Hi there, I hope you are having a great day.

Let’s begin our newsletter with something funny.

Mark and his wife were driving along a country road.

They weren't speaking to each other due to an earlier argument. As they passed a particularly rural stretch, they spotted a couple of monkeys in the treetops. "Relatives of yours?", asked Mark sarcastically.

"Yes," she replied. "My in-laws."

Most of us have been sitting “at work” in the kitchen, in the garage, or sofa for more than a year now.

The commute is great but the toll on our bodies is horrible.

One group of muscles that will complain about too much sitting is your hip muscles. And that can result in problems further down the line.

Today, I want to share with you my favorite stretches that will work on lengthening your hip muscles to aid mobility, reduce the chance of injury and keep you exercising pain-free.

Are you ready?

Hip stretches

1- Hip rotations

In a standing position, rotate your legs in a circular motion in one direction. Repeat this movement 5 times per side. Then do the same thing in the opposite direction.

2- Hip mobility

In a standing position, perform a lunge while twisting the body to the side. If you could go all the way down, great. If not, just go as low as you can.

Repeat this movement 5 times per side.

3- Squat mobility

Squat down, keeping your back as straight as possible. As soon as you touch the floor, lift one arm as high as possible keeping the other hand on the floor. Once the first arm is up, bring the second one up and then go back to the standing position.

If you cannot go all the way down while keeping your back in the upright position, go as low as you are comfortable.

Repeat this movement 5 times.

4- Frog stretch with a twist.

Split your legs. Once in a split position, bring one arm as far up as possible. Stay there for 2 seconds and repeat this movement 5 times per side.

5- Hip opener

From a plank position bring one leg forward and put your foot flat on the floor.

Once in that position, lift your arm as far as possible. Hold that stretch for 2 seconds and repeat 3 times per side

6- Hip flexor

Kneel on the floor with your right knee up.

Lean forward to open up the hip flexor and tilt your body towards your right side. Hold that stretch for 1 second. Repeat the move 5 times per side.

7- Leg cross

Cross your leg forward and extend the opposite leg as far back as you can. From there, lean forward. If it’s too hard to go all the way down, go on your elbows. Hold that stretch for 5 seconds, and do the same thing on the other leg.

8- Karate Stretch

Stand with your feet at a 45-degree angle.

Go down in a squat position and lean towards the side stretching your inner thigh. You can either keep your hands off the ground or on the ground for more balance.

Hold that stretch for 5 seconds and repeat on the other side.

My Take

The body is an interconnected machine. Everything works together. When something is off, the whole chain suffers.

Sitting for long periods, which we do a lot of, tighten and shorten hip muscles.

The routine I just proposed will help elongate these muscles.

Go ahead and pick a few stretches and do them today.

And always remember that stretching should not hurt. Do not push a stretch too far.

Listen to your body. It talks a lot.

As always, please share this newsletter with someone you care about!
Copy and paste this link: www.laurentstransformationplan.com/blog/2021/12/09/tight-hips

And now, let’s eat

What do you get when you mix chicken and feta cheese in a salad? A delicious lunch.

And the best part is that it’s so easy to make.

Tight hips? 8 stretches to loosen them up