Hip circumduction -- that arcing or circling motion – is important when you play sports, when you walk, and when you dance Tango!  Doing all of these things requires the thigh bone to turn in an arcing motion, and being able to access that motion is important in keeping the hip joints healthy.

We’re looking to get some nice openness and movement of the thigh bone in the hip socket by thinking about moving the pelvis on top of the femur heads. We want the movement to be even and coordinated to help the hips be more open, aligned and move more efficiently.

This week it’s less of a stretch and more of a general opening or loosening of the joint capsule of the hip.  It’s great for getting the top of the thigh bone --  femur head -- nicely situated and sinking down into the hip socket.

This exercise is a hamstring stretch, but it also gives us that really nice feeling of the top of the thigh bone “plugging in” to the hip socket.  Developing that  proprioception is important in hip exercises.

Instead of trying to bring the leg closer to the body, this version of the hamstring stretch brings the body closer to the leg. This version is a lot more controlable and can be done without complicated set up.

This week’s stretch is a hip capsule opener disguised as a hamstring stretch. We create a restriction for most of the structures around the femur head, helping to keep the hip joint in a better place, and giving a greater feeling of openness.

If you’ve shied away from the Figure 4 stretch because getting your foot over your knee isn’t a reasonable request for your body, fear not. This version is adjustable for all bodies and ranges of motion, so your hips derive the same benefits. We’ll go through them.

This is the last of the adductor stretch series.

I like to have a variety of stretches for different muscle groups because you never know what a client needs on any given day or what’s going to resonate with them.

Because the adductor muscles attach at the bottom of the pelvis and above and below the knee, you may feel these hip stretches closer to the knee, closer to the groin or more in the middle of the inner thigh. It just depends on what’s going on with your body today.

This version of the butterfly stretch is for non-yogis. If you recognize the stretch and always thought it was inaccessible, this is for you. I go through options for inner thighs with less or more flexibility.

Many people use this adductor stretch, but I first fell in love with it during a workshop with Eric Cressey, Director of Player Health and Performance for the New York Yankees. My clients now know it as “The Yankee Stretch”.

You may know this as the “windshield wiper”. But there are a few of key points to really get the most out of this hip stretch. Think of it as windshield wiper with a twist (pun intended).

It may seem like I’m obsessed with the TFL. But I’m spending so much time on it because it’s a pretty important muscle. This exercise does double duty. It’s a stretch and it strengthens the muscles that perform the opposite actions of the TFL.

This may look familiar to you as a hamstring stretch, but it’s targeting the TFL. Go ahead and stretch your hamstrings too. It’s a twofer!

Performing myofascial release on the on the TFL also helps the IT band, which means it helps the hip and the knee.

If someone asked you to name a stretch for your quadriceps, it would probably be this one. But, behind this simple position is a powerful stretch able to reach multiple muscles with a few tweaks. The magic is in the details.

If you sit all day, this stretch is a hip saver and can be done right at your desk.

This stretch focuses particularly on the psoas – the granddaddy of hip flexors. It’s a big muscle that can cause all kinds of havoc if it’s tight or not functioning properly.

Releasing your feet can help release your hips. And, keeping tension out of your feet, can help keep it out of your hips. Try this quick release technique.

Releasing can be just as important as strengthening. Especially when it comes to osteoarthritis and your hips.