Keep Your Hips Healthy

I was always taught that one of the most important aspects of living a long healthy life was Keeping Your Hips Healthy. Hip joint mobility is by far one of the most overlooked aspects when someone engages in Diet and Exercise.  Most people strive for weight loss and their pressed for time so they skip their warm ups and cool downs, neglecting the hips.

In today's society people are more sedentary than active and this spreads through many different parts of our life.  We wake up and go to work, some driving up to an hour or more one way- sitting.  We get to work and pull out the chair to our desk that we sit at for 8 or more hours, 5 days or more a week.  We then get back into the seated position in our cars and drive home.  We sit at home, we sit at church, we sit in diners, and sit at movie theaters.  Most of our life is seated.

Problem is, we were not designed to sit down, let alone sit for long periods of time. But we do and serious danger lurks in the shadows every time.  

Every joint, muscle, and limb works together to help us function properly.  Create an imbalance and the whole system is pulled out of whack.  Enter back injuries, torn muscles, and possibly even arthritic pain. 

When we sit for the amount of time we do, we are creating major muscle problems and we never know it until "POP" goes the back or a major fall from tight hips.  Stand straight and look down at your toes.  Are they pointed to the side? If so, that is a telltale sign of tight hips and the possibility for serious back and fall related injuries is lurking closely.

Getting away from complete medical jargon and a blog the length of a thesis I will stop discussing the dangers of tight hips and the muscles involved in their function (It is a major problem effecting nearly 90% of our population) and get right into what you should do to keep them mobile and healthy.

First you NEED to dedicate AT LEAST 10 minutes a day on the following stretches and movements. If you sit 8 hours at a desk and drive close to 2, you probably need 20-30 minutes 2 to 3 times a day.

Stretches:

(YouTube and Google will help you better understand the following stretches and movements. I recommend watching a few videos before you try the movements. Search the name of the stretch or movement and you'll find hundreds of links.)

Squat Stretch- 30 seconds hold, Repeat twice.
- This stretch is simple and very effective.  Stand straight with feet shoulder width and squat down, as low as possible while keeping your feet flat on the floor.  Take your elbows and place them inside your knees and push out as far as you can while feeling the stretch of your inner thighs. Hold.

Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch- Hold for 30 seconds, then switch. Repeat 3 or 4 times per leg.
- Kneel on right knee, with toes down, and place left foot flat on the floor in front of you, knee bent and aligned with ankle. Place hands on the thigh- or if need be- hold onto something. Press hips forward until you feel tension in the front of your right thigh. Raise your arms overhead, fully extending them, keeping your elbows close to head with your palms facing each other, and slightly arch your back while keeping your chin parallel to the ground. 

Side Lunges- 5-10 times per leg, repeat twice
- Stand straight with feet hip width apart and step out to the side with one leg while keeping your feet pointed straight ahead. Once the foot is flat on the floor, shift your weight towards the bent knee. Come back into the starting position and repeat on opposite side.

Side Lunge Hold- 30 seconds per leg, repeat 2-4 times
-Starting in the same position and repeating the above movements you will perform this hold exactly like the Side Lunge mentioned above, but this time you will hold the end position for 30 seconds before returning to the middle to move to the opposite leg.

So those are 4 of the best stretches you use daily to get your hips healthy and keep them mobile.  

Movements-

Squat Stands- 10 reps.
- Stand straight up, feet slightly beyond shoulder width apart, hands fully extended above your head.  Reach down with straight legs and straight arms and touch your toes with your elbows on the inside of your knees.  Hold and squat down. Lift arms and stand erect.  Repeat for 10 reps.

Leg Swings- 30 seconds per leg, repeat 2-4 times.
- Stand straight and tall, feet shoulder width apart.  Hold onto firm support like a chair or wall and swing the right leg back and forth.  Use the power in your hips, not your thigh muscles. After you do the prescribed reps move onto Side Leg Swings and repeat the same reps.  For the Side to Side Leg Swings take both hands and lean into the wall, take first leg slightly in front of your body and swing it side to side.  KEEP the Torso Straight.

Hurdle Walk/Step Overs- 20-30 times per leg.
- Take two chairs of average seated height and place them a few feet apart.  Grab a mop, a broom, a barbell, or anything long enough to reach the chairs.  Rest your object on the chairs so it looks like you'll have the split your pants to attempt the limbo.  Stand sideways next to the object you chose and lift your knee up and over the object, step down, lift the opposite knee and up and over you go.  Stay in this position and go back the way you came.  20-30 times may not be enough.  In my opinion you should spend 5-10 minutes doing this back and forth.

For every person, from any walk of life, that sits for a major portion of their day, stretching and Hip mobility exercises are extremely important.  Many back injuries are the result of poor hip mobility or tight and imbalanced muscles in the hips, thighs, and the gluteal region.  Even if you do not actively exercise performing these stretches can prevent serious and extreme pain.  Stretching the hips, thighs, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles can also make sitting more enjoyable and comfortable.  If you are currently involved in a serious exercise program and you are neglecting your hips, research these stretches and implement them into a warm-up and cool down.  Do this everyday and your body will thank you when you're 90, with strong and healthy hips.