Tired hips and how to improve them

[OakLeaf]

If I lift a leg in Bridge, it's all hammies. What's the cue to activate the glutes??? (Also, unrelated but important - press the back of your head into the mat to maintain the cervical curve.)

I haven't figured out how to completely take the wrist out of side plank, but you are activating your whole hand, yes? Doing it on the elbow feels just kind of ... strange, to me. Unlike prone plank, which is actually tougher on the core when I do it on my elbows.

Advanced class: prone plank bird-dog, then take the lifted arm and leg to 90° with the spine without tilting hips or shoulders.


I assumed the OP meant side plank on knees by "half side plank." Note that you can do T-pushups into a half side plank by leaving the top leg extended but bending the supporting bottom knee.

[indysteel]

If I lift a leg in Bridge, it's all hammies. What's the cue to activate the glutes??? (Also, unrelated but important - press the back of your head into the mat to maintain the cervical curve.)

I haven't figured out how to completely take the wrist out of side plank, but you are activating your whole hand, yes? Doing it on the elbow feels just kind of ... strange, to me. Unlike prone plank, which is actually tougher on the core when I do it on my elbows.

Advanced class: prone plank bird-dog, then take the lifted arm and leg to 90° with the spine without tilting hips or shoulders.


I assumed the OP meant side plank on knees by "half side plank." Note that you can do T-pushups into a half side plank by leaving the top leg extended but bending the supporting bottom knee.

Oak, I can't keep my pelvis level in bridge, so I haven't moved onto the advanced move. You might play around with how close to your butt you plant your feet. Perhaps one position over another will help keep the glutes activated--or just stick to the basic pose.

I'll play around with side plank. I don't particularly like doing side plank on my elbow, but I just have a hard time doing a regular side plank on my hand. I've mentioned in other threads that I experienced some nerve issues with my hands when I was trying to work out the fit issues on my Moots. I still have some lingering issues. Side plank for more than 10 seconds just hurts, so I usually put a knee down. I do work on using my entire hand and lifting out of my shoulder and not my hand, but it's just not worth further aggravation.

[KnottedYet]

Best trick I know to strengthen and activate the hip muscles:

Stand in perfect posture - belly flat, tailbone "relaxed" and dropped, knees unlocked.

Keep your pelvis ABSOLUTELY LEVEL, lift one foot from the ground. (hammies can't keep the pelvis level, the hip muscles have to do it, so don't drop one side of your pelvis when you lift one foot from the ground.)

Stand on one foot for as long as you can.

You should be able to stand steady and still and level for 2 minutes on each foot.

If you can only stand 1 minute before losing your balance or your level pelvis, you're still probably ok, but work toward that 2 minute mark.

I've seen women who were active and athletic and could whip off a 10 mile hike without blinking, yet had chronic hip pain and could only stand on one foot for 10 or 15 seconds. Guess what exercise they got to do at home....

If you're not sure you are keeping your pelvis level, ask someone to watch you or do this in front of a mirror.

[indysteel]

Stupid question, Knott, but when you lift your foot, do you hold that leg out in front of you or simply lift the foot off the ground?

p.s. Thanks for this exercise!

[KnottedYet]

Stupid question, Knott, but when you lift your foot, do you hold that leg out in front of you or simply lift the foot off the ground?

p.s. Thanks for this exercise!

Just get the foot off the ground, whatever way works best for you.

The crucial thing is that you hold your pelvis level and stable the whole time.

Many women will immediately drop the hip of the lifted foot and jut the standing hip out to the side - sure sign of weak hip muscles. If someone does that walking, too, it's called a Trendelenberg gait. Someone with a Trendelenberg gait gets the exact same exercise, but they are only holding for a few seconds because they are so very weak.

[tulip]

I'm no Knot, but I've been doing classical Pilates for some time and my hip problems have disappeared. There's also that Pilates butt thing going on, which would indicate to me that the glutes are being activated regularly...and well, let's just say that it's a good thing.

Just another option to consider.

[KnottedYet]

I'm no Knot, but I've been doing classical Pilates for some time and my hip problems have disappeared. There's also that Pilates butt thing going on, which would indicate to me that the glutes are being activated regularly...and well, let's just say that it's a good thing.

Just another option to consider.

I'm no Knot either...

But I must say that PT is only a stepping-stone to get people to the point they can do things like yoga or Pilates or their regular sport.

I'd trade having a patient doing all my goofy exercises for having them do yoga or Pilates!

(doing tree pose for 2 minutes is far better than just standing on one foot for 2 minutes... much harder! And having a Pilates butt is very good - more butt, more better!)