Maintaining mobility in the hips is an important part of overall health and wellness that is often overlooked. It is a vital component of lower back care and an intrinsic part of any athletic training program. As I detailed in my previous blog, there is a strong correlation between tightness in the hips and lower back tension. Yet the thing is, we often don’t realize our hips are tight. We may not experience any discomfort in the hips or feel compromised in our movement, yet the problem may still exist.
So how do you know if your hips are tight? Here’s a quick and easy way to assess your hips in the comfort of your home or office. Be sure to do each hip separately as they might be quite different in their level of mobility. Check it out now:
Ok, so you’ve done the assessment and learned that, yup, your hips are tight. Now what? There are a few simple hip stretches you can do regularly to loosen up the muscles. I frequently use these stretches with patients at Dorfman Kinesiology. Check out this short video to learn how to do it for yourself. And remember, each hip is unique. One may be tight while the other is not.
Another easy way to improve mobility in the hips is to walk. Walking is the big equalizer for the hips, especially for someone who is tight due to prolonged periods of sitting. And for those folks as well, sitting with the correct seated posture is a vital step toward reducing tension in hips. For those active individuals with tight hips, my Flexibility Training material offers an excellent 22 minutes stretching routine that specifically targets the hips and lower body. So remember to stretch, walk and sit up straight. Your hips and back will feel better forever.