It's All In the Hips

Time and time again in life we find ourselves repeating ourselves at our jobs. I am guilty of the same, but I never get tired of saying it even if it's in one ear out the other. I'm constantly saying "It's all in the hips"...and it really is. (Insert Happy Gilmore reference here). People eventually get it and whether or not they choose to do something about it is the ultimate defining factor that may just set you free or keep you bound to your own limitations. 

I am indeed talking about the hips (hence the title). The hips and spinal cord are the epicenter of our bodies functions and mobility. Our nerves stem out from the spine and through the hips out to the tips of our toes and fingertips. Many ligaments and muscles surround ,support , and make up the structure of the hips. Basically if the hips aren't mobile you aren't mobile. 

As children we are limber, mobile, and usually running free, moving in ways that we easily take for granted. As we all get older we start to feel these motions and movements we once took for granted. We feel the effort it takes to squat down or sprint 10-20 yards more than ever before. Not only do we feel it, we sometimes avoid it so we don't have to feel it.  While sitting at our desks and standing all day at our jobs we probably barely realize some of the havoc we are wreaking on those precious hips. Every painful minute we sit and every painful step leads to a more frustrating end result of more discomfort and pain.

Effort. It takes effort to do something to stop this mad process of aging from fast forwarding. The sweet waltz of aging can be a confusing dance. As if it weren't enough to keep up with the kids soccer practice schedule, hitting the grocery store every other day, keeping up with friends on the weekends, and getting what seems like the third oil change in two months. Life is busy and full of things. Stuff. In all the madness of life we often forget about ourselves and the pains that we feel when we actually take a moment to pay attention to ourselves, yet end up numb in the moments of our lives that are full of tasks. 

I didn't start this just to ramble on so let me get to the point. We can make a difference in our lives when it comes to the aches and pains of aging with just a few minutes a day. Humans are complex and analytical creatures. We are self sabotaging and self loathing beings at times. Sometimes we need some guidance and to have someone just show us the path if not lead us for a while so we can see what that path is and how to navigate when we aren't sure where to go next. When it comes to stretching the hips you can completely change your range of motion and mobility with as little as 4 minutes a day. Whether those 4 minutes are after you wake-up, at your lunch break, or right before bed, those minutes are very small bit of your day for the amount of benefit you will receive in return. Minutes a day. No special offers. Nothing to buy. No magic machines. Just you and your body one on one, mind and muscle. It just takes one word…EFFORT. The more you try in life the more you will succeed and being healthy and mobile is no different.

Imagine 4 minutes a day can change your life in just a matter of weeks. Pretty powerful improvements can be made in short time for some people. This isn't to say stretching the ways i suggest are a one size fits all for everyone, but for general populations they will make some kind of difference. For people who have bigger issues these stretches may only help a little. I have always been an advocate for improvement and progress even if it's only 1-10%.

I could go into further detail about this topic, but I will save you the time for now and indulge at a later time deeper into this topic. For now I will leave you with this video of a very effective stretch for the hips. Like I said 4 minutes a day will go a long way. The key is effort and the effort to improve flexibility along with proper range of motion. Keep working towards improving and evolving everyone!