Sometimes, stretching isn’t the answer, and you need strengthen your hips to get the results you want. When you’re working on things like mohawks, transitions, and plow stops, having the right muscles doing the right things is going to be a big help.
This quick video will show you some movements that you can do to help strengthen your outer hips so that those muscles can do their jobs–and you can kick more ass on the track.
Since I didn’t specifically call it out in the video, when you’re doing the leg lifts out to the sides with hands down on blocks/books, try to keep your hips as level as possible to get the outer hips to do the lifting. Just like in tree pose, you don’t want to trick yourself by doing a hip swivel!
What muscles are doing the work? If the ones I mention aren’t doing the work, what might be compensating?
Over the next few weeks, I’ll show you some ways to incorporate these moves into a yoga practice, share more hip tips, and help improve your transitions on the track.