Hip mobility: why it matters in everyday movement

Sitting down, getting up from a chair, climbing stairs or putting on your shoes are tasks that involve hip movement. Even when we don't think about this area, we use it in most of our daily activities.

Working on hip mobility lets you pay attention to the range and control of those movements, with what you need to do in your daily life in mind.

§ 1Which movements does the hip allow?

The hip is the joint that connects the thigh bone to the pelvis. It lets you move your leg in different directions and helps support the body's weight.¹11 Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust — Dynamic Health. Hip pain.

Its movements include:

• Bringing the thigh towards the trunk, as when climbing a step;
• Taking the leg backwards, as happens when walking;
• Moving the leg away from and towards the midline of the body;
• Rotating the thigh inwards and outwards.

In daily tasks, these movements combine with those of other joints. Getting into a car, for example, involves coordinating the hips, knees and trunk.

§ 2Why does it deserve attention in training?

It's easy to associate hip mobility with wide-range positions. However, the goal can be as simple as being able to crouch down, change position or reach your foot more easily.

Beyond the range available, what matters is the ability to use it. That's why work on this area can combine mobility movements with strengthening of the muscles that help control the joint. Hip exercise programmes often include both components.²22 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Hip Conditioning Program. OrthoInfo.

§ 3How can Pilates train it?

Depending on the class, the exercises can explore different hip movements:

• Lying on your back, bringing one thigh towards and away from the trunk;
• Lying on your side, lifting and lowering the leg in a controlled way;
• With your knees bent, making small openings and returning to the starting position;
• On all fours, moving one leg while you control the position of your pelvis.

These examples place different demands on you. The choice of support, the leg position and the range change the challenge of each exercise.

In some movements, we aim for the pelvis to stay relatively stable to explore hip movement. In other tasks, the pelvis and trunk naturally follow the action.

§ 4Do you need the same range on both sides?

You may notice that one side moves more easily than the other. That difference is not, on its own, a reason to force the more limited side or to try to even out the positions in a single session. Use a comfortable range on each side.