Stretch Series w/ Steve: Hip Openers

LET’S GET FLEXIBLE

Tight hips? Achy back? The key to gaining flexibility is frequency and duration. If you stretch once a week, to be honest you’re wasting your time. If you’re trying to improve the flexibility of a body part, you must stretch at least 3 days per week. Accumulate time in each position for 1-2 minutes.

Here’s a few of my favourite hip openers:

SHIN BOX:

· Sit on the floor with both knees flexed at 90 degrees (One knee should point up and the other knee down)

· Place your hands behind your back to try and stay as tall as possible

· Ideally try to keep both sit bones on the floor, so you want to try and gently press the “back” knee down

· Hold this position for about 5 seconds, breath deeply and then flip to the other side

· You may notice one side tighter than the other. Accumulate more time on the tight side

· Perform this stretch 1-2 minutes, moving slowly through each position

PIGEON:

· You can do this stretch statically, holding the position, or dynamically, adding movement

· Try to set your shin up approximately perpendicular to your body, depending on your flexibility

· Hinge forward, keeping a tall spine and think of trying to press your front knee down towards the floor

· Either hold this position 1-2 minutes per side or move dynamically holding each stretch 3-5 seconds before switching

· If this irritates the knee, try placing a yoga block or pillow under the front knee

SUPER FROG

· Make sure to use a mat to protect your knees

· On your hands and knees, spread your knees apart and splay your feet spread out

· If you’ve never tried this, it may feel aggressive, so don’t go too crazy!

· Make sure to keep a tall spine and brace your abs slightly

· Either hold this position 1-2 minutes or move dynamically holding each stretch 3-5 seconds and then shift forward out of the stretch

Remember, to improve your flexibility try these stretches 3-5 times per week and hold or move through each stretch for 1-2 minutes. Enjoy!