By Gavin Buehler
It’s a New Year so there’s no better time for a fresh start! This month’s F.I.T. Tip is how to balance your hips so that you start from a better place with your overall alignment to reduce the risk of injury, perform at your best and “Move with purpose.”
With the recent snowfall and frequency of shoveling needed, this month’s tip could save your back!
Most of us have some degree of offset rotation with our hips. Whether one side is rotated forward, higher, anteriorly, or posteriorly rotated too much, there’s an imbalance. Often, it’s minimal and nothing to be too concerned with, but if we get into the habit of always carrying ourselves that way, especially during activities that we partake in, then we may start losing integrity in some areas and straining others as we compensate. Our hips/core region of the body is a central intersection that everything else connects with in some way shape or form. Balancing the hips can alleviate tensions throughout the entire body.
In this video I take you through 3 key movements to activate muscle groups that have a major impact on the hips and restore balance to them. This series of exercise is an excellent primer for any workout, sport, or daily living activities.
As always, this video is for educational purposes only. Please consult a health professional before attempting new exercises or protocols, as the following suggestions may or may not be appropriate for you.
Recommendations for each exercise:
Hip Flexor Stretch/Activation – 1-3 sets, 3-5 reps/side (1:07)
Hip Thruster Glute Activation – 1-3 sets, 3-5 reps/side, 3-5 sec. holds/rep (4:05)
Side Plank Oblique Activation – 1-3 sets, 3-5 reps/side, 5-10 sec. holds/rep (7:30)
The goal with these exercises is to stimulate the muscles and achieve a good mind-muscle connection. These movements should not be performed to the point of fatigue in the context they are intended.
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