Simple Hip Stretching Exercises for Busy Runners
Dear A & H…Today’s topic is again about stretching for addressing hip tightness. On a purely fundamental (logical?) level, it’s likely as important as cardio for preventing injury and/or less-than-ideal running form. Thankfully, an easy way to add a few stretches to a daily schedule is no more difficult than brushing teeth or…taking a bath. ت
Quick aside…Most of us have limited time to devote to training so, to get the most benefit from workouts, we need to focus on quality. This is the goal of this post, just one suggestion to consider incorporating and focusing on during workouts to help improve the results of your training. As was explained in this post, an athlete’s job is never done. No matter how skilled an athlete we might become or the number of years under our belt, there’s never an end to improving or maintaining. With that, let’s talk a little about stretching, more specifically, stretches for runners with little time or desire to channel their inner pretzel.
Stretching…Oh, Yay 😕
Good running is built on a foundation of two main pursuits, namely, cardio, or putting in consistent mileage, and attaining and maintaining proper form. Regarding the latter, proper form is accomplished through not only an awareness of what our bodies are doing while running but, additionally, through:
- pacing,
- strength training, and
- stretching.
The thing is, of these three elements, stretching is the easiest to rationalize not doing. Runners know it’s beneficial but often feel no sense of loss when it doesn’t get done.
With our busy lives and limited time, we often tell ourselves that “just running” is most important. All those other activities (i.e. strength training and stretching), though nice in and of themselves, are “dessert” to running’s “bread and butter” (i.e. consistent mileage). In the event we find extra time on our hands, we often choose to run more or gravitate toward anything that isn’t stretching:
- hitting the gym
- researching new gear and equipment
- watching recently uploaded running videos
Such was my opinion of stretching.
Whenever I was a part of a group that regularly stretched, I felt no benefit. It just seemed like…dare I say it…😬…a waste of time.
I would think, “Wouldn’t it be a better use of our time if we just ran?”
However, since my days have changed from me being mostly on my feet to now mostly on my bum, I now understand more clearly why I once felt that way about stretching.
Growing Up the Old-Fashioned Way
When I was growing up, “normal” was the understanding that we took care of everything that needed taking care of in our home. We didn’t have a gardener or a housekeeper. We also didn’t have a mechanic. If something happened with the plumbing, we took care of it. If the house needed painting, that was a family project.
Thinking back, I can honestly say that I don’t ever remember any service person, outside of the one time our house had to be treated for termites, ever visiting our home.
Fast forward to me with my own family and home. Knowing no different, I continued this tradition, including the part where I refinished and reupholstered much of my own furniture, dabbled in homeschooling, change my own oil when I can, hang up laundry on warm days, etc.
I love the DIY lifestyle.
At this point, you might be wondering, how does this relate to stretching?
It does in this simple way. A life where one does their own gardening, housecleaning, simple mechanic work, etc., movement is constant. Bending, reaching, and the like are built into each day.
When this is a part of your every day, additional stretching is likely not needed.
This is a large reason why I felt stretching was such a waste of time because, for me at that point in my life, it was.
Welcome to the Modern World
For all the shiny loveliness of the modern world, with its automation, remotes, and overarching goal of allowing us to move through life with as little effort as possible, the downside to all this is our unwitting entrapment into a self-imposed exile of suspended animation.
Essentially, while our mortal body needs…no…requires movement for health and well-being, we think nothing of allowing it, day in and day out, to exist as the moral equivalent of a potted plant.
Then, when problems crop up (ex. back pain due to tightness in and around our hips) it’s met with surprise.
In reality, because our bodies are so amazing at maintaining the status quo, problems that eventually arise likely were festering for a while but, as naturally happens, a body can only hold back the tide of neglect for so long. Then, a line is crossed and we suffer the consequences.
Feet vs. Rump
Consider this, when was the last time you were on your feet for greater than three hours? Not only that, but on your feet for three hours or longer for two-three-or more days in a row? Of course, there are some professions where this is a requirement (e.g. cashiers, bank tellers, nurses, etc.) but, for the rest of us, have our rumps become the new grounding point that once belonged to our feet?
Of course, we can’t stem the tide of “progress.” For good or bad, we enjoy its comforts, whether this involves ever-evolving technology or meeting our various needs through others (ex. cooking, cleaning, car repairs, window cleaning, etc.). In essence, while modern culture continues to evolve by leaps and bounds, our mortal bodies, no matter how we would like to have it different, have not. Today’s bodies are not much different than ancient bodies:
- we still need a certain amount of sleep to function,
- eating at regular intervals is ideal, and
- constant and sustained movement is a what a body is built to do.
An Aside
Looking at body composition…
…it’s no small coincidence that muscle makes up the greatest percentage. In fact, this percentage is even higher when the weight of tendons, ligaments, and, why not, the whole skeleton is factored in. As you can see, our bodily design, with so many parts devoted to locomotion, is simply made to move. Not just during the time we set aside for workouts, but most of the time.
Meeting a Body’s Needs…Flexiblity Compliments Movement
So how do we rectify the discrepancy between the sedentary nature of our days with our need for life-giving movement?
A good question and one that deserves a thoughtful response because, though a body in motion is a happy body, movement in isolation (i.e. cardio) is not the whole answer. Yes, it’s the most vital part but, without flexibility and strength as compliments, a body just can’t function optimally. Neglect any one for too long, it’s no surprise when injuries start cropping up.
Focusing on just stretching at the moment, while the regular practice of yoga is recommended (at least twice a week), it’s easy to let these workouts fall by the wayside when time’s limited or unexpected events pop into our schedule.
If this describes you, then the hip stretching exercises described below might be a respectable compromise. They’re easy and can culminate a full day of work or any workout, whether that be running, weight training, biking, etc.
All that’s needed is a little bit of time and a full bath of warm water.
Four Minutes of Simple Hip Stretching Exercises
As you may have guessed, these exercises are done while taking a bath.
Upon entering the water, just sit for a few minutes, allowing the water to relax and loosen the tendons, ligaments, and muscles in your hip region. Once warmth has settled in, perform each of the following stretches for 40 to 60 seconds.
Granted, in spite of numerous benefits, not everyone wants to give up their showers to take a bath. Also, depending on your size, your bathtub might not be large enough. If one or both of these apply to you, then consider doing these exercises right after showering. Either way, the results will likely be similar.
Seated Forward Bend
How to do:
(1) With legs and flexed feet extended in front of you, sit with a tall and straight spine.
(2) Now, bend forward at the hips.
(3) Next, picture an imaginary string that’s attached to your nose and upper feet getting shorter and shorter.
(4) Take note of your spine. Is it still straight?
(5) To aid the benefit of this stretch:
- inhale deeply (belly breathe)
- hold this breath a few seconds while pooching out your belly
- upon exhale, stretch a little more
- do this as many times as is comfortable
(6) If possible, loosely clasp your hands around the forefoot section of your feet and gently pull up on your feet to increase their flexion. This will not necessarily hurt but feel a little uncomfortable in your lower legs.
⭐ GOAL: Perform stretch for 45 to 60 seconds.
Butterfly Stretch
How to do:
(1) While sitting with a tall and straight spine sideways in the tub, place the soles of your feet together, letting your knees fall out toward the side.
(2) Next, while grasping your legs just above your ankles, bend forward slightly at the hips and push down on the inner part of your leg at the knee using your elbows.
(3) If possible, toward the end of this stretch, attempt to contract your buttocks and upper hamstrings. You’ll know you’ve contracted these muscles well enough when all your sitting parts become hard against the tub. What this does is slightly change the position of your hips to deepen the stretch.
⭐ GOAL: Perform stretch for 45 to 60 seconds.
Figure Four
common cause of sciatica. It also targets your hips and lower back.
How to do:
(1) Lie on your back and bend your knees so your soles are flat against the surface of the bathtub and knees are pointing toward the ceiling
(2) Next, place your right ankle on your left thigh above your knee. That done, you should see an upside-down number four.
(3) Now, while holding onto your left leg, gently draw this knee toward your chest. At the same time, use your right elbow to push your right knee away from you.
(4) Alternative method: Set up this stretch as explained above except, instead of using your hands to draw your knee toward your chest, allow your leg to do all the work (your hands will only guide your leg’s movement). This is challenging because while this leg is working, your other leg is trying to relax into the stretch.
⭐ GOAL: Perform stretch for 45 to 60 seconds with each leg.
That’s Pretty Much It
These are three common stretches that, when added to something we already need to do…
… prevents putting stretching off for another day. 🙂
Much love, O.M.
P.S. Have you found this post helpful? If “Yes!,” please consider sharing, loving your body with a few miles today, and signing up for notice of new content. Thank you!
P.P.S. No spam ever. Staying away from processed is a healthy thing to do. 🙂
