7 Dynamic Stretches to Improve Your Hip Mobility
Feb 26th, 2008 by Mehdi Tags: Flexibility, Injury
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Your hips are designed for mobility. You can rotate your thighs in & out, move them up & down, pull them to & away from your body. Or at least you should be able to do that. Most people lack hip mobility.
Sedentary lifestyle shortens your hip flexors & hamstrings which restricts hip movement. Persistent pains in your knees and/or lower back can be caused by lack of hip mobility. These 7 dynamic stretches will help you out.
Why You Need Hip Mobility. Dynamic stretches make your hip muscles regain their original length. Your body can function the way it is designed again. Pains in your knees, lower back & hip muscles can even disappear.
- Better Posture. If you have lordosis from excessive sitting, stretching your hip flexors will improve your posture & fix lower back pain.
- Correct Technique. Your lower back won’t round on Squats anymore or when lowering the weight on Deadlifts.
- Less Injuries. Your knees & lower back won’t have to compensate lack of hip mobility. This minimizes risks of injury.
Exercise Guidelines. 1 set of 10 reps per exercise. Add sets if necessary. Do the dynamic stretches pre-workout as warm-up or on non-training days for faster improvements in hip mobility.
- Focus on Quality. Not quantity, not speed, not reach. Your hip mobility will improve by doing the exercises correctly and often. Don’t cheat.
- Take it Slowly. Increase speed & range of motion as your muscles loosen. Don’t get injured by forcing the movement from the start.
- Move. These are dynamic stretches. No need to stay in a position for a better stretch. Move from rep to rep.
1. Leg Swings. Stretch your hip flexors & extensors dynamically. Flex & extend your thighs while holding on to something. Straight legs, unlocked knees. Start with small swings, increase the range of motion gradually.
- Move from The Hips. Keep your pelvis still and lower back straight. Do smaller swings if you lack hip mobility.
- Straight Back. Chest up, shoulder-blades back & down, look forward. Don’t bend your upper-back, don’t arch your lower back.
2. Side-to-Side Leg Swings. Dynamic stretch for your hip adductors & abductors. Swing your leg from side to side while holding on to something.
- Move from The Hips. Don’t allow your torso to rotate. Keep your pelvis still, chest up and shoulder-blades back & down. Look forward.
- Point Your Feet Straight ahead. Lead with your heels to keep your feet pointing forward. This also improves ankle mobility.
3. Split Squats. Stretch your hip flexors dynamically. Assume a wide stance with your feet pointing forward. Squat with both hands behind your head.
- Squeeze Your Glutes. Increases the stretch & prevents your lower back to arch. Squeeze the glute of your back leg on the way up.
- Push Your Knees out. Don’t let your knees buckle in. Push from the heels, curl your toes if necessary & push your knees out.
- Stay Tall. Look forward, keep your chest up and shoulder-blades back & down. Don’t round your back.
4. Lateral Squats. Dynamic stretch for your adductors. Assume a wide stance, the wider the easier. Squat laterally with both hands behind your head.
- Point Your Feet Straight ahead. Rotating your feet outwards is trying to compensate lack of hip mobility. Plant your feet into the floor.
- Push Your Knees out. This better involves your adductors. Push from the heels and push your knees out.
- Stay Tall. Look forward, keep your chest up and shoulder-blades back & down. Don’t round your back.
5. Rotational Squats. Stretch your adductors & abductors dynamically. Take a wide stance with your feet at a right angle. Squat to one side.
- Feet at a Right Angle. Point the feet of your Squat leg straight ahead. Feet of your other leg 90° out.
- Push Your Knees out. Push the knee of your Squat leg out. Push from the heels, curl your toes up if necessary.
- Stay Tall. Look forward, keep your chest up and shoulder-blades back & down. Don’t round your back.
6. Reverse Lunge with Twist. Dynamic stretch for your hip flexors. Step back with one leg as far as you can. Rotate to the opposite side.
- Squeeze Your Glutes. Increases the stretch & prevents your back to arch. Squeeze the glute of your back leg while rotating & on the way up.
- Watch out With Rotating. Your lower back is made for stability, don’t force rotation. Stop when you feel a stretch in your hip flexor.
- Stay Tall. Look forward, keep your chest up and shoulder-blades back & down. Don’t round your back.
7. Crossover Reverse Lunge. Dynamic stretch for your hip flexors & lateral hip muscles. Step back with one leg & put it across your body.
- Squeeze your Glutes. Increases the stretch & prevents your lower back to arch. Squeeze the glute of your back leg on the way up.
- Stay Tall. Look forward, keep your chest up and shoulder-blades back & down. Don’t round your back.
You might feel soreness in your ankles from the Lateral & Rotational Squats. This is your ankles lacking mobility. Topic of next week’s article. Subscribe to automatically get updates.
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Best post ever! — So much solid info, you’ve really put everything into this one. I’m certainly adding these routines to my existing stretches.
I’m seeing more improvement in my 5×5 exercises from just taking my stretches seriously, such as better technique and less exhaustion than anything else! I’m not sure how it is for other people, but the way my body is responding, it seems it’s the most beneficial thing.
Great Post -
Hip mobility is important to proper technique as Mehdi points out -
If readers might realize how important Hip Flexibility is to “other” aspects of our lives, we would all have incredibly flexible hips.
Nice post Mehdi, thanks for taking the trouble to include the videos as well. Definitely going to incorporate this into my 5×5 during off days.
Great article! I was looking for something like this. By the way, are static stretches, as opposed to dynamic stretches, bad for your muscles and tendons? Is there any truth to this? Anyway, I can start stretching now. Thanks!
I’m sorry. I should have searched first. To answer my question myself: No, static stretches are not bad for you. As a rule of thumb: You should do dynamic stretches pre-workout and static stretches post-workout. Learning every day here!
Thanks for the article mehdi it was great I plan to incorporate almost of all them into my prework out stretching.
Excellent post. I’ve got some real problems with hip mobility and flexibility that I’m noticing now that my weights are getting higher. I’ve been doing the leg swings, but will start the rest tonight!!
great post. ive been looking for a good article on hip mobility. looking forward to the ankle mobility one
Nice Mehdi, my favourite post yet. Great exercises that will give you a very well rounded warm-up and mobility through your hips. My favourite is the reverse lunge with twist. That really gets your hip flexors. Interesting one with the rotational squats, might have to get onto them, haven’t seen them before.
Cheers.
I’ve found by adding dynamic stretches to the warm up my whole workout is better. Thanks Mehdi. One question how long do you spend on warm ups? I generally take about 15mins in total and then a 5-7 minute cool down. Just wondering what your times are like?
@All
Thanks
@H
About 30mins. I do dynamic stretches (ankle/hip/thoracic spine) and glute activation pre workout. Desk job so I need it.
Amazing post Mehdi. Stumbled and Dugg. This is really a great article for those of us that are constantly dealing with hip mobility problems.
hey Mehdi, i’m having trouble keeping the weight on my heels as i lower myself down on the squat, what would be the solution for this.
@Rob
Thanks
@Jonny
Curl your toes up, will keep your heels on the floor.
@Jonny
I had the same problem. I was leaning forward too much and hurt my back in my first week doing stronglifts. So I started doing glute activation exercises and I really noticed a difference. I realized that I was trying to lift the weight with my legs and because of that I was leaning forward on to the balls of my feet. When I concentrated on thrusting my hips and squeezing my glutes I noticed a HUGE difference and found myslef pushing more from the heels, and can squat without any back pain at all.
Thanks for this mehdi i’m going to start doing this. I have a few questions, and comments.
First - with the videos, could you maybe do things a bit slower, and maybe wear some lighter coloured clothes so it’s easier to see where your limbs are going etc.
Second - bit confused about which muscles i’m supposed to be stretching with these excercises. the adducters are the ones that go down the inside leg right? - i can feel them stretching. but i’m not really sure about the others?
Hey I think I found my hip flexors! they were probably difficult to find because i’m in the habit of not using them huh? if i really concentrate on keeping my pelvis neutral i can feel them right on the front of the hip joint on the stretches. still not sure about the abductors tho.
@Monty
Check out this article on wikipedia for the hip joint muscles.
Hi Mehdi, a post close to my own heart.
Sometimes a break from weighted exercise will work wonders for your strength. The exercises you demonstrate are perfect for improving flexibility and mobility, without these abilities your strength potential will never be reached.
I like the use of videos too, practise what you preach is a good philosophy.
This site on squat problems is the best I’ve seen. Well done, mate, and thank you for the great help!
Why do you keep your hands behind your head?
would these help with lordosis too?
I have been getting these annoying hip pain in my right side when doing barbell rows, i have no clue where it comes from.
Sometimes its hard to get up and stand up straight after doing a set.
Im sure im doing the excerise the right way, although i hardly ever do hip stretches, ( never really ) so i will try these stretches out and see if it solves my problem.
I heard something about a tennis ball underneath the hip when lying on you’re belly?What is it exactly do?
Thanx for this info mehdi!
maybe tight psoas muscle is your problem, you can try tennis ball and also static stretches.
you can find some info about using the tennis ball here:
http://laurensfitness.com/2008/02/29/tennis-ball-part-3-upper-body/
i think you shoud first do some tennis ball massage and then stretching:
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-stretch-your-psoas/
@ yemu
thnx for the reply bro.
edit: wow some really nice stretch excersises there, thnx again yemu!
Perfect! I am learning chen tai chi which requires hip mobility! I only just figured out it was so hard to get because i had hardly any hip mobility. I’ll definitly be trying these stretches, i’m sure they will make a big difference.
Is it recommended to all the exercises at the same time? Because at the moment I’m thinking of doing leg swings on monday, side-to-side leg swings on Tuesday and so forth.
Besides that, great article and those for triceps, wrist, glutes etc.
wonderful post!!! thank you