I have been working on adding a few mobility exercises to the blog for injury prevention. I often get asked about hips so we will start there! The purpose of the mobility drills is to do them pre-run if possible, but the can be done at any point in your day of you are struggling to fit them in. Aim to do 10 of each exercise on each side to start as part of your warmup routine if you are feeling stiff in your hips or need to increase mobility!
Fire Hydrants
start in a table top position with a neutral spine. Keep hips over the knees and as you exhale raise your hip parallel with your knee bent in a 90 degree angle. You can stop here or to make the exercise a little more spicy you can add a leg extension by kicking your leg out straight to the side. Make sure you keep the core engaged and spine/pelvis neutral.
Clam Shells with a leg extension
Lying on your side, keep the heels together and the hips stable. Make sure your heels, hips and shoulders form a straight line. Some may find it helpful to lie with your back against a couch.
Lift the top leg 3 – 4 inches while maintaining that contact of the ankles and ensuring that the HIPS ARE NOT ROTATING. If your hips rotate or move, try lessening the range of motion.
to give this exercise a little extra work add a leg extension at the top, similar to the fire hydrants.
Hip Flexor Liftovers
Sitting up right with your arms supporting you and legs extended in front of you. Lift your extended leg up and over a dumbbell, yoga block, or any object. This exercise will engage and strengthen your hip flexors, which are a vital part to running and healthy hip function.
Quad Rockers
From a kneeling position extend one leg to the side, maintaining proper alignment with your hip. the opposite knee will remain bent underneath the opposite hip. While engaging your core work on slowly sitting back to your heel and using your glutes and core to lift your body back up.
Windshield Wipers
While sitting up right bend your knees to one side allowing room to move both legs side to side in a windshield wiper motion. You should feel this more in the outer hip.