Mobility Exercises For Hips

Hi everyone! I’m Nicole, a certified personal trainer, Pilates instructor, Yoga instructor and passionate advocate for holistic wellness. My mission? To support you on your journey to a healthy and balanced mind, body and soul. With nearly 15 years of experience, I’ve learned that fitness isn’t just about hitting the gym; it’s about creating a balanced lifestyle that brings strength, peace, and joy into everyday life. Whether you’re here to build muscle, improve mobility, or find a deeper connection to yourself, l’m here to guide you every step of the way.

Today I want to share with you a few mobility exercises for your hips…

What hip mobility drills should you use to increase your hip mobility? There are many, but one of my favorite hip mobility exercises has gained popularity in the past several years. You may have heard it called several different things- the 90 / 90 stretch, the 90 / 90 hip stretch, 90 / 90 hip rotations, 90 / 90 hip opener, and so on. The name doesn’t matter so much (there are many variations), what matters is what you are trying to achieve from it…

Are your hips or glutes feeling stiff and tight? You might want to hold this position as a static stretch for the muscles in those areas (don’t worry, I will show you all of these options below!)

Are your hips or legs feeling limited in how well they can move within the hip joint? You might want to do the 90 90 hip switch version (here we will do a less taxing version- knee drops) that alternates each side between hip internal and external rotation.

Are you feeling tension or tightness in your overall torso and back? You might want to try the 90 90 version that adds a back, or thoracic, rotation to it as well.

Here is what you do!

Version 1: Static Stretch

Set up in “90 - 90”, meaning your knees are staggered and aiming for 90 degree angles at each. One hip is in internal rotation, and one hip is in external rotation.
Dorsiflex your ankles (pull your toes towards your shins to flex them as close to 90 degrees as you can). Place a prop underneath your hip (or hips) if they are very tight and you are leaning to one side (if you can’t sit up with a tall spine sitting on your sitting bones).

Walk your hands out to frame your front knee or shin.

Open your chest forward and create a long neutral spine, or slight spinal extension.

Lean forward over that front leg (the one in external rotation) and hold.

Breathe into that position for at least 20-30 seconds. If it is starting to loosen up, you can walk your hands out further and maybe even come to your forearms (if you can achieve this while still maintaining a neutral spine). Don’t force it, just use your breath to relax with deep diaphragmatic breaths. If you feel any pinching at the front of the hip joint, ease off or come out of the position (the same goes for any strain on the knees). Repeat on the other side.

Version 2: Mobility with Knee Drops

Set up in “90 - 90”, meaning your knees are staggered and aiming for 90 degree angles at each. One hip is in internal rotation, and one hip is in external rotation.

Dorsiflex your ankles (pull your toes towards your shins to flex them as close to 90 degrees as you can). Place a prop underneath your hip (or hips) if they are very tight and you are leaning to one side (if you can’t sit up with a tall spine sitting on your sitting bones).

Lean back on both of your hands with a tall spine.

Press your knees into the ground and let your rear hip (the internally rotated one) and rib cage rotate towards the “leading” side (the externally rotated one).

Draw your abdominal muscles in. On an exhale, draw your knees through the center then drop them to the other side.

Press them into the ground. Continue to windshield wiper your knees back and forth passing your hips through internal and externation rotations for at least 10 repetitions per side.

Version 3: Thoracic Rotations in 90 90

Set up in “90 - 90”, meaning your knees are staggered and aiming for 90 degree angles at each. One hip is in internal rotation, and one hip is in external rotation. Dorsiflex your ankles (pull your toes towards your shins to flex them as close to 90 degrees as you can). Place a prop underneath your hip (or hips) if they are very tight and you are leaning to one side (if you can’t sit up with a tall spine sitting on your sitting bones).
Press your knees into the ground and let your rear hip (the internally rotated one) and rib cage rotate towards the “leading” side (the externally rotated one). Draw your abdominal muscles in.
Come down to the forearm of your leading side hip and raise your other arm up to the ceiling. Inhale, then exhale as you weave that arm through the hole underneath your leading side armpit (or above it)- rotating your spine, rib cage and head in a thread-the-needle position. Repeat this 5-10 times before switching sides.

Start with these and feel free to share your progress with me as you go, or let me know if you have any questions!

Want to learn a total body flexibility and mobility routine that you can follow along through the extensive exercise library to feel this good in every part of your body? Sign up for my Mobility Masterclass today!

Enjoy your newfound hip mobility!

Nicole