There is nothing less hip in this lush green earth than a pair of hips that can’t boogie oogie oogie down when the DJ plays your jam (mine’s Miley Cyrus Party in the USA; I just lose my ever-loving mind when that song comes on).
Songs that make you shake your tail feathers aside, a lack of hip mobility is no joke.
Like the shoulder, the hip is a joint that likes to roam free, moving forward and back, in and out, internal and external rotation. When we start to lose that range of motion, from sitting or standing in one position too long or just never letting your hips know the joys of a deep squat for years. This is when you start to notice some joint discomfort.
When the hip doesn’t move properly or can’t get into a range it wants, your body doesn’t just say, “well screw it we’re just not going to do that.” No, it says something like, “Oh, I’ll get you to where you want to go you just might not like how I am going to do it.”
And that is where other joints step in to help. To squat down you might start bending or twisting at the knees and if that is not enough, the lower back starts to step in to help get you where you want to go. This is how knee discomfort and lower back pain can creep into your life.
Why should you do hip mobility drills?
- Healthier hip joints
- Knees and back stick to what they are good at (being stable, not mobile)
- Having a killer squat and hip hinge
- People say things like, “Did you just see that guy/gal getting down like a young James Brown?”
Top 3 Hip Mobility Drills
Kneeling Glute Mobility
3×6-10each
Hips Flexed Hip Rocking
3×8-10each
90/90 Hip Switches
3×5-8each
I find the best time to do these drill is in your warm up, in between sets of your main lift, or when you are 30 minutes deep in your latest Netflix addiction.
Your fitness Sherpa,
Josh W
