4 Exercises To Improve Hip Mobility and Stability/Control
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Contrary to belief your hip flexors aren't always tight and stretching them is the best way to go about it. Frequently, I find that clients have increased tone - resting muscle tension - due to poor core stabilization. In response to this dysfunction, the body increases tone in the hip flexors to help create some stabilization.
In programming and coaching these clients, I want to decrease tone of these muscles and then follow that up with specific exercises that help them develop better core control as well as control through their full ROM in their hips.
If the hips are weak we need to strengthen them. Nothing lives in isolation, so it's usually the combo of improving core stability, hip mobility AND control, and posterior chain strength.
A Study in 2012 by Casartelli et al. found Hip flexor and hip adductor weakness in those with Hip Impingement FAI. I'm not saying weakness here is the cause of the hip impingement, however it is an impairment that is often co-present with hip impingement that must be addressed.
Here are some ways to open up the hips - using a kettlebell for core stiffness - followed by a hip strengthening drill.
You're going to go through the entire motion of the hip Flexion to Abduction to Extension
Here we're performing end range lift offs into hip flexion so the key is to keep core engaged so you avoid extension in the low back. I'm using stickmobility to drive force into the ground and create core stability as well as staying upright.
To make this more challenging and progress the drill lean forward towards the leg that is being worked.
If you cramp don't trip out. Do some soft tissue work and stretch if necessary and get back to it.
Essentially what we're doing is creating a new range of motion through soft tissue release and stretches and then strengthening that new range of motion.
