5 Ways To Ease Hip Pain and Build Mobility in 2023
New years are times for resolutions, pledges, new outlooks, new beginnings.
How about making 2023 the year of New Hips?
Or, at least hips that feel like new? Hips with less pain, tightness, discomfort.
Resolve to show your hips some love this year.
Here are 5 easy ways.
1. Stop sitting so much!
We zoom all day at work and then we sit and flip between Netflix, Prime Video and Hulu.
Please, get up at least once an hour and stand, walk, squat, lunge, hula hoop (my favorite), do the Cabbage Patch or the Running Man (your choice). Just move your hips.
We have a new (free!) guide for 3 super-easy exercises to help alleviate too-much-sitting hip pain.
Download it here.
2. Stretch
There are mixed opinions on this, but my vote is in — it’s useful.
Hamstrings, glute, quads. All the structures surrounding your hips. Stretching can help maintain or increase flexibilty and mobility, which can help prevent injury.
Be careful not to overstretch. Like too much of any good thing….
3. Foam Rolling (not to be confused with stretching)
Should you do both? Why not?
They both get your circulation going, but they also do different things.
While stretching is great for flexibility. Foam rolling loosens tissues and helps relieve tension.
Should you do them before or after a workout? Or both? My favorite is to roll out before and stretch after.
Try it both ways and see what works for your body.
4. Don’t just do one thing
Whatever you’re doing exercise-wise, switch it up.
We all have compensatory movement patterns that are very likely creating muscular imbalances and maybe even pain.
Just do something different.
If you always stretch your hamstrings, try stretching your quads. If you always run, try biking.
Not only does it challenge different muscles, it challenges your coordination and nervous system.
5. Move every day
(Almost) everything counts — walking, running, squatting, lunging, hula hooping, doing the Cabbage Patch or the Running Man (see #1).
Move every day. It keeps the synovial fluid flowing and the hip joints lubricated.
And, everything will flow a little more smoothly.
Try these and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
Wishing you happy hips!