Having proper hip mobility and strength is important for long term function and highest quality of your life. Your hip itself provides numerous different ranges of motion that should naturally be moved in a variety of ways, to ensure that you keep the joint happy and healthy. Through the use of consistent stretching and ranging of these positions, you can ensure your hips will remain in their top shape for a long time. Let’s take a look at 3 great hip stretches that you should do everyday to improve flexibility and function.
Before You Begin
Before you do these stretches, you will need a bench or something sturdy to hold onto and assist yourself in the stretch. I personally am using an adjustable weight bench for the exercise. You can check out the adjustable bench that we recommend with our Amazon Associates link, here.
3 Hip Stretches You Should Do Everyday to Improve Flexibility and Function
The 3 hip stretches that we will focus on today, and that are mentnmioed in the video above, provide multipole angles to stretch and mobilize the hip. The 3 stretches we will look at are:
- Assisted Half Lunge Stretch
- Partial Splits Stretch
- Forward Fold Stretch
Assisted Half Lunge Stretch
For the assisted half lunge stretch, you will put one of your feet up onto the bench or step. Make sure that the bench or step is about the same height as your knees. With your foot that is planted on the ground, move it a few steps back from the bench. Next, you will slowly push the knee forward of the foot that is up on the bench. You will stretch and range a large amount of your hip during this movement, and also work your knee joint as well. To make the exercise easier, increase the height of the bench. You can also step back your plant foot on the ground to stretch more of your hip flexor, when you push your knee forward of the leg up on the bench. Make sure your repeat this movement on both sides.
Partial Splits Stretch
For this mobility and flexibility exercise for function, you will start with your feet spread out wide. As mentioned in the video, you want to have a base outside of your normal stance range. Next, you will slowly bend one of your knees, and lean towards the side of the bent knee. This will give a gentle stretch on the inner portion of your thigh. You can then ease your body back and forth from knee to knee to stretch and mobilize these tissues for yourself. It would be recommended to help onto something if you feel unsteady when doing this exercise.
Forward Fold Stretch
The last position, is a stretch used in yoga often, which will help to mobilize and stretch your hips for long term function. For this exercise, you will start with your feet in normal, hip width position. Next, bend your knees, and slowly bend over, allowing your upper body to reach towards your toes in front of you. As mentioned in the video above, you are going to focus on breathing deeply, allowing your lower back to relax, and keeping a slight bend in your knees. This is a great, passive exercise to help mobilize and stretch the hip, to improve overall function.
Overall, all of these exercise will help to improve flexibility and function in the hips, leader to a happier, healthier life. Make sure to be practicing these exercises every day, as the more you do them, the better results you will have.
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