I recently had a chat with a client who complained of tight hips and said he was trying to stretch more often. I asked him if he does any mobility routines in his own time outside of training, and he said no. Just a week later, he started appearing in my online group mobility classes and said he couldn't believe how much harder it feels than "just stretching."
That's because building flexible muscles and mobile joints isn't about sitting in a cross-legged position or touching your toes; it's about combining strength, balance, control and stability, moving your body and increasing range of motion.
Recently, I traveled to Greece for work and was both short on time and desperate for time alone in the gym. So, I put together a short hip mobility routine that acted as a dynamic warm-up before some quick treadmill sprints. Below, I show you how to do them and why. I recommend one of the best yoga mats before getting started.
If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, or you're currently pregnant or postnatal, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.
Watch: Your next dynamic warm-up is here
The routine: 50 seconds on, 10 seconds off, 3 rounds. Add or reduce the number of rounds if you prefer.
- Seated knee drives: Sit on a yoga mat with your legs in front of you. Come down onto your elbows with your back straight and gaze ahead. One at a time, draw a knee toward your chest with control, pause, then slowly lower the leg again. Add a band around your feet or above both knees for added intensity and resistance. Why? Your hip flexors assist with lifting your legs, so this move will help activate and strengthen them, plus your deeper stabilizing core muscles will also wake up. Runners can really benefit from this move.
- Up and overs: Sit with your legs in front of you and place a block or weight to one side. Place your hands by your hips for support or behind your head for an extra challenge. Engage your core and draw your navel in, keeping your chest proud and back straight. Lift your legs up and over the blocks, then back again. Slightly rotate as you move, engaging your waist. Why: I use this move to activate my core and ensure my hip flexors aren't taking over a core-based movement. It prepares your hips and abs for movement.
- Overhead squats: Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and raise your arms overhead, pulling your shoulders back and down. Engage your core, sit your hips back and lower into a squat, keeping your arms punched overhead with your biceps close to your ears. At the bottom of the squat, pause, then drive up through your legs to stand. Imagine you're holding a tray of champagne above your head that you don't want to spill. Why? OH squats train thoracic and lower-body mobility, strengthen the legs and activate your core and shoulders. Add a weight or block for more resistance.
What are the benefits?
Sometimes I feel like I spend 80% of my life talking about hips, but they really are an important and often neglected muscle group worth talking about, so I will continue to talk about them.
The up-and-over exercise is technically a core exercise, and it targets the obliques, abs and deeper core muscles like the transverse abdominis and the stabilizing hip flexors. Rotational motion is an effective way to strengthen your waist, which will help your body resist unwanted motion and impact.
Knee drives focus on activating the muscles used for lifting the knees, as you would when running or climbing. Using a band is particularly useful as your muscles must move against the force of the band to produce movement. I find this supportive exercise helpful if I have been sitting at a desk for too long during my working day.
Finally, overhead squats. Ask anyone on the street to perform an overhead squat for you, and I'd say 7/10 people won't be able to keep their arms lifted overhead. More often, the chest travels forward, and the arms end up parallel to the ground. It's not just a shoulder mobility issue; it can be thoracic, meaning upper body, or even lower body, meaning the hips, knees, or ankles. Squats will train your lower body, but overhead squats will make your upper body work hard so that you can shelve load in an upright position.
Control these movements and start with your bodyweight before adding bands or weights. You have plenty of time to progress through the exercises as you get stronger.
Always focus on finding length through your spine and keep your chest proud. If you struggle to engage your core properly during workouts, learn this 5-minute bracing routine first.
Give these a try, and let us know how you get on in the comments.
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