So many aches and pains in the legs and the lower back can be attributed to tightness in the legs and the hips, which can be so easily helped! Especially for those in jobs that include a lot of sitting down. Working these mobility and flexibility exercises into your busy days whenever you can can really help. You can’t lose!
The exercises
Toe touch
Very simply, stand with your feet together or slightly apart. Keeping the knees soft throughout- raise your arms then lower the torso (thinking about tilting at the hips) until your hands are reaching for the floor. You can play around with straightening your knees a little if you want to- whatever feels good to you!
Opposite toe touches
This time stand with your feet apart in a wide stance. This time we are taking our arms out to the side. Again, tilt at the hips and lower the torso, this time we are going to twist the torso and reach the right hand towards the left ankle, stretching the left hand towards the ceiling (or as far as you can go), then swap sides!
Then you can reach both hands towards the floor in the centre of your two feet and, like the toe touch, you can play around with how straight your knees are.
Long lunge with knee movement
Step your right foot forward as far as possible into a nice long lunge keeping the left knee as straight as possible. Try to stay upright if you can, but you could also use a surface or a yoga block to stabilise yourself. From here take a few deep breaths thinking about lowering your hips carefully. You can then lower that left knee to the floor and take a few more deep breaths. Then you can repeat on the other side again taking a few deep breaths with the back leg straight and then with the knee bent.
World’s Greatest Stretch
Step your right foot forward as far as possible into a nice long lunge position, but this time you are going to place both your hands on the inside of your right foot. From here, take your right hand off the floor and twist your torso to reach your right hand up to the sky. Then replace your right hand back on the floor, swap the feet over and repeat on the other side.
Hip rotation Inward and Outward
Sit on the floor with the legs apart, knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Hip inward rotation- take your right knee and lower it inwards towards the floor as far as you can while still maintaining your torso position. Then lift it back to where you started and perform on the left.
Hip inward and outward rotation- take your right knee and lower it inwards towards the floor while at the same time lowering your left knee outwards towards the floor. You should then be sat upright with your legs both at 90 degrees as close to the floor as possible.
This mobility exercise gets better the more you do it so trust the process.
Pigeon Stretch
This one is a little more advanced so it may take a few sessions to get into it and that’s okay!
From your inward/outward hip rotation position, use your hands to push yourself up a little while rotating that back leg so it is straight out behind you, try to sit up at first and take a few breaths, then lower your torso as much as you can over the front leg. (see video)
Kneeling Quad stretch
Start by kneeling up on your left knee with your right foot flat on the floor in front of you. Shift your hips forward so you feel a stretch down the front of your left hip. Then if you want to take it a step further, use either hand to pick up your left foot behind you and raise it as far as you feel comfortable. Then try on the other side.
Perform these exercises for either 4 slow repetitions each or for anytime between 30-60 seconds each. Fit these in whenever you get the chase, the more you do them the better your hip mobility will get!
Enjoy!
