer helps stabilize through your standing leg, while strengthening the leg that’s moving. While balancing on 1 leg, bring the opposite leg, infront or up into a 90, open out to the side (keep those hips pointing forward) then rotate down and back (squeezing that glute before releasing back to the ground.
These hip mobility exercises are intended to be done circuit style and to take no more than 10-15 minutes!
Bonus Strength Exercise!
Let’s go 1 step further and really solidify the work we’ve been doing. This is going to be so helpful in getting you even further faster on your journey to a pain free daily life!
Single Leg Box Squats
Find a suitable height for you to sit. This can be a chair, box, or anything 90 degrees and higher. If you’re new or know this is particularly challenging for you, make sure you go a little higher! You can use a pillow or some books on your chair to help elevate your seat. Balancing on one leg, slowly and controlled, lower yourself down until you’re sitting. You want to be sure you’re not leaning a lot to one side or the other and that your hips stay even. Then depending on your level, use 1 or 2 feet to stand up. If you’re standing with 1 foot, make sure that you don’t use momentum to stand. Lean forward slightly to load your leg before standing.
Watch this detailed video on the primer and best practices for the exercises:
Do these hip mobility exercises and strength exercise combo at least 1X a week for the next 4 weeks. If you’re feeling like you want faster and better results, try doing it 2-3X a week over the next 4 weeks! No matter how often you do it, consistency is key. One round will not get you lasting results. It takes approximately 3-4 weeks to see lasting change in your muscles so stay dedicated!! You’ll be happy you did.
We want to see your progress! Tag us on social media with your progress and let us know how these exercises helped you! We are here to support your fitness, your lifestyle, but most of all, YOU. Thanks for joining us this week! Subscribe to our email list to get weekly mobility tips straight into your mailbox!
Bulletproof Your Knee
Are you dealing with more than just a dull ache or a zing? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. This intermediate level program isn’t messing around with exercises programmed for ever day! This program works on all aspects of recovery and strengthening for your hips and knee to get you feeling back to yourself. See amazing results in just 15-20 mins a day with MDRx Bulletproof Knee!
