The Hip joint consists of a ball and socket where the top of the thigh meets the pelvis. To be more specific it’s where the femur bone sinks into the Acetabulum socket.

The hips have a huge job to do offering stability for the upper torso and also providing locomotion.

The hips sacrifice mobility for stability unlike the shoulder joint.

Movement is vital for the health of the hips because the act of movement helps:

1. Regenerate fresh cartilage
2. Suck the nourishing synovial fluid through the joint
3. Maintain good end ranges of movement

Ironically it is the lack of movement of the hip joint following disease or injury that leads to their demise. With a limited blood supply to the joint it is the act of movement that produces a pumping effect bringing fresh blood in and flushing it away.

In order to maintain a healthy hip joint the joint needs to be exercised to its full range in all directions. Walking is an excellent exercise to pump nutrients into the hip joints but its limited range is not enough.

If hip joint movements are limited to only activities like walking and sitting then the hip capsules range begins to reduce.

As hip movement gets limited the body begins to compensate in order to maintain optimal performance. The first area that usually gets affected is the lower back.

In short, if the hips can’t produce the desired movements then the lower back will.

Although the lower back (lumbar spine) is designed for slight movement it is not designed to produce compensations for the hips and this is where the problems begin.

So for healthy hips keep moving but also work the joint through its full range to save your lower back.

Here are a collection of effective hip mobility movements for you to practice:

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# 1 – Forward Leg Swings

This is a really simple movement that you can practice virtually anywhere.

Stand on one leg, hold onto something if you need help with your balance, and then swing the leg backwards and forwards.

It is the backwards swing that is the most important as this range of movement is the first to go.

Avoid arching your back as you swing the leg backwards and try to keep as straight a leg as possible.

If you stand on a small step, box or platform you will find it even easier to swing your leg through without touching the floor.

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# 2 – Side Leg Swings

Very similar to the forward leg swings only this time your swing the leg across the body in front of you.

Try to maintain a forward pointing toe position as you swing left and right.

So lead with the heel as you swing across the body.

Again you can hold onto something for balance but it is a great challenge to try without.

If you get the hands moving in the opposite direction it will help.

You will also notice that the ankle on the floor also gets mobilized during each leg swing.

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# 3 – Circular Leg Swings

The final one of the leg swing section and this movement takes the joint through a full 360 degrees.

Again standing on one leg rotate the other leg around in circles by the side of your static leg.

You can start with small circles and then build up to larger and larger circles.

If you can perform this exercise without hold on to anything you will also develop stabilizing strength in your standing hip.

Try 60 seconds of circles without putting your foot down and you will see what I mean.

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# 4 – Yoga Squats

Probably one of my favourite mobility exercises because it not only helps mobilize the hips but also most of the other joints too!

Start off with hands above your head and drop down into a deep squat, keeping your weight on your heels.

If you find it hard to get down nice and deep then turn your feet out slightly and widen your legs.

Once down place your hands down and straighten your legs.

Next sit back down into the deep squat and stand again.

Start performing 10 Yoga Squats every morning and it will change your life!

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# 5 – High Step Lunge

This movement not only opens the hips of the one leg but also encourages hip extension with the other.

Remember hip extension is the first range to go so it’s a great movement to practice.

Start facing a chair or high step. Place one foot up onto the chair and carefully kneel down on the floor with the other leg.

Next push your hips forwards and the crown of your head upwards.

Squeeze the buttock of the leg kneeling on the floor.

Try not to arch your back, the movement must come from the hips not the lower back.

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# 6 – Deep Lunge

Wow this movement will certainly give your hips a new lease of life.

Starting from a Push Up position take one foot and place it to the outside of your hand.

Next breathe out and sink your hips to the floor.

Hold for 5 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.

The more flexible your hips become the further forward you can place your foot.

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# 7 – Cossack

Not just a great dance move but also an excellent hip mobility exercise.

Start with your feet double shoulder width apart with your toes pointing outwards.

Hold onto a chair, table or stability ball in front of you if necessary.

Next drop into a deep lunge on the one side keeping your heels on the floor and keeping the one leg straight.

Hold at the bottom for a few seconds and then repeat on the other side.

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# 8 – The Frog

Taking a stretch from the ballet world ‘The Frog’ will really help to open up those hips but it is an aggressive stretch so be careful.

Start on your hands and knees making sure you have a mat or soft surface beneath you.

Next slowly spread your knees apart keeping your feet together.

Take your time, the more mobile your hips the deeper you will be able to drop into the movement.

Certainly not recommended for the beginner but a great stretch for when you are ready.

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# 9 – Baby Pose

One of my favourite hip mobility exercises for beginners and excellent for those suffering with lower back pain.

Lie on your back with your feet in the air.

Next reach up and grab the outside of the feet, you can also just grab the knees.

Gently pull one knee towards the armpit followed by the other.

You can work on rhythmical patterns here alternating legs or pulling both at the same time.

As your mobility improves sink your knees deeper and deeper into your armpits.

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# 10 – Pigeon Lunge

A slightly more advanced exercise that will help open up a tough hip capsule.

Start in the Push Up position and then take one leg across and underneath your body.

Lay the leg flat so your knee is pointing forwards and underneath your chest.

Next slowly lower yourself onto the knee and support yourself on your forearms.

Take deep breaths and let your hips sink down towards the floor.

For an even more intense stretch reach out your arms in front of you and lay forwards.

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# 11 – Figure Four

The Piriformis muscle can literally be a pain in the arse.

This movement not only helps to stretch the Piriformis muscle but also the very strong Gluteal muscles that effect the positioning of the femur in its socket.

Start by lying down on your back with your knees bent and both feet touching a wall.

Next cross one leg over so the ankle rests just above the knee.

Apply gentle pressure to the knee to feel the stretch in your buttock.

The more your legs are bent and you’re closer to the wall the stronger the stretch.

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# 12 – Dynamic Hip and Thoracic Spine

This is an all encompassing movement that not only opens up your hips but also strengthens the core and opens up the often locked up Thoracic Spine.

Follow the same movement as the #6 Deep Lunge but once the foot has been placed next to the hand take the arm closest to the instep of the forward leg and place the forearm on the floor.

Next take the same arm and reach up and rotate the chest, opening the upper back.

Hold for a few seconds and the repeat, 5 on each side is a good start.

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# 13 – Step Overs

A nice easy movement to practice but one that is often performed badly.

From a standing position take the knee out to the side and lift the foot. Next rotate forwards and place the foot down in front of you.

Repeat on the other side.

You should actively be moving forwards looking like you are stepping over something.

Try to lift the foot as high as possible but don’t compensate with the lower back.

Stand tall and focus on movement solely coming from the hips.

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Final Conclusion

As with all exercises please start off slowly and progress gradually.

Being able to breathe calmly and deeply is a good sign that you can handle the movement.

Practice these movements little and often for maximum results!

 

Have you tried any of these exercises? Let me know more below:

Warming up prior to your workout is an essential part of any exercise routine and should never be avoided.

During this article I’ll be exploring the warm up routine and helping you understand exactly what warm up exercises you should be using and why they are so important.

Why Should You Warm Up Before Exercise?

Warming up prepares the body for the oncoming workout and reduces the risk of injury as well as optimising your performance.

Here are some of the reasons why warming up is so vital:

1. Improve joint lubrication through the production of synovial fluid
2. Increase your mental preparation for the task ahead, get in the zone and correct mindset for your workout
3. Integrate the muscular stabliser system with the prime mover system so you are better able to perform full body movements more efficiently
4. Warm up the soft tissue so your muscles are more pliable, move more efficiently and less likely to cause damage
5. Increase blood flow through muscle tissue and thus increasing metabolism and temperature
6. Elevate the heart rate so beginning exercise creates less of an initial stress to the body
7. Increase muscle temperatures because oxygen is released more easily when warmer
8. Improve motor unit recruitment of particular movement patterns suitable for the prescribed workout
9. Integrate left and right brain hemispheres to improve movement skills

It would be a common mistake to go straight from sitting down all day to throwing around weights or putting your body through a demanding workout.

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When Should You Warm Up?

You should always warm up just before your workout.

Once you have finished your warm up you should move straight onto your workout.

If you wait too long before starting your workout then your body and mind have time to cool down and you will have to repeat your warm up routine again.

Leave no longer than 30 seconds to 2 minutes between your warm up routine and your workout.

Never skip your warm up regardless of the amount of time you have.

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What Should You Include in Your Warm Up?

1. Joint Mobility

The further you can move your joints through their active range of movement the more mobile you are.

As we age we loose mobility through the joints and become less and less mobile.

Good mobility truly is the fountain of youth!

A good mobility routine will not only help to lubricate the joints with synovial fluid but it will also help to maintain a good level of joint mobility.

The stiffer the joints become the more laboured the movements become.

It takes a lot more energy to move a stiff joint through its range than a mobile joint through its range.

You will improve your economy of movement by increasing your mobility.

Your mobility also has a direct impact on the way your body moves as an integrated unit.

If you have tight hips then your lower back will need to become more mobile in order to move fluidly.

If you have tight ankles then your knees will need to compensate in order to deal with uneven ground.

Most of the injuries I see and rehabilitate come from a lack of mobility somewhere along the kinetic chain!

Joint mobility should be approached systemically from head to toe spending more time on stiff joints and less time on mobile joints.

The Shoulder Corkscrew is an excellent  joint mobility exercise:

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2. Integration

Prepare the body for exercise by Integrating your body.

Your body consists of small stabiliser muscles that keep your joints in place and larger prime mover muscles that do all the heavy lifting.

The easiest way to integrate your stabiliser muscles with your prime mover muscles is to challenge your balance.

As your balance gets challenged your nervous system works overtime and survival systems get turned on.

Ever noticed how alert you are when challenged with a survival situation.

Another important part of integration is activating your right and left brain hemispheres.

Your right brain communicates with the left side of the body and the left brain with the right side.

Simple ways to integrate the 2 brain hemispheres are to perform cross body movements that cross the centre line.

Here’s an example exercise that crosses the mid-line:

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3. Movement Preparation

Movement preparation involves practicing specific movements that mimic the movements that you will be using in your workout.

Jogging on a treadmill or sitting on an exercise bike for 5 minutes have no direction correlation with a workout that is focusing on Squats or Deadlifts.

If your workout is focused on Squats then you need to perform some bodyweight squats or light squats prior to your workout.

In other words practice the movement patterns that will be used in your workouts.

Movement preparation based exercises not only copy the exact movement patterns in preparation for the workout but they also give you time to improve them.

So if your squat pattern is bad then now is the time to really work on improving technique before adding further load.

The Yoga Squat is an excellent Squat Movement preparation exercise:

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4. Soft Tissue

It is very important to keep all of your soft tissue in good condition.

Muscles, tendons and ligaments that have micro-tears, adhesions and scar tissue needs to be addressed and assisted in the recovery process.

You can use a foam roller, tiger tails, tennis ball and various other tools to improve soft tissue quality.

I used to spend more time before workouts addressing soft tissue but now I tend to NOT include this procedure as part of the warm up.

I now reserve soft tissue recovery for days when not exercising.

Finding a good sports massage therapist and having them address your issues every 1-4 weeks can make a huge difference to both your recovery rate and frequency of injury.

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How to Warm Up Effectively?

Step # 1 – Joint Mobility

OK, so lets get started with the warm up.

You will want to begin with the Joint Mobility phase. I recommend that you start at the top of the body and work your way down.

So you can follow this order:

• Neck (Cervical Spine)
• Shoulders
• Upper Back (Thoracic Spine)
• Hips
• Wrists and Ankles

Think about how the joint moves and then replicate that movement.

So we know that the Neck moves left and right, forwards and backwards, and side to side.

Take the joint as far as it will go without causing pain.

Remember you are trying to improve your mobility so move right up to the extreme of your joint movement and not just your mid range.

If a particular joint feels tight or lacks movement then spend more time on that area.

Gradually push the joint further and further to its extreme range.

If a particular joint has great mobility then don’t spend too much time there move onto the next movement.

Here’s a Quick Full Body Mobility Routine…

 
This routine is a great supplement for anyone that suffers with their joint mobility.

Perform the routine as many times as you can manage, it’s especially good for days off between workouts.

I guarantee you’ll feel amazing after you have finished!

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Step # 2 – Integration

OK, now your joints are nice and mobile lets move onto the Integration Phase.

As mentioned earlier the best way to do this is by challenging your balance and also performing exercises that cross the centre line.

Integration Exercise # 1 – Standing Elbow to Knee

Here you not only get to challenge your balance and fire up your nervous system but also integrate your left and right brain hemispheres.

If you find this exercise too easy then try performing the same exercise but standing on a BOSU ball or foam pad.

10 – 20 reps is a Good Start

Integration Exercise # 2 – Bird Dog with Rotation

This exercise is slightly more difficult than the standing elbow to knee and requires a little more core control.

Again great for left and right integration.

If you find this one too easy try it on a BOSU Ball, Foam Pad or Stability Ball.

5 – 10 on each side will do it.

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Step # 3 – Movement Preparation

So finally we are onto Movement Preparation.

This is the phase where you need to think hard about what exercises you are performing in your workout.

Depending on your workout you will mimic the same movement patterns so if you are performing a number of loaded Squats in your workout you will want to practice the Squat movement.

The same theory applies if you are performing lots of Lunges or Deadlifts or Presses.

Here’s a simple Guide:

• Loaded Squats >> Practice Bodyweight Squats
• Loaded Lunges >> Practice Bodyweight Lunges Forwards and Sideways
• Loaded Bench Press >> Practice Light Bench Press and Push Ups
• Loaded Deadlifts >> Practice Bodweight Single Leg Deadlifts
• Loaded Rows >> Practice Light Rows

I think you get the general idea.

Basically repeat the movement but with less or no added weight to the movement.

Here the Bodyweight Single Leg Deadlift:

You would use this as a movement preparation for further Deadlift exercises.

Try 5 – 10 reps on each leg.

If your workout is going to involve running or sprinting then again you need to replicate the movement pattern.

So some gentle jogging, knee to elbow rotational movements and lunging will prepare you.

Think logically about how your Warm Up applies to YOUR workout. Don’t just follow someone else’s warm up because all workouts are different!

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Warming Up Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don’t have much time?

A warm up is an important part of your workout, it is not separate from your workout.

If you are short on time then focus on warming up for a shorter workout.

So perhaps your workout may only involve Squats and some Core exercises.

If this is the case then warm up just for the Squat movement.

For example 20 Bodyweight Squats, 2 x 15 Dumbbell Squats, 3 x 8 Barbell Squats.

What if warming up is too difficult?

For many people following the above format may be hard work.

For example 10 bodyweight squats is a warm up exercise for one person but a workout for another.

If you find bodyweight squats or warm exercises tough then this IS your workout.

Spend time practicing the movements until you feel ready to move on to more difficult exercises later.

What if the warm up makes me feel tired before my workout?

Warm up exercises should leave you invigorated and ready to get stuck into your workout.

If you feel tired following your warm up then you have either done too much, need to work solely on your warm up exercises or need to take another day off and come back refreshed.

How long should I warm up?

Your warm up should be a direct reflection of your workout and current environment.

For tough workouts you should warm up more intensely.

If you are in a warm climate then it will take less time to raise your core and muscle temperature.

As a rough guide 10 – 15 minutes should do the trick.

Should I stretch as a warm up?

Research now shows that stretching prior to exercise can have a serious effect on muscle performance.

Stretching in order to better maximise a movement pattern can be acceptable but it should be monitored by a professional.

Joint mobility movements are far better at the beginning of a workout than the old fashioned static stretch.

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Warm Up Conclusions

Hopefully you now understand the importance of warming up before exercise.

Keep it simple and learn to not only listen to your body but also think about what movements will be involved in your workout.

Begin with Joint Mobility, then move onto Integration and finally finish with Movement Preparation.

A simple 10 – 15 minute warm up routine will not only help to maximise your workout but also keep you out of the Physiotherapists clinic for many years to come.

 

How do you like this Warm Up? Let’s me know more below…