3 Hip Movements for Your Lower Back

Do you have challenges with your lower back?

There are many factors that can cause lower back problems including:

  • Mechanical or structural problems such as poor posture, scoliosis, degenerative discs through aging; and

  • Medical problems such as osteoporosis and arthritis.

Hip mobility is an important factor for a healthy lower back. If you have limited hip mobility, your body might compensate by placing more strain on the lower back resulting in tightness, stiffness and even pain.

Lauren Ohayon is a yoga, Pilates and Restorative Exercise teacher who specialises in core and pelvic floor issues. In one of her Instagram posts she demonstrated a mobility flow for the pelvic floor and lower back, which included three movements that have become my go-to for my back challenges:

  • Hip flexion and extension

  • Inner thigh stretch

  • Dynamic hip stretch

Although there are alternative postures and exercises that provide similar benefits, I love the freedom I feel when I do these movements. In this post, I detail the variations that I use to help participants in my sessions find the movements that work for their bodies.

Before you begin

Some of these variations involve twisting the spine and rolling on the floor.

Be cautious if you have hip challenges; osteoporosis, sciatica or other serious back conditions; abdominal problems; or are pregnant.

 

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Hip flexion and extension

Practise this hip flexion and extension lying on your side, seated in a chair, or standing.

Side-lying hip flexion and extension

  1. Lay down on your side and ensure your body is aligned and supported.

    Feel that you're balancing on the side of your body and there is length in the spine and through the back of the body.

    • Ensure that your head is supported by your arm or a pillow.
    • If needed, bend the lower leg or place your upper hand on the floor to stabilise yourself, or both.
    • Think about the ankle and hip of the top leg being in line with the shoulder and head.

      Consider placing pillows or padding under your torso to lengthen the spine, especially if you're on a soft surface like a bed.

  2. Raise the top leg in line with your hip and bend the knee.
  3. Slowly draw the knee in towards your chest (hip flexion).

  4. Keeping the knee bent, bring the knee back in line with the hip and then behind (hip extension).

    Sense that you're pushing your heel behind using your gluteal (buttock) muscles instead of your back.

  5. Continue alternating between bringing the knee towards your chest and then taking it behind.
  6. If you feel comfortable with this movement, straighten the leg as you bring it forward.

    Draw the toes towards you to stretch the hamstrings.

  7. Do as many rounds as you wish before moving to the other side.

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Seated hip flexion and extension

  1. Sit towards the edge of your seat to a position that feels stable for you but also lets you freely move the hip.

    You might be sitting sideways on your chair or to one side of your chair with one buttock on the seat, and the other over the side; or sitting as far forward as you can on the seat.

  2. Sit tall and press the left foot into the floor.
  3. Slowly draw the right knee towards your chest (hip flexion).

  4. Keeping the knee bent, lower the knee and take it back as far as comfortable (hip extension).

    Ensure you're using your gluteal (buttock) muscles to take the knee behind, not your back.

    If you're sitting towards the front of the seat, take the knee back and under the seat as far as you can without the edge of the seat causing discomfort.

  5. Continue to alternate between bringing the knee towards the chest and taking it behind.
  6. If you feel comfortable with this movement, straighten the leg as you bring it forward.

    Draw the toes towards you to stretch the hamstrings.

  7. Do as many rounds as you wish before moving to the other side.

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Standing hip flexion and extension

  1. Stand with your feet a comfortable distance apart.

    Feel free to stand near a wall or chair for balance.

  2. Bring the weight into one leg and, keeping the other leg straight, swing it forward (hip flexion) and back (hip extension).

    As you take the leg behind, notice what's happening with your back. See if you can keep the back relatively still and the spine long, and let the movement come from the hip.

  3. For a slower movement:
    1. Slowly draw the knee towards your chest (hip flexion).

    2. Keeping the knee bent, lower the knee so it is in line with the other and then take it behind (hip extension).

      Feel that you're pushing your heel behind using your gluteal (buttock) muscles, not your back.

    3. Continue to alternate between drawing the knee towards the chest and then taking it behind.
    4. If you feel comfortable with this movement, straighten the leg as you bring it forward.

      Draw the toes towards you to stretch the hamstrings.

  4. Do as many rounds as you wish before moving to the other side.

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Inner thigh stretch

Practise this inner thigh dynamic stretch lying on your back or seated in a chair.

Supine inner thigh stretch

  1. Start with femur fallouts:
    1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart.

      Take your arms out to the side. Palms can be up or down, whatever feels right for you.

    2. Sense the top of your pelvis and the bottom of your rib cage touching the floor, bringing your spine into its neutral position.
    3. Press the left foot into the floor.
    4. Keeping your spine neutral and left foot and leg still, gently open the right hip letting the right knee come towards the floor as you roll towards the outer side of your right foot.

      Your right knee does not have to touch the ground.

    5. Gently draw the right knee up so that the right foot is flat on the floor again.
    6. Continue to alternate between opening the right hip and drawing the knee back to centre.

      If you'd like to move with the breath, try inhaling as you open the hip, exhaling as you bring the knee back to centre.

  2. If you would like a little more movement:
    1. Do what you need to do to bring the right knee closer to the floor while keeping the left knee open towards the sky.

      Maybe you need to twist a little to the right, roll onto the right hip, or let the left knee fall a little towards the right? There's no correct way to do this, just do what feels right in your body to bring the right knee closer to the floor.

    2. Gently come back to your supine position, lying on your back with knees bent and the feet flat on the floor.
    3. Continue to alternate between bringing the right knee to the floor, possibly twisting or rolling onto the right hip, and coming back to your supine position with both feet flat on the floor.
  3. Want to activate the core a little more?
    1. Lie on your back and bring the right knee above the hip.

      Keep the lower leg relaxed or raise it so that the lower leg is parallel to the floor.

    2. Do whatever feels right in your body to bring the right knee closer to the floor.

      Maybe you need to twist more, or roll onto your right hip or completely on your side.

      Maybe your left knee falls more towards the floor, your left shoulder lifts, or your left arm comes across your body and over to the right.

    3. Gently come back to your supine position, lying on your back with the left foot flat on the floor, and the right foot at right angles above the hip.
    4. Continue to alternate between bringing the right knee towards the floor and your supine position.
    5. If this movement feels comfortable, extend your right leg into the air and alternate between bringing the right foot towards the floor and your supine position with the right leg in the air.

  4. Do as many rounds as you wish before moving to the other side.

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Seated inner thigh stretch

  1. Start in Mountain, sitting towards the front of the chair, feet about hip-width apart and flat on the floor.

    Press the feet into the ground and lengthen through the spine.

  2. Gently open the right hip by rolling towards the outer edge of the right foot, letting the right knee fall out.

  3. Come back to your Mountain posture.
  4. Continue to alternate between opening the hip and coming back to Mountain.
  5. If you would like a little more movement:
    1. Do what feels right in your body to open the right hip more.

      Maybe you need to twist in your chair or let the left knee fall towards the centre.

      Maybe it feels better to slide or step the right foot out to the side instead of rolling onto the outside of the foot.

      Or maybe it's a combination of these movements.

    2. Come back to Mountain.
    3. Continue to alternate between opening the hip and coming back to Mountain.
  6. Do as many rounds as you wish before moving to the other side.

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Dynamic hip stretch

Practise this dynamic hip stretch lying on your back or seated in a chair.

Supine dynamic hip stretch

  1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart.

    Take your arms out to the side. Palms can be up or down, whatever feels right for you.

  2. Gently drop your knees to the right.

    Let your head turn whichever way feels right for you.

  3. Do what feels right for your body to have the right leg on the ground.

    Maybe your left shoulder and/or hip is off the ground. Maybe you twist to right or roll completely onto your right side.

    This is the starting position for the movement.

  4. Gently open the left hip, bringing the knee towards the sky, and then close the hip, bringing the left knee back towards the floor.

  5. Continue to alternate between opening the left hip and bringing the left knee back towards the floor.

    If you’d like to move with the breath, consider inhaling as you open the hip, exhaling as you bring the knee back towards the floor.

  6. If you would like a little more movement:
    1. As you open the left hip, roll onto your back and place the left foot flat on the floor.

      Your right knee might come off the floor.

    2. Come back to your starting position with both knees falling towards the right.
    3. Continue to alternate between rolling onto your back and letting both knees fall to the right.
  7. Want to add a little more load to the movement?
    1. Roll onto your back so your left foot is flat on the floor and your right knee is falling out to the side.
    2. Bring the left knee above the hip.

      Keep the lower leg relaxed or raise it so that the lower leg is parallel to the floor.

    3. Do whatever feels right in your body to bring your left knee across your body and towards the floor.

      Maybe you need to twist more, or roll completely on your side.

      Your left shoulder might come off the floor or you bring your left arm across your body.

    4. Continue to alternate between rolling onto your back and having the left knee in the air, and bringing the left knee across your body.
    5. If this movement feels comfortable, extend your left leg into the air and alternate between rolling onto your back and having the left leg in the air, and bringing the left leg across your body.


  8. Do as many rounds as you wish before moving to the other side.

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Seated dynamic hip stretch

  1. Start in Mountain, sitting towards the front of your seat, feet about hip-width apart and flat on the floor.

    Press the feet into the ground and lengthen through the spine.

  2. Gently rotate the left hip inwards, rolling towards the inner side of the left foot and bringing the left knee towards the right leg.

  3. Come back to your Mountain posture.
  4. Continue alternating between rotating the hip inwards and returning to Mountain.
  5. If you would like a little more movement:
    1. Do what feels right in your body to increase the rotation in your left hip.

      Maybe you need to twist in your chair or come onto the toes of your left foot.

    2. Come back to your Mountain posture.
    3. Contine alternating between rotating the hip in and returning to Mountain.
  6. Do as many rounds as you wish before moving to the other side.

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Benefits

  • Stretches, mobilises and strengthens the hips

  • Help alleviate stiffness in the lower back

  • Rolling movements can help:

    • Strengthen core

    • Refresh the body and enhance movement

Deb @ LaiLin Yoga