Trainers Say You Only Need These 4 Easy Exercises To Improve Hip Mobility

mobility exercises they’re the not-so-secret way to speed up tracking your fitness goals, whatever they may be. Mobility is not only important for your overall physical health and longevity, it also promotes muscle activation, decreases pain and tension, and reduces risk of injury.

So what exactly is mobility? “Mobility is having control over the full range of motion available,” says certified physical therapist Grant Yoder, DPT, of Indiana Physical Therapy. It’s key to performing at your best in all your active activities. “Without the prerequisite of mobility, we’re missing out on being as fit as we’re capable of,” says Yoder.

Meet the experts: Samantha CiacciaCSCS, is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and founder of bell mechanics. Michael Esare-Beckson, DPT, is a physical therapist at Life Care Centers of America. Grant Yoder, DPT, is a physical therapist at Indiana Physical Therapy.

Hip mobility deserves extra attention thanks to hours spent sitting, which can tighten, shorten, and cramp your hip muscles and joints (thanks, #WFH).

Hip mobility also plays an important role in daily activities like picking up the kids, going up and down the stairs, and sitting on the toilet (it’s true!). “Human beings are made to move, and if we can’t move well due to poor mobility, the body will eventually let us know through pain,” says Michael Esare-Beckson, DPT, a physical therapist at Life Care Centers of America. (Oh!)

Also, if you have poor hip mobility, the joint tends to wear out faster, says a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Samantha Ciaccia, CSCS. As a result, the surrounding tissue becomes tighter, which can cause pain and eventually lead to osteoarthritisshe explains.

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There are good news. It doesn’t take much to combat all those painful effects. Simply include hip mobility in the log to prepare your body for workouts. Read on for quick and easy exercises trainers recommend to improve hip mobility.

The 4 Best Hip Mobility Exercises

Whether your range of motion feels endless or your hips barely move, try these four exercises for a complete and efficient routine to improve your hip mobility. FYI: These are the only hip mobility exercises you need, according to Ciaccia.

While mobility training can be done anytime (and every day), Ciaccia recommends including this four-motion hip circuit at least three times a week. The best time for this hip mobility circuit is before and after a lower body workout.

Instructions: Complete the recommended repetitions for each of the four movements and repeat the circuit two or three times.

1. Hip swings

How:

1. Stand on one leg and brace your core.
2. Bend your supporting leg, rotate at the hips, and slowly lower your chest slightly forward.
3. Rotate your torso to one side (think belly button to standing leg) and hold for 30 seconds.
4. Rotate your torso to the other side (think belly button away from your supporting leg) and hold for 30 seconds.
5. Return to standing position and switch legs. Do 3 repetitions on each side.

Pro tip: Even if you feel like your hips are super tight, trust the process! “Staying consistent with routine is key to longer-term change,” says Ciaccia.

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2. Charged Beasts



Sarah Leituala / Samantha Ciaccia

How:

1. Start on all fours with your knees below your hips and your hands below your shoulders.
2. Lift your knees an inch off the ground and float.
3. Inhale and push back into a squat.
4. Pause, then exhale back to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions.

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3. Elevated hip shift 90/90



Sarah Leituala / Samantha Ciaccia

How:

1. Sit up straight with both legs bent at 90 degrees. One leg bends toward your body (internal rotation) and one leg bends away from your body (external rotation).
2. Keep your arms straight in front of you at shoulder height and keep your heels on the ground (in the same position).
3. Raise your hips and drop to your knees while maintaining a 90-degree angle in both knees.
4. Pause at the top, then maintain an upright posture as you sit back down.
5. Focus on the movement of the hip joint and switch legs. Do 3 repetitions on each side.

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4. Supported marches



Sarah Leituala / Samantha Ciaccia

How:

1. Stand tall and keep your chest up with your head, shoulders, and hips stacked in one line.
2. Place your hands on a wall and slowly raise one leg. Stop when the knee rises above the hip.
3. Hold for 30 seconds, then slowly lower your leg back to a standing position and switch sides. Do 3 repetitions on each side.

Pro tip: Don’t collapse onto your supporting leg, let your hips sink to the side, or arch your lower back during the hold.

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Is mobility the same as flexibility and stability?

No. It is important to note that hip mobility is different than flexibility and stability. However, they are all related. You can’t master one without the other, and keep in mind that your body responds to each differently. Here’s the breakdown, according to Esare-Beckson:

• Mobility is your ability to move through a range of motion.
• Stability is your ability to hold a position.
• Flexibility is the ability of your muscles to lengthen so you can get into that position.
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However, they all work together. “If you’re not flexible enough for a task, your mobility will be limited and you won’t be able to stabilize the position, even if you can get into it.”

So when does stretching come into play? “Stretching can help with mobility as it will improve your available range of motion,” says Yoder. But once you get that extra range of motion to reach a new depth, it’s important to incorporate strengthening exercises into your new available range of motion, he explains. Think lower body push up exercises, squat variationsY resistance band workout.

Bottom line: Working on hip mobility will help you perform daily movements and reach your true physical potential.

andy breitowich
Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based writer and graduate student at Northwestern Medill.

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