Welcome to our weekly Move of the Week series. Every Monday, we’ll be sharing with you one of our favourite exercises – how to do them, what muscles they work and why they should be a regular part of your workout regime. This week: kneeling hip hinges.
Hip hinges are a movement used in a number of key compound exercises, such as kettlebell swings, squats, deadlifts and barbell rows.
However, hip mobility is something that many of us don’t have – experiencing tightness and reduced flexibility from sitting down all day and/or running and cycling regularly.
What is a kneeling hip hinge?
Kneeling hip hinges are a floor-based stretch that encourages hip flexion and extension, while maintaining a neutral spine. They’re great because…
They relieve tension: opening up tight hip flexors and increasing your flexibility
They strengthen your spine: by maximising the level of strength coming from your posterior chain, preventing it from being placed under too much stress during exercise, or everyday life
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What muscles do kneeling hip hinges work?
Kneeling hip hinges are a lower body stretch, targeting:
- Hip flexors
- Lower back (relieving tension and stress)
- Hamstrings and glutes (these muscles are actively lengthening to control the “bowing” movement of the hip hinge)
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How to do a kneeling hip hinge
- Position yourself on a mat, with your forearms and knees on the floor and a neutral spine.
- Maintaining this spinal position, sit back onto your ankles.
- From this position, slowly push your bodyweight forward towards the front of the mat. Your shoulders should now be in line with your elbows, and your glutes parallel with your knees.
- Hold for a few seconds before returning your glutes to your ankles, feeling a full stretch of your hips as you do so.
Keen to improve your form? Check out our How To library to see exactly how the experts do over 100 of the most common strength training exercises.
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