Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash .
Hip mobility can be shown by the strength of your lower back, particularly around the sacroiliac joint. Poor hip mobility can place extra stress on these joints, often contributing to stiffness, discomfort, or persistent low back pain. It’s not always obvious, but tight or restricted hips can quietly be part of the problem.
At Essential Health Physiotherapy, we see it every day — tight, restricted hips that quietly limit posture, exercise performance, and daily comfort. Improving your hip mobility doesn’t require hours in the gym or advanced flexibility. It requires the right exercises, done consistently, guided by our exercise physiologists who understand how your body truly moves.
Hip Anatomy & Function
Your hips are one of the most important areas of your body. Sitting right at the junction between your legs and torso, they act as a central hub for movement. It transfers force when you’re walking, bending, lifting, or exercising. When your hips move well, everything else moves well. When they don’t, your body has to compensate.
That’s why maintaining good hip mobility isn’t just for athletes or gym-goers—it’s essential for everyday comfort and long-term movement health. Whether you’re trying to stay active, reduce aches and pains, or simply move more freely, giving your hips the attention they deserve can make a big difference. The best cure is prevention, after all.
Here are 3 quick ways to improve hip mobility.
Modified glute crossover stretch
This one is based on a common stretch. We add a small weight to hold up to keep the thoracic spine from rotating with the rest of the body. Just make sure the weight is more than manageable as strength isn’t the goal here
Leg Sweep
Then we move onto all fours and try the leg sweep. This is an active stretch that gets your hips to move within its limits, utilising the gluteus medius and adductor group to do the majority of the movement. If your hips are quite tight, you might feel the lower back start twisting. Simply keep the range smaller and in the pain-free zone.
Hip Hitch
The last one here is more about control and stability. Once the hips are more open, we have to learn to have good control over them.
Doing these once a day or before physical activity will help with maintaining good sacroiliac joint function. If you continue to have problems with the hips, or think there’s a bit more involved (it’s quite common!), visit us at Essential Health Physio Shailer Park for a consultation with our experienced physiotherapists or exercise physiologists.
You are one call away from better hip mobility. Call us on 07 3132 0898.
Check our Previous Blogs
