Hip Strength, Stabilization and Flexibility

Most people believe that their core consists of the abdominal area. When thinking about your core, imagine the middle of the body as your root system.  The middle of the body, or core, is primarily made up of your abdominals, obliques, transverse abdominus, lower back, glut muscles and psoas muscles.  


Hip strength and stabilization should be a primary focus during strength training.  The hips along with the leg muscles are what drive the most powerful athletic competitions such as Olympic Lifting and Kettlebell Training.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWEdA-7ZjIM


In my practice, I find that the gluteus muscles are the most under-emphasized parts of the body. The glut muscles help make up the muscles of the hip and are therefore highly important for functional movement.  Hip strengthening and stability are not part of most people's exercise routines such as, running, biking, walking, using the elliptical and arm weights.  For this reason, I'd like to share the importance of including hip strengthening and flexibility into one's workout routine.


First, warm up your gluts with glut squeezes on a stability ball on your head, neck and shoulders in a bridge.  Slowly squeeze your gluts up so that you feel them fire. Try 15 reps and then try bringing one leg up to balance for 10 seconds.  

Hip strengthening can be done with stepping up onto a box or step at the gym or at a park. Make sure that you are maintaining alignment of the knee and foot during the step up. Try doing 10 steps each leg and then switch.  Hip strength can also be achieved with hiking (which make the gluts literally push the body up).  Squats are a great way to strengthen the hips.  I first started doing squats with a 45lb barbell three years ago and am now squatting with 95lbs. One leg squats are also an excellent way to isolate each leg and hip (again make sure that the knee and foot are aligned).  You can use a bench to slowly sit down on with one leg and then slowly raise yourself back up with one leg.  I started doing this one year ago and am now doing it with a 45lb barbell on my back. There can always be more strength found within each of us!

For hip flexibility, try using a foam roller to roll out the gluts and IT band and then go into the yoga pose called "pigeon". Or try putting your crossed leg up on a table as in pigeon pose, but standing. For any questions, please feel free to email me at mindy.hyman@gmail.com

Keeping our hips strong, stable and flexible are one of the most important actions we can take to remain healthy and vigorous.  You are only as strong as you are stable!