in the may edition of "i've got your back" on wtip, we talk about the ways we can keep our hips mobile and juicy for all of our summer activities! so much low back pain comes from sticky hips that it's great to incorporate these movements into your routine regularly
:: hip flossing ::
pull one knee into your chest and draw circles with that knee, focusing on the sensation deep in your hip, looking for spots that are a little sticky. move back and forth through those stuck spots, without forcing anything. this shouldn't cause pain! just like we floss our teeth, we can tidy up our hip sockets and make sure that all the muscles that hold our leg bone (femur) into our pelvis are active and moving as they should. keep the 'moving' leg really passive and relaxed, and use your arms to move your leg around.
:: figure four stretch ::
cross one ankle on top of the opposite thigh, either seated in a chair or on the ground, and rotate your hips so that your belly button and lower ribs come into your lap. you can keep your spine long and really focus on the pelvis spilling forward towards your legs to feel a stretch. as soon as you feel the stretch, don't push it too far, and hold for 60 - 90 seconds. doing this twice a day on each side will make a world of difference!
:: tennis ball massage ::
nothing too fancy here, just sitting on a tennis ball. i recommend sitting on something a little softer than these rocks, like a couch. place the tennis ball under your seat, and adjust it until you find a place that feels a little tender or tight. then stay put and relax for 3-5 minutes, letting the glute muscles soften and melt around the tennis ball. once you feel them release, you can move the ball to another tight spot. i suggest keeping a tennis ball near your favorite lounging spot so you can just grab it when you have a chance to relax! it might feel like nothing major is happening, but if you do 2-3 spots on one side of your pelvis, notice how different each side feels! sitting around was never so good for you :)
listen to the full interview here and stay tuned the last wednesday of the month for "i've got your back" at 8:20(ish) on wtip.org's north shore morning show!
Comentários