The March 2024 Workout of the Month Club will be guided by Alicia Rios, CSCS, personal trainer and programming manager at Bold, an at-home digital fitness platform. She devotes her own career to creating customized exercise regimens for people who want to maintain strength, mobility and independence as they age.
Below, Rios provides quick and effective hip mobility exercises to loosen the area around your hips, improve range of motion, and reduce your risk of injury. Follow along as she demonstrates each of her six moves, allowing you to combine them into a delightful flow.
If you follow the Exercise of the Month Club, you will do one movement each day from Monday to Saturday. Then on Sunday you'll do the full 5 minute routine. Perform each movement for 50 seconds (25 seconds on each side if necessary) before moving on to the next movement, for a total of 5 minutes.
If you're particularly tight or have more time, feel free to do each movement as long as it feels good. With consistent practice, you will become more agile, less nervous, and overall more attuned to your body's needs. Now let's take a look at a 5-minute routine that your butt and the rest of your body will thank you for.
1. Four-legged butt car
CAR (Joint Rotation Control) improves hip flexibility and range of motion, improving posture and improving strength.
- Start on all fours. Hands under shoulders, knees under hips.
- Lift your right knee about an inch off the floor and then pull it toward your right elbow.
- Begin slowly rotating your hips in the largest circle possible, aiming to move through the entire range of motion.
- Lift your knees toward your chest, out to the right, back (as much as your mobility allows), and then toward the ground and back to the starting position.
- Move deliberately and slowly, focusing only on your right hip.
- Reverse the movement and rotate in the opposite direction.
- After completing the rotation, switch to the other leg.
2. Adductor lockback
This move actually builds better mobility through the hips by focusing on the groin area.
- Start on all fours. Hands under shoulders, knees under hips.
- Extend one leg out to the side, place the opposite knee under your hip and tuck your toes.
- Feel the stretch in the groin area of your extended leg and push your buttocks toward your heels, leaning your body back.
- Keep your back straight and your head in line with your spine.
- Repeat 5 to 8 times on one side before switching legs.
3. Mounted windshield wiper
This dynamic movement can help improve hip strength and reduce back pain and even knee pain. (Everything in the body is connected!)
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended forward and your hands behind you for support.
- Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, wider than hip-width apart.
- Drop both knees to one side, then lift them back to center and lower them to the other side like windshield wipers.
- Move in a controlled manner, focusing on the rotation of your hips.
- repeat.
4. 90-90 hip switch
The 90-90 Hip Switch is perfect for reversing movement in the hips to improve range of motion and reduce tightness.
- Sit with one leg bent forward at a 90-degree angle and the other leg bent back at a 90-degree angle. Straighten your spine and lift your chest.
- Raise your hands at chest level and lift and rotate your hips, keeping your upper body straight and changing the position of your legs so they are in a 90-90 position on the opposite side.
- Repeat, focusing on smooth transitions.
5. Seated hip flexor obstruction
Improve your hip flexor strength to improve stability and strengthen your core with this mobility move.
- Extend one leg forward and bend the other leg so that your foot is near the inside of your opposite thigh and your knee is pointing toward the ceiling (for a more difficult task, keep your non-dominant leg straight).
- Place your hands behind your glutes or hug your bent knees.
- Lift your straight leg, move it sideways in an arc over an imaginary obstacle, and then return to the starting position.
- Perform the movement slowly and controlled, focusing on the range of motion of your hips.
- Repeat this side 5 to 8 times before switching to the other leg.
6. Seated hip internal rotation
This movement not only helps improve hip mobility, but it also strengthens the gluteus medius muscle located on the outside of the hip, improving stability and helping improve posture.
- Sit in the center of the chair seat with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your knees over your ankles.
- Place your fists between your knees and engage your core.
- Lift your right foot off the floor and, keeping your foot flexed, sweep it out to the side as far as is comfortable. Your right knee should be in the same position you started with, and your fist should be clenched.
- Bring it back to the floor and repeat 5 to 8 times.
- Switch to the other leg.