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3 Movements To Open Your Hips

  • Writer: Alli Thul
    Alli Thul
  • Dec 20, 2024
  • 4 min read

I'm not sure what it is about travel that makes me notice how tight I feel more often than when I'm at home.


And what I find myself doing more often is working through mobility flows in the mornings.

If you find yourself tight in the mornings, when travelling - whenever - here are three of my favorite movements to help find some relief.


In this movement, the focus is more on the breathing one you get into position. Start by sitting on the floor with your legs bent in front of you. Take one leg and let the knee fall to the outside of your body and the other knee fall towards the inside of you. Then, bring the foot of the leg that fell out inline with the knee of the other. This should put you in about the 90/90 or Shin Box position. Try to sit tall in this position. If you have a difficult time in this position, feel free to drop on arm back to hold yourself up at a slight incline.


Then, lean over whichever leg you desire. I tend to prefer to lean over my leg that's externally rotated (or the knee that fell outwards) but you may find more comfort over the other.


Regardless of which leg you choose, now is the time to focus on your breathing. Stay leaning over this leg and take 5-10 DEEP breaths - slow inhales and exhales. Every time you exhale, try to relax and lean a little further over that leg. In the video, the breathing is omitted but I highly suggest you add this in!


Once you've completed one leg, switch to the other and repeat.


This movement mixes in some reaching to get the best stretch. You can also make it fairly dynamic by moving in and out of these reaches or shifts, if you'd like.


Start by dropping down on one knee with the other leg out in front (aim to make both knees at about 90 degree angles). You may want something to put under your knee that's down depending on your flooring.


Once in the half kneeling position, shift your weight forward (not shown in video), trying to get your front knee over the toes of that foot while keeping the heel on the ground. You will probably feel a great stretch in your groin and/or achilles here. Hang out here for a few seconds and then shift back until you're upright. Repeat this 3-5 times and on the other leg as well.


After the hip shifts, stay in the half kneeling position and reach both of your arms overhead. Then slowly reach as far to one side as you can, breathe 2-3 breaths, and then the other. This is another one where focusing on your breathing can be really beneficial (and feel great too). Repeat 3-5 times and with the other leg forward as well.


If I'm being honest, I usually start with this one but it's also great to end with or cycle back and forth.


I like to start in the Child's Pose because it's easier and then get into Frog from there.

To get into Child's Pose, drop down onto your hands and knees as if you were about to crawl. Let your hips sit as far back towards your heels as possible and then walk your arms forward to the point that you are reaching as far as you can. If you have difficulties here, with either part, try placing your hands on a box or elevated surface.


From here, try to let your head and upper back relax and sink. Focus on the stretch you feel in your lats and simply try to relax. I also like to add a reach here side to side to create a bigger stretch side to side.


To get into Frog from here, walk your hands back to a crawl position and then slowly widen your knees. Everyone's threshold will be different here so find a point where you begin to feel a stretch and then try to sit back towards your heels again (you won't move too much). You can always widen your stance more if you need to.


Push your chest tall with your arms on the ground and try to relax into this position. You can focus on breathing here or even make it a dynamic movement by shifting forwards and back, if you'd like (crawl your arms forward and back or shift via your elbows on the ground like a forearm plank). If static, I like to hold for at least 30s. If dynamic, I like to shift 3-5 times with 2-3 second holds at each end point.

Play around with these movement variations if you're feeling tight! Hopefully they provide some relief for you like they do me!

 
 
 

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