3 Exercises to Improve Your Hip Mobility
Tight hips don’t just throw off your squat—they throw off everything. From walking and running to standing up straight or even just sitting comfortably, hip mobility plays a bigger role than most people realize.
If your hips feel stiff or locked up, chances are your body is compensating somewhere else—usually in the lower back or knees. That can lead to pain, poor movement, and stalled progress in the gym.
The good news? You don’t need a complicated mobility routine to fix it. Just a few simple movements, done consistently, can open up your hips, improve how you move, and make training (and life) feel a whole lot better.
Here are 3 go-to exercises that take less than 10 minutes and actually work.
Why Hip Mobility Matters
Your hips are the power center of your body. Whether you’re squatting, lunging, sprinting, or just getting out of a chair, your hips are involved in nearly every lower body movement. When they’re tight, everything around them starts picking up the slack—and that’s when problems show up.
Here’s what limited hip mobility can lead to:
- Shallow squats and poor form under load
- Knee pain from lack of control or poor alignment
- Lower back stiffness from compensating during movement
- Decreased athletic performance—you can’t produce full power without full range
By improving mobility, you’re not just gaining flexibility—you’re gaining control, strength, and better movement across the board. Whether you’re lifting heavy, chasing your kids, or just trying to move like a human again, mobile hips make a big difference.
Exercise 1 – 90/90 Hip Switches
If you only do one hip mobility drill, make it this one. The 90/90 Hip Switch works both internal and external rotation—two key ranges that most people lose over time, especially if they sit a lot.
How to Do It:
- Sit on the floor with one leg in front, knee bent at 90°, and the other leg out to the side, also bent at 90°.
- Keep your chest up and hands behind you for support.
- Slowly rotate your hips to bring both knees to the opposite side, landing in the same 90/90 shape on the other side.
- Move back and forth with control. That’s one rep each direction.
Why It Works:
This movement helps improve hip rotation—something most stretches and static poses skip. It loosens tight hips while also building strength and control through your range of motion.
Coaching Tips:
- Stay tall through your chest—don’t collapse forward.
- The goal isn’t speed; it’s smooth, controlled transitions.
- If your hips feel super tight, reduce the range or use your hands more for support.
Exercise 2 – Deep Lunge with Reach (a.k.a. World’s Greatest Stretch)
The name might sound dramatic, but this stretch earns it. It opens up the hip flexors, hamstrings, and even hits your thoracic spine (upper back). It’s a full-body mobility move that hits all the right spots—especially for people who feel stiff after sitting or before leg day.
How to Do It:
- Step one foot forward into a deep lunge.
- Place the opposite hand (to your front foot) on the ground next to your foot.
- Reach the other hand up toward the ceiling, twisting your torso toward your front leg.
- Hold the stretch briefly, then return and switch sides.
Why It Works:
This movement targets the hip flexors of the rear leg, the glutes and hamstrings of the front leg, and adds some upper body rotation—all of which contribute to better hip mobility and posture.
Coaching Tips:
- Keep your back leg straight to get the most out of the hip flexor stretch.
- Don’t force the range—ease into it and let your body open up gradually.
- Breathe deeply into the stretch, especially when you reach and rotate.
Exercise 3 – Banded Hip Distraction
Sometimes your hips need a little outside help to open up—literally. Banded hip distraction is a technique that uses a resistance band to gently pull the hip joint, creating space so your body can move more freely. It’s especially helpful if you feel pinching during squats or stiffness in the front of the hip.
How to Do It:
- Anchor a thick resistance band low around a sturdy post or rig.
- Step one leg into the band and position it high on your thigh, right where your hip crease is.
- Face away from the anchor point and get into a lunge or half-kneeling position, letting the band gently pull your hip backward.
- Shift your weight forward slowly to stretch the hip. Hold for 30–60 seconds.
- Optionally, move gently in and out of the stretch to explore the range.
Why It Works:
The band pulls the head of the femur (thigh bone) away from the hip socket just slightly, giving your joint more space to move. This can instantly improve hip range of motion and reduce tightness or discomfort during squats or lunges.
Coaching Tips:
- Keep the tension moderate—this should feel like a stretch, not a yank.
- Always keep your core lightly engaged to avoid dumping into your lower back.
- Don’t skip both sides, even if one feels tighter than the other.
Wrap-Up:
You don’t need a 30-minute yoga class or a complicated routine to unlock your hips—just a few smart moves done consistently.
To recap:
- 90/90 Hip Switches build rotational control and open the hips from multiple angles.
- Deep Lunge with Reach improves front-to-back mobility and loosens you up from hip to spine.
- Banded Hip Distraction creates space in the joint and helps restore full range of motion.
Try adding these into your warm-up before lower body days, or as a quick evening reset after long hours sitting. Just 5–10 minutes a few times a week can make your hips feel brand new—and make your squats, lunges, and day-to-day movement feel smoother and stronger.
