Hip Rotation Exercises For Flexible Limbs

This exercise is similar to learning how to use the ‘hoola-hoop’, if you remember this from the late 70's and 80's. But bear with me - there are many benefits from doing hip rotation stretching exercises, as your legs and the rest of your body is dependent on having supple limbs for them to be able to function properly without aches and pains, especially later on in life.

Hip rotations - will get more suppleness into this area and in turn help to strengthen buttocks, legs, lower back, pelvis and tummy muscles.

Often, the process of aging or a sedentary lifestyle can lead to lose some internal rotation at the hip joint.

This condition can be helped with stretches and strengthening exercises that target the hip flexors, hip - inner thigh and groin, hip - outer thighs or hips and the glutes (buttocks).

This is our own exercise, and one which we use each day to keep supple and in spite of our 60+ years - it's going pretty well. Feel free to try it.

• Place a soft cushion, thick towel or exercise mat on the floor and kneel down on it.
• Make sure your cushion is big enough for you to place your knees about 40 centimetres apart.
• Place your hands on your hips while doing this exercise - this will help keep your balance.
• Sink your body about 10 to 12 centimetres - without arching your lower back - keep your back relaxed.
• Begin to move your hips in a circle movement slowly as far to the right as you can. Remember only to move your hips - not your body.
• Tilt your pelvis upward and begin slowly to rotate your hips - moving your behind out and backwards, and then over to the left as far you can without arching the lower part of your back.
• Complete the movement over to the right until you’ve come a full hip circle.
• Do this exercise at your own speed from right to left and backwards - a full hip circle. Take a rest and then do the same rotation again from left to backwards to right.
• Each time use the opposite rotation i.e. clockwise and then anti-clockwise.