This ‘Hip Hike’ Exercise From Harvard Heath Offers Protection Ahead of Your Next Run or Walk
- Alicia Ferguson, certified yoga practitioner and creative wellness entrepreneur
- Brian Spencer, instructor at East River Pilates in New York City
- Paris Alexandra, wellness artist, yoga and creative mindfulness facilitator
Harvard Health demostrates it nicely in this video, which is only 30 seconds long because the exercise is that easy—it's essentially just one level up from "Sit and Be Fit," which is definitely my vibe nowadays. (Forever mood: "Someone get me a chair.")
And though I jest about its appeal to the lazy, this exercise is actually great for those who might be motivated to do a little more than the least in terms of exercise, e.g. runners or even walkers. (I assume you can guess by now into which of those two categories I fall.) It strengthens your hip abductor muscles and helps to stabilize your pelvis. This, in turn, can work to prevent injuries to the knee and IT band while making it less likely you'll experience pain in your hip or back as a result of your run or walk.
Is your back bothering you? Try this 20-minute Pilates workout for lower back pain:
As such, it's a great addition to any warm-up, or is just something to do during brief standing breaks from your long days spent—let's be honest—seated at your computer still hustling, because most of us can't *actually* opt out of the grind. By adding this into your daily or weekly regimen, at least you won't grind down your hips in the process.
Need more TLC for the hips? Try this 25-minute yoga flow:
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