It's time to hack your hips.
This quick hip mobility exercise will unlock your hips and relieve lower body tension. The move only takes a few minutes at most and combines internal rotation with the frog pose (more on that later). It’s hands-down one of the best hacks for relieving tight hips, groin and lower back muscles, making it one of my go-to moves for releasing tension when I’ve been writing at my desk all day and may not have time to walk.
I recommend an exercise mat — our guide to the best yoga mats is a great starting point — and a loop bend to sit above your knees if you want extra intensity. Here’s how to do it, and the benefits.
What is the hip mobility exercise?
This is a move of two parts — a dynamic frog pose with internal hip rotation mixed in. If neither of those terms means anything to you, here are the benefits of both.
Frog pose is mostly found in a yoga setting and releases tight hips, groin, lower back and adductor muscles, and can even help alleviate discomfort associated with sciatica. If you think about how a frog sits for a moment, you’re aiming for your legs to look a similar way, creating a 90-degree angle on both sides (or as close to it as possible).
Frog pose is usually static, meaning you sit and hold the stretch for several minutes, but by rocking your hips back and forth, you can stretch the adductors that run down the inner thighs and create low back and hip extension.
Internal hip rotation does what it says — internally rotates the hip joint. It can be done in a few different ways (I also love the hip sleeper stretch), but this variation allows you to sit in a frog pose at the same time, giving more bang for your buck.
To perform internal rotation during frog, you’ll lift one foot (or both together if you feel brave enough) away from the mat while keeping your knees supported as you drive your hips forward to extend the hips.
Increasing internal rotation improves various aspects of your hip health, including muscle flexibility, joint mobility, control and strength in the lower body and range of motion around the pelvis. The primary focus is on your hips, but stretching the muscles I mentioned earlier will also help release your lower back.
If unlocking your hips and back fast sounds good to you, this is a move you should try. However, I really only recommend giving this a go if you’re not working with contraindications like diagnosed injuries or illnesses.
That’s not to say the exercise can’t be beneficial, just that checking in with a qualified physician, physical therapist, or personal trainer should be the first step. If you experience sharp or prolonged pain, stop immediately and seek medical advice.
How to do the hip mobility hack step-by-step
- Start in a tabletop position
- Slide your knees to the sides so that your inner knees hug the mat
- Slide your feet outwards so they align with your knees, with the inner sides of your feet hugging the mat
- Push through your hands and gently sit your hips as far back as you can toward your heels
- When you reach your end range, push the hips forward as far as you can, extending the hips
- Try this a few times, then as you push your hips forward, lift one foot away from the floor, keeping the knee rested on the mat
- As you sit back, return your foot to the floor, then switch to the other side.
Aim for 15-20 reps for 2-3 sets per side or try the exercise for a few minutes, depending on preference. You can reduce the intensity by bringing your knees or heels closer together.
This mobility hack brings together so many good benefits to counteract the sedentary lifestyles that cause back pain and tight hip flexors. Your hips and lower back play a massive role in posture, so releasing the muscles surrounding the spine and pelvis and increasing mobility in your hips can reduce pain and tension.
The move stretches your groin, internally rotates the hip joints and extends the hips and lower back — all in one exercise.
More from Tom's Guide
- Develop lower body flexibility and build ankle strength with this one bodyweight exercise
- I tried this 12-minute resistance band glute workout — here's what happened to my lower body
- These 5 moves promise to release tension in your back and hips — here’s what happened when I tried them
