If you spend most of your day sitting, your hips are probably asking for more than a stretch.
For many of our DMC clients, especially those who spend hours at a desk, the hips gradually become less mobile, less capable and less comfortable.
That doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. It means your body has adapted to the positions you spend the most time in.
The problem is that life doesn’t only happen in a chair.
Most of us walk, climb stairs, squat, get down onto the floor, get back up again, rotate, change direction, train, play, travel and enjoy an active life. Your hips need to be capable of all of it.
Mobility is more than flexibility
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint designed to move through a large range of motion. That includes flexion, extension, internal rotation and external rotation.
When we regularly train these movements, we give the hips an opportunity to maintain and develop their usable range. And that matters a lot because mobility is only useful when you can control it.
That’s why at DMC we don’t simply throw a few stretches at tight hips.
We progressively teach the body to access, control and own movement.
From simple to strong
The video series accompanying this blog takes you through a deliberate progression.
If you find the first exercise is to challenging then it’s best you start with some that are better for your level. These 3 exercises should get you started.
1- Sitting figure 4 stretching
2- Gentle lower body hip opening routine
3- Hip Bridge
I suggest working each stretch for 30 secs and doing 2-5 rounds depending on your level
Once you get better at these you’ll be able to progress further.
We begin with 90-90 single-leg internal and external rotations, introducing the hips to controlled rotation.
From there, we progress into 90-90 rotations with hand support, allowing you to explore the movement while maintaining control.
Then we add a forward bend, introducing more range and challenging your ability to control the hips in a deeper position.
Next comes the shin box, followed by supported rotations and extensions.
Finally, we remove the support and progress into shin box rotations to extensions.
The goal isn’t to perform the most complicated version. It is to progressively develop your ability to move well, control the movement and use that capacity in real life.
Why does this matters as you get older? Well, getting older shouldn’t mean accepting that your body is simply going to become stiff and sore. It does mean we have to become more intelligent about how we train.
Maintaining hip mobility can help you continue doing the things that make life enjoyable and independent:
Walking. Squatting. Training. Travelling. Getting down to the floor. Getting back up. Playing. Exploring. Living.
These are not just fitness movements. They are life movements and the ability to perform them confidently is part of staying physically capable as we age.
Don’t wait until your hips become a problem. Give them regular exposure to movement they don’t get sitting behind a desk.
Start with the first video. Master the basics. Then progress. Strong. Stable. Capable.
That’s what we’re building at DMC Fitness because the goal isn’t simply to live longer.
It’s to stay capable enough to enjoy the life you’ve worked so hard to build.
Or in other words, enjoy “Strength for Life”
Davie
Davie McConnachie
Davie McConnachie is an award-winning coach, entrepreneur, speaker and founder of DMC Fitness. Since 2005, he has helped thousands of people transform their health, build strength, improve performance and develop a lifelong relationship with fitness.
Through his own experiences of adversity, recovery and personal growth, Davie has developed a coaching philosophy centred on resilience, self-mastery and sustainable progress. His mission is simple: to help people become stronger, healthier and more capable in every area of life while falling in love with fitness along the way.
Strength for Life.
