Hip pain, tightness, and discomfort are some of the most common ailments to strike athletes. To make matters worse, these issues can sometimes spread to other areas of your body, like your back and knees. When left unaddressed, a little pain can turn into a big problem. For many of us, it all stems from a lack of mobility. In this blog, let’s talk about improving hip mobility and how you can do it with five simple stretches. Then, keep reading to learn more about what might be causing your lack of hip mobility in the first place, and why it matters.

Improving Hip Mobility: 5 Simple Exercises

Whether you have access to a full commercial gym or you’re staying healthy at home, here are five exercises perfect for improving hip mobility.

Important note: While these stretches might feel uncomfortable, they should never hurt. If you’re experiencing pain, stop and speak with your coach or a medical professional, like a physical therapist or chiropractor.

1. Air Squat + Internal Rotation

Your standard air squat is a great place to start when it comes to improving hip mobility. Get into your bottom position, clasp your hands together in a prayer position, and use your elbows to drive your knees outward.

Now, let’s take this one step further.

At the bottom of your squat, drop one knee inward until it touches the ground. Hold this for a few seconds before returning it so that you’re back in a squat. Then, do the other side. You can repeat this for several reps, and feel free to go as slow as you need. Here’s what it looks like:

2. Cossack Squat

This stretch for improving hip mobility is a bit more advanced, so approach it cautiously.

Begin with a very wide stance, spreading your feet past the point of your standard squat stance. You’re going to slowly bend one leg and lower down to the ground on that side. Think of keeping the heel of your bent leg flat on the ground, and driving that knee out.

You should feel a deep stretch on the inside of your straight leg.

Some athletes keep the heel of the straight leg flat on the ground (as in the video above), although you can also point your toes toward the sky, like this:

If sitting all the way down into a cossack squat is too intense, simply pump the brakes as soon as you feel a stretch.

3. 90/90 Stretch

This stretch for improving hip mobility gets its name for the angling of your legs. Both stay bent at 90 degrees. One leg should be in front of you and the other behind, with your knees on the ground. You should already feel a gentle stretch here. You can increase it by leaning into your front leg. Just be sure to only bend at the hips, keeping your back flat.

4. Frog Stretch

A simple way to get into the frog stretch is to sit in the bottom of your squat and simply tip forward until your hands and knees are on the ground.

From here, there are two things you want to think of doing: (1) driving your knees further apart and (2) sitting your butt back toward your heels. You’re essentially getting further into a squat position while facing the ground.

Like the cossack squat, you can go too far with this one. So, approach it cautiously and never push yourself to the point of pain.

5. Figure 4 Stretch

Here’s another simple yet powerful stretch for improving hip mobility.

Lay down on your back and cross one ankle over the opposite knee. Then, clasp your hands behind that knee, and gently pull it toward your chest. It should look like this:

This one can also be great for lower back pain.

What are Some Other Lifestyle Habits to Help with My Hip Mobility?

Those were just a few exercises for improving hip mobility, but you’re not limited to these. Want to know what’s better than fighting a lack of hip mobility? Preventing it in the first place.

Tip #1: Set a Reminder to Stand Once an Hour

Many experts will tell you that you can’t undo excessive sitting with exercise, no matter how hard you train. Set an alarm or a reminder on your phone and stand up every hour for maybe five minutes. As long as you lengthen those muscles, you’re doing great. If you want to work a little more, walk around or do one of the exercises above.

Tip #2: Practice Good Posture

You’re looking down at your keyboard a lot, jutting your head forward to look at your screen. Poor posture can affect your neck, shoulders, and back, and this can trickle down to your hips. Check out our blog on what correct posture looks like and learn how to keep your body in a healthier alignment.

Tip #3: Try Banded Stretches

Banded stretches are so great because they’re low-impact but help target muscles you’d otherwise miss. You can incorporate them into your warm-up or cool-down, use them on active recovery days, or even create a whole workout with nothing but banded exercises.

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Read our blog on 10 banded stretches for healthier hips, and view our full selection of resistance bands.

What’s Hurting My Hip Mobility in the First Place?

How do you spend most of your day? We’re going to guess and say it’s sitting at a desk. The average human sits roughly 6.5 hours a day — although to be fair, other research says that this estimate is modest.

Too much sitting can wreak havoc on your hips. In this position, with your legs and hips bent, the muscles of your hip flexors shorten. After longer periods, they get used to this shortened span. Thus, when you get up and stand, those muscles are strained and pulled. And if you’re not sitting with the correct posture, things could be even worse.

Now, imagine trying to train like that. Picture squatting 1ookg, doing 50 reps of box jumps, or executing walking lunges across the length of your gym — all with tight hips. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Mobility is crucial in preventing injury. It’s also going to be important for performing your movements safely and with proper form. Try our best exercises for people who sit a lot.

Are you taking care of your hips? Try these five exercises for improving hip mobility today.

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