Weekly Hip Stretch – With A Side of Proprioception
This week we’ll be working on the back line of the hips.
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.
Illuminate me…
Developing this sense of where the bones are – or proprioception -- is very important anytime you do hip exercises, or any exercises.
Sensing where the bones are, having that feeling of connectedness in the joint and being able to affect it. This is how we can change movement patterns to be more efficient and, often times, reduce pain.
Try it…
We’ll be using a wall. The distance you stand from the wall depends on your height and how stable and comfortable you feel at what distance. Feel free to experiment to get the best position for you.
Hands are going to be at the wall a little bit above shoulder height. This helps a little in keeping the upper shoulders from overworking.
The other thing to really pay attention to is how we move in the hips and pelvis. It’s important to hinge in the hip socket keeping a neutral spine (a little bit of arch in the lumbar) and not let the pelvis and lower spine round.
If you scroll through the video, it may look like there’s not much movement. But be sure to listen as I take you through it. There’s a lot of muscular activation happening that really makes the exercise effective, even though the actual moving is minimal.
As always, go slowly and listen to your body.
Wishing you happy hips!