Slow and Steady Hip Goals
Have you ever tried to build something into your exercise routine (or, just, build an exercise routine), but couldn’t make it stick?
For me that usually happens when I go all-or-nothing. “I’m going to do all my hip exercises, roll out before I do them and stretch after. And I’m going to do it every day!”
Fail.
Illuminate me…
Working on your body is like any other goal setting. Break it up into smaller doable parts and build one on top of the other to get the whole thing done.
Research has shown breaking down tasks into smaller pieces (and exercise is often a task) makes it more likely to get done, and more likely to become a habit.
I want to be able to do lunges to build strength and stability in my hips. Lunges are great because they work the hips in both flexion and extension and require stability to balance. I like them with a straight back leg.
I work on these often with my clients, and myself. To do them well and with confidence, I break them down. With each step I allow the time and concentration to embed it in my body before moving on to the next one. That way my body can take the time to focus on the new task because it’s comfortable with the past ones.
Try it.
Stand with feet together.
Step forward with one foot.
Am I stable, Why not?
Feel the foot.
Is my heel hitting first, then my toes? Am i stepping across the whole foot or mostly on the inside or outside.
Repeat that step and adjust until it feels stable.
Add the front knee bend.
Am i stable? Why not?
Is my knee bending too much or too little? Is it right over my ankle? Is it leaning to the left or to the right?
Do it again.
Am i feeling it more in the front of my thigh (quads) or back of my thigh (hamstrings).
Try pressing more into the heel or onto the toes. See what feels more even and stable.
Is my outer thigh working more than my inner thigh or vice versa? Can i even out the work?
Add the back heel lift.
Am I stable? Why not?
Is all the effort coming onto the toes?
Can I bring as much effort into the back heel as the front heel, even though the back heel is lifted and the front heel is pressing into the ground?
Can I feel the connection between my active lifted heel and my glutes working?
Do it again.
Is that hip fully extended?
If not, can i create more reach from the front of the hip?
Can i feel the connection between my hip extending and my glutes working?
Am i pressing into all the balls of my toes with the most pressure on the ball of my big toe?
Am i rolling my foot to one side or the other?
Now think about the hips.
Are my hip points even? Is one hip hiked up? Is one rotated back and one forward? Can I get them to be even and square? Can I do that with a feeling of ease?
Do it again.
Is my low back feeling crunched? Can I bring a feeling of release and ease to that by engaging my core to help support the hips?
It’s a lot to think about and feel in your body for a seemingly simple lunge . But if you break it down and practice one piece at a time, paying attention to what’s happening in your body and what it feels like, it will become easier and easier, your body will incorporate it until your movement and you won’t have to think about it at all.
Let us know how it works. We’d love to hear from you.