Running is a great way to stay active, but if you're the kind of person who's constantly hitting your favourite jogging [1] route, you may find that it can take a toll on your hip mobility.
According to Dr. Brad Whitley, PT, DPT, of Bespoke Treatments [2] San Diego, "the hips will adapt to that repetitive motion and be mobile only in those forward/backward motions, limiting other motions like side-to-side and rotational movements."
To combat this potentially negative side effect, Dr. Whitley demonstrated [3] a quick, three-move Standing Hip Mobility sequence on the Bespoke Treatments Instagram page.
"Hip mobility is important for runners as some of the main powerhouse muscles involved in running (glute medius, glute maximus, hamstring, quad, and hip flexors) all cross the hip joint," he told POPSUGAR. Shortening of these important muscles can lead to decreased efficiency and performance.
The multi-joint motions in the video align with the three planes of movement in the body — linear (forward and backward), frontal (side-to-side), and transverse (rotational). They target your hip flexors [4], hamstrings, rotators, and glutes.
Follow the instructions below to recreate the sequence at home, but remember to listen to your body and stop if you're experiencing pain.
Dr. Whitley recommends doing 15 reps of each hip pivot on each side of your body.
Linear Hip Pivot
- Start with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Step right leg in front of left and lift arms overhead (for left hip flexor stretch).
- From there, step right leg behind left leg and hinge forward at the hip (left hamstring stretch).
Lateral Hip Pivot
- Start with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Slightly bend knees and swing right leg behind and to the outside of the left leg, lean body opposite way and reach to left knee (left gluteus medius stretch).
Rotational Hip Pivot
- Start with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bring right foot directly in front of left foot so they're perpendicular; while keeping left toes straight, rotate upper body and torso to the left (left piriformis stretch).
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