Tight Hips? How to Fix Poor Hip Mobility

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Is poor hip mobility affecting your workouts — or maybe impacting other areas of your life? 

Over the past several years, pretty much every facet of our day-to-day lives has shifted. With work, we used to drive to the office where we would walk in and out of the office plus walk more through the day going to meetings, breaks, lunch, etc. Now we have a workday where we might work remote or be in the office, but attend meetings virtually. While some of these changes may actually better (like savings on gas, clothes, meals and having healthier options to eat at home), other changes are less than ideal — like less human interaction and….moving a LOT less.

A sedentary lifestyle involving longer periods of sitting and less activity throughout the day been tied to a slew of major health issues (like obesity and depression) and may also contribute to poor hip mobility.

Why does that matter? It might not seem like a big deal, having grouchy ouchy hips can mess with your life.

For example, when the hips weaken, it limits the pelvis’ natural range of motion which puts more stress on the lower back and hip joint.  This can result in super tight hip flexors (the group of muscles that surround your pelvis, spine, and upper legs). So when your hips don’t (or can’t) move through their full range of motion, BAM, you’ve got poor hip mobility. Tight hips and a sedentary lifestyle (or a sedentary job) can lead to more serious injuries like herniated discs and/or torn cartilage in the hip joint.

Wondering if you have tight hips?

  • Do you have lower back pain or knee issues?
  • Do you get frequent hamstring injuries?
  • Do you fail the ankle over knee test? (When seated, cross left ankle over right knee; if knees are the same height, you probably have decent mobility, but if one is higher than the other, probably not.)
  • Can you perform a “womb” squat? (See if you can hold this position for 30 seconds or longer with thighs below parallel. If not, follow the instructions below to improve mobility and use your elbows to press your knees out.)

If so, tight hips may be the culprit.

To address tight hips, both hip strength and hip mobility are important. To focus hip strength, perform squats, walking lunges, stiff legged deadlifts & Bulgarian split squats.  Most important is to just move – and move often.

To improve hip mobility, try these 3 stretches:

  • 90/90 Stretch
    • Sit on the floor with your right leg out in front of you & bend your right knee 90 degrees so that your thigh extends straight out in front of you & your lower leg extends out to the left.
    • Now bend your left knee to 90 degrees so that your left thigh extends out to your left and your lower leg back behind you.
    • Keeping your back straight (chest out), slowly lean forward until you feel a firm stretch in the front (right) hip and along the side of the right leg. Hold the position for 30 seconds to two min. Breathe slowly. 
    • Repeat on the other side.
  • Womb Squat   
    • Start in a standing position, preferably barefoot or in flat shoes, with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart & toes turned out slightly. Sink your glutes toward the ground while pushing your knees outward. Go as low as you can (the lower you go, the more your knees may want to come in, so use your elbows to press your knees out). You can hold on to a desk or table to support yourself, as needed. Come down far enough that you feel a stretch, but not so far that your heels lift off of the floor. 
    • Stay in this position for 30 seconds to 2 min. Focus on breathing slowly, keep your feet flat and try to avoid coming up on your toes.  
  • Hip Flexor Stretch
    • Start in a half-kneeling position with your right leg forward and bent with your right foot flat on the floor. Your left leg should be bent so that your knee is on the floor beneath your hip. (You can place a towel or pad under your knee, if needed.) Keep your upper body straight, gently tucking in your chin as you squeeze your glutes. Keep your pelvis neutral & avoid tilting it forward. Gently push your hips forward until you feel a stretch around the front of your left hip.Reach your arms overhead and lean ever so slightly to the left side for an extra stretch.Hold for 30 to two min. & breathe slowly. 
    • Repeat on the other side.

Stay tuned for continued conversation on this important topic.

Until then, live well, laugh often, stretch & MOVE!

(You can check out my Instagram feed for a 3-part conversation on hip mobility with a demonstration of these stretches mentioned above.)

5 Tips to a Healthier Life

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Don’t we all want a robust, healthy life? I do! To feel and look our best then, it is important to maximize energy production so we feel naturally energetic all day and preserve and maintain lean muscle mass throughout life.

How does inferior energy production occur? It is the result of… (drumroll) … too much stillness.  Inactivity makes you tired. Energy is a renewable resource, so if we don’t get brief explosive intervals and burn calories through other forms of movement and exercise, we have less energy. When we lead an energetic lifestyle, it leads to more energy. Funny how that works. We see this impact with aging and lifespan.

What about muscle? Unfortunately, we (society) have begun to normalize accelerated declines of muscle as a part of aging. It’s NOT normal. The spare tire is a sign of less than stellar metabolic health – not aging. Much of what is considered a result of aging is a byproduct of lifestyle. But, that’s good news because that means we have the power to positively impact our health. We have now learned that lean muscle mass is basically a proxy for good metabolic health.

Bottom line: the more we can focus on improving body composition & increasing energy levels, the better our health AND the more gracefully we will age. (nice side benefit!)

To achieve those two objectives, below are five tips to help:

  1. Reduce or eliminate junk food (processed foods) from the diet.
  2. Emphasize nutrient dense foods.
  3. Move more throughout the day. (Check out my workout tab for Instagram reels offering a variety of 4-minute Tabata style workouts!)
  4. Perform brief, intense workouts.
  5. Practice stress management.

Since many people start the new year with weight loss goals, below is an expansion on the first tip above (#1). 

Pay attention to oils. I’ve talked about industrial seed oils in my reels (along with a quick & easy balsamic dressing recipe), but here’s why paying attention to these oils matters: consuming processed foods WILL lead to sneaky weight gain. Try making use of Extra Virgin First Pressed Domestic olive oil as a priority (or avocado oil, as runner up). Understand “why” & search for the negative impacts of industrial seed oils and READ ingredient labels to see which products contain these nasty oils. BTW, even your favorite restaurant is using the cheap stuff and most (even “healthy”) salad dressings contain damaging oils. Also of interest is that studies show that up to 40% of calories consumed when dining out come from these industrial seed oils – so it’s difficult to avoid!  These poor quality seed oils interfere with your body’s ability to burn stored fat.  Often these ugly oils are paired with processed foods (#1).  When cooking at home, ditch canola oil and try ghee, coconut butter, avocado oil or olive oil. Set aside some time to check out your pantry and fridge and get rid of processed “foods” with these oils. Sadly, our “Standard American Diet” is truly S.A.D.  (Check out the book, “Why We Get Fat” at your local library).

Ditch refined sugars and grains. These are deficient in nutrients and contribute to many health issues by releasing endotoxins from the gut and inhibit energy.  

Watch for foods high in natural plant toxins. These high plant toxin foods often contribute to leaky gut. This concept of avoiding or reducing offensive plants is part of the carnivore movement. I’m not advocating a specific diet, but asking you to be aware of how certain foods make you feel. Since plants cannot run away, they possess their own defense mechanisms for protection.  Pay attention to how you feel after consuming these foods (stems, seeds, roots, etc.) to determine if they bother you, and id so, consider other options to prepare or cook them differently (soak, sprout, ferment, cook) — or if you avoid them all together. (Check out research and information from Paul Saladino, MD & make up your mind.)

Avoid gluten – it’s is a big offender for many people & can increase the risk of leaky gut.

Last, pay attention to how you feel after you eat. You shouldn’t feel anything, really. Not full, not bloated, not tired, nothing. If you do, that food is likely to be one to avoid. At least for a few months before re-introducing it to your diet.

Listen, we are all in this journey of life together. The more we learn, share and apply positive actions to our lives, the better our lives will be.

Friends, live well, laugh often, and be playful.

Lisa

A New Year & 365 Opportunities to Establish New Habits to ROCK 2023

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As we reflect on 2022 and set new goals for2023, improving personal wellness is often at the top of the list.  To kick off your new year with health improvement success, consider the tips below to integrate better health into your life.

  • Set specific goals.  Take goals like “eating healthier” or “losing weight”, for example.  Instead of a general goal, aim for a specific amount of clean protein per meal, eating 3-5 servings of vegetables or fruit a day, or eliminating processed foods. Instead of “losing weight” strive to lift weights (take a yoga or HITT class, etc.) for 20-30 minutes 3-4 times a week along with walking X times per week for X minutes. Making specific goals can help you stay on track. (See prior post.)  
  • Get good sleep. I have written several blogs about the importance of sleep because it’s SO ESSENTIAL to overall health and well-being. (Check out the most recent post on sleep here.)
  • Establish good stress management routines.  Whether physical or mental, techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing can help you relax.  Or, consider reorganizing your space to help de-clutter.
  • Make recovery a priority. Seriously. Taking time to rest and repair is as important as your physical activity – especially if you are seeking performance improvements. Try to add a little time to your day (or at the end of your workouts) to roll, stretch, or incorporate some kind of compression or massage therapy and do your body good!
  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet. This is an important one for every aspect of performance, training, weight loss, stress management – you name it. You know the drill here: try to reduce or eliminate processed foods & soft drinks (including so called healthy energy drinks) and incorporate a variety of vegetables and clean proteins into your diet.   
  • Hydrate! Did you know being dehydrated negatively impacts mental and physical performance while proper hydration can help reduce fatigue and muscle soreness? Hydration is a super easy place to start. Consider starting your day with a glass of lemon water and counting your glasses of water to ensure proper hydration.
  • Practice gratitude. Rick Warren (A Purpose Driven Life) reminds us that regardless of where we are in life, we always have our feet on two tracks – one of opportunities and blessings… and the other with challenges or problems to solve. Spend time each day purposefully appreciating the positive “track”.

Doing these things will help you start the new year in a positive direction and set yourself up for success. And remember, it’s easier to establish and stick to new habits with a supportive network. Share your goals and surround yourself with like-minded people.

I wish you the BEST of health, happiness & dreams fulfilled.

Cheers & happy 2023!

Lisa