If most of your working day is spent sat behind a desk, then come Friday, your hips are probably screaming at you. “Your hips control how force moves through your entire lower body, affecting your lower back, knees, and ankles,” says Personal Trainer, Coach Milad, co-founder of Tailored Fit PT. That means if you want a healthy body that can move pain-free, you need to be giving them some TLC.
The good news is you don’t need a fully fledged workout plan to make this joint more mobile. Coach Milad says these three mobility exercises, performed three times a week, can easily fix your tight, aging hips. What’s better is you can do them with just your bodyweight and they’ll take you 10 minutes, tops. That means there’s no excuse for not being able to squeeze them in during your lunch break.
If you find these exercises are too easy, then just watch the short video above to take a look at the more advanced variations – or if you’re not sure how to perform the movements in general. As we mentioned already, you can do these without equipment. But, if you would like an extra challenge, you can add in a dumbbell, kettlebell, or a heavy-ish household object (we specify where below). Coach Milad hasn’t specified time or repetitions, so we’d advise doing each movement for 45 seconds (on both sides where applicable) and aiming for 2-3 rounds in total. Here are your exercises for healthier hips:
- Pigeon stretch with forward bend
- 90/90 hip openers
- Reverse Nordic stretch (can use a weight here, if you like)
Remember, prioritise these exercises three times a week and your hips will love you for it. If your lower back also presents you with problems from sitting, then here's a three-move routine to help strengthen your core muscles (because a stronger core helps to stabilise the spine). Plus, you can avoid a hunched-over posture by giving your shoulders some much-needed attention with these three simple exercises.
