Paul Landini is a personal trainer, health educator, and regular contributor to The Globe and Mail. This is part one of his guide for protecting and strengthening common pain points such as your hips, shoulders, knees and back.
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I like to think of the hips as the body’s command centre. When they’re functioning properly, every movement is more balanced, stable and controlled. If, however, the hips are tight and weak, the rest of the body seems to suffer, too. Common ailments like knee pain, lower back pain, poor posture, and uneven or slouched shoulders can all be traced back to the hips.
Before attempting any of the following techniques, it’s important to understand what we’re talking about when we refer to the hips. The hip is a ball-and-socket joint that connects the pelvis to the femur. This connection allows for a wide range of movements, including flexion, extension, abduction (movement of a limb away from the midline of the body), adduction (movement of a limb toward the midline of the body) and rotation. There’s a lot going on in this area, which is why building strength and mobility requires a multifaceted approach.
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Here are a few of my favourite daily exercises to keep the hips happy and healthy.
Standing Hip Circles
Difficulty: Beginner
What it does: Lots of people have a hard time rotating through their hip joints, a problem that often leads to lower back and knee pain. An effective way to fix this problem is with controlled circular movements that focus directly on the hip socket itself.
How to do it: Stand with your feet wider than your shoulders and, while keeping your legs straight, make slow circles with your pelvis, alternating directions with each rep. Do this for 30-60 seconds.
What to focus on: Let your hip joints do all the work. Your spine should remain long and still throughout the movement.
Modification:
If you have a hard time keeping your spine from moving along with your pelvis, give Supine Leg Circles a shot. Lie flat on your back with one leg extended up to the ceiling, the other leg bent at the knee with the foot flat on the floor. Lower the extended leg while keeping it as straight as possible, then swing the leg out to the side before bringing it back to the top. Perform five or six reps in each direction with each leg.
Figure Four Stretch
Difficulty: Beginner
What it does: This is an excellent stretch for working on hip abduction and external rotation. The main focus is the piriformis, a thick, flat muscle that helps connect the thigh to the tailbone.
How to do it: Lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor. Cross one leg over the other by placing the ankle on the opposite knee, forming a “figure four” shape. Now grab on to the back of the leg that has the foot on the floor and gently pull the thigh into your chest. Hold this pose for 30-45 seconds on each leg.
What to focus on: Keep your head, shoulders and lower back flat to the floor (use a pillow for your head if needed). Be gentle with the stretch; you want to feel some tension, but no sharp pain.
Modification: The same stretch can be performed seated in a chair. Start by sitting upright with your feet on the floor, then make the “figure four” by crossing one ankle over the opposite knee. Now gently lean forward from your hips, keeping your back straight, until you feel the stretch.
Frog Stretch
Difficulty: Beginner to intermediate
What it does: I love this stretch, but just getting into the position can be a bit of an ordeal. Take your time; your hip adductors (the inner thigh muscles), lower back and pelvis will appreciate the effort.
How to do it: Start on all fours, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Slowly spread your knees as wide apart as is comfortably possible, then rotate your ankles so your toes point out to the sides. By this point you should feel some tension in the hips; to enhance the stretch, try lowering down on to your forearms and/or gently pushing your butt back toward your heels. Hold for 30-45 seconds.
What to focus on: Avoid arching or rounding your back. You can control the intensity of the stretch with the position of your feet; the closer together your heels are, the more manageable it will feel.
Modification: The Horse Stance targets the same muscles but from a standing position, making it more accessible for some. With your feet wider than your shoulder, bend the knees deeply while pushing them out toward the toes, allowing your hips to drop until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep an upright posture and breathe deeply.