Exercise Like Our Ancestors: The 90/90 Hip Workout

Hips are the power house of the body and the source of many activities and movements of daily life. Poor hip health such as improper alignment, restricted mobility and tightness can eventually lead to other issues throughout the body like knee pain and low back pain. Basically, if you want to stay healthy and active throughout all stages of life, you need to keep your hips healthy!

Fitness professionals often use the  term “primal movements patterns,” to refer to the basic, natural positions that we were born being able to perform without restrictions. Unfortunately, due to our lifestyle, tasks like tying our shoelaces can start to feel like an Olympic event. We are no longer required to do any squatting, climbing, crawling and sprinting on a daily basis, like our bodies were designed to do. At an early age we leave for school and for many of us, we start a lifetime of sitting for multiple hours a day.

Similar to how the Paleo Diet style is trending in the field of nutrition to mimic the dietary patterns of our paleolithic ancestors, the 90/90 drill is one activity that we can add to our daily routine, which can help us gain back hip function so we can start moving more like our ancestors.

The Causes of Tight Hips

While it is very possible that someone can be born with a genetic predisposition that causes hip problems, a lot of issues occur due to environmental factors. Similar to our shoulders, our hips are made up of a ball and socket joint, which allow us the greatest range of motion compared to other joints of the body. Unfortunately, if we fail to continue to maintain movement around that joint, we lose function. Over time, the joint capsule can experience fibrotic changes. Connective tissue can stick to itself or other tissues which can have a big impact on the hip’s movement capabilities. Basically, use it or lose it.

In addition to changes in our joint capsule, the muscles that make up the hip, more commonly known as the hip flexors, can become shortened and tight over time. One of the most common causes of tight hip flexors is the amount of time that we spend sitting per day. Another culprit of tight hip flexors can be overuse. For example, if the main source of activity is cycling or spinning, our hips are in a flexed seated position for hours. Similar tightness can arise from religiously attending exercise classes that program high repetition squats multiple times per week — once again hips are hanging out in a flexed, shortened position.

The good news is that with smart exercise selection, we can regain movement in hips at any age or fitness level. The 90/90 drill, which has been popularized by Dr. Andreo Spina, is a great place to start.

The 90/90 Workout Positioning

This drill can be done everyday and may be most effective in the morning to get the blood flowing. It can also be effective as part of a warm-up prior to exercise. The goal is create movement in the hip capsule and stretch glute and hip flexors.

• Position front leg so that it is straight out in front, perpendicular to the of the hips — bending knee at 90 degrees and ankle 90 degrees.
• Position back leg so that it is inline with the side of your hip, parallel to your torso. Bending– knee at 90 degrees and ankle at 90 degrees.
• Keep chest up and belly button forward. Try to keep nice and easy breath into your belly.
• Gentle lean forward towards the front leg. Hold for 2 minutes

 

 

*** If this is super intense position, you can stop here and work on getting more comfortable in this position. If this feels fairly comfortable, try the internal and external hip variations below! With all variations, be sure to perform on both the right and left side.

Internal Hip Focus (Front Leg)

• While maintaining an upright tight spine, bring hands out to your side.
• Lean forward as far as you can while maintaining control and tight core.
• Return back to starting position while lifting chest back up to neutral, simultaneously push front knee and ankle into the ground.
• Repeat for 5 to 10  reps.

 

 

External Hip Focus (Back Leg)

• Begin in the starting 90/90 position.
• Try to elevate the back ankle/ foot, while keeping contact with the knees on the floor and without movement anywhere else in the body.
• Repeat for 5 to 10 repetitions.