Yoga Rehab for Inner Thighs and Hips! 7 Simple Exercises for Balance and Fluidity (Patreon)

7 Simple Hip Exercises - Target Muscles for Balance and Flexibility in your Hips

Rehabilitate your muscles and joints with these 7 Exercises for balance and fluidity in your Hips. I really enjoyed the process of stepping back from the flow practice to target muscle groups. I discovered that my medial hamstrings could be way more powerful than they currently are! Until now, I didn't pay attention to the medial hamstrings... but semitendonosis and semimembranosis were not shy letting me know that they want some more attention. I captured a shot of them dancing around (aka trembling) and I have taken note! The 18 minute version is available on Patreon "Yoga Premier" ($5 Tier) for those that want to have a full session to practice with. I do repetitions of twelve, synchronized with breath. Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/courtneybell In these exercises, we are looking for balance in the pelvis, we are looking for ease of mobility. These exercises should not be painful. If you do feel pain then you’ve identified something to address. Maybe readjusting your feet or your weight distribution will alleviate the pain, or maybe the pain is an indicator that the exercise is something you should not do. When I experience trembling in an area, it helps me identify which muscles are fatigued. Then I can focus on a combination of resting and training. 1. 90/90 Heel Lift *Hip Adductors *Pectineus *TFL *Gluteus Minimus *Anterior Gluteus Medius The first exercise takes the hip opening 90/90 position. So you want to stagger your legs and play around with the degree of bend in your knees. It’s a stretch but you want to have freedom to move because we’re going to isolate muscles by pulsing the heel up and down. This works the structural glute minimus which is smaller and deeper to the glute maximus. You also get some forward action in the glute medius, TFL (tensor fascia latta), and inner thigh Pectineus and Adductors. 2. Side Lying Wall Leg Lift *Hip Adductors *Pectineus *TFL *Gluteus Minimus, Medius, Maximus Next prop up on your side with your knees comfortably bent. Then straighten your top leg, and keeping it lifted, extend your hip back. As if there was a wall behind you, imagine dragging your heel up and down the wall, keeping your knee straight and hip extended. This is going to isolate the Glutes and the TFL. 3. Hip Rock Back *Hip Adductors *Pectineus *Gracilis *Medial Hamstrings These next two exercises target the inner thigh adductors, pectineus and gracilis muscles, along with the hip joint and medial hamstrings. Now use some extra cushion under the knee that is kneeling. Keep those toes tucked behind you. This is your base. Position your target by extending your other leg to the side. You will widen the angle on your hips and to activate the inner thigh, step your target foot forward in relation to your base knee. Play with the degree to which you step your foot forward. Pull back and rock forward, while breathing and feel the inner thigh muscles as you keep your target leg strong. 4. Hip Shift *Hip Adductors *Pectineus *Gracilis *Hip Joint This keeps the base leg in the same position, but bends your target leg. Point the foot 90 degrees from the direction you’re facing, and again bring the foot forward in relation to the base knee. For this exercise, lift upright and shift the knee of your target leg in the 90 degree direction that your foot is pointing. 5. Quadruped Rock Back *Hip Adductors *Pectineus *Gracilis This one takes some playing around to get your knees and feet at the right angle for your body. You want to have some degree of width in your hips, and the toes tucked at a comfortable distance from each other. With your hands on the floor, feel the inner thigh adductors, pectineus and gracilis activate as you shift your pelvis forward, and then rock back. 6 & 7. Standing Balance Exercise *Psoas *Hamstrings *Piriformis These add another layer of coordination with the Psoas muscle and hamstrings of your standing leg keeping anchor. Lift your target leg and rotate the hip so your knee doesn’t come straight up but slightly to the side. Then release it down, hover, and lift. This exercise bring the piriformis into action as you externally rotate your target hip, and maintains balance in the adductors as you hover and lift. Take it up a notch by adding more piriformis to the movement. As the target leg makes its moves, the anchor leg works just as much.