Stiff hips? Personal trainer says this is the one exercise you should do to unstick them and boost flexibility
My warm-up routine averages about 15 minutes, and I usually focus on gently increasing the range of motion around my joints using a series of simple, beginner-friendly mobility exercises.
For a lower-body workout, that might include some hip rolls, dynamic frog pose, or one of my all-time favorites — the “World’s Greatest Stretch.” There’s one exercise I haven’t shared, which also improves balance, hip, knee and ankle mobility and stability and stretches tight hip flexor muscles to reduce your likelihood of injury.
Learn how to do this move step-by-step and the benefits.
What is the exercise?
Low squat knee taps involve sitting in a low squat position, a bit like the yogi squat (pictured below). Think about how babies sit for fun, which always seems remarkable to me.
Then, while keeping your torso upright, drive one knee forward and roll onto the ball of the foot, tap the ground in front of you with your knee and return to the squat position, resting back on both heels. Repeat on the other side.
It’s important to transition from your heel to the ball of your foot to increase range of motion and guide your knee forward over your toes; this will work into your ankles and make squats feel easier.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart (or slightly wider) and turn your toes out a little
- Sit into a low squat with your chest raised and butt low to the floor — no hunching
- Pull your shoulders back and down and distribute your weight through your feet, keeping your heels pressed down into the mat or ground beneath you
- If your knees turn in, gently push them outward to track in the direction of your toes
- From your set-up position, rock onto the ball of your right foot and draw the knee forward to tap the ground in front of you
- Roll back to the starting position, then repeat on your left side
- Stay tall and long through your torso. I like to imagine a string pulling me up from the crown of my head.
Aim for 60 seconds of work or 2 to 3 sets of 5 reps per side. Move slowly, with control and gently guide yourself into each position, leaning into any areas of tightness and pausing there for a moment — most likely this will include the hips and ankles.
Here’s my verdict — and why I love this exercise
Let’s face it, warming up and cooling down are typically the least interesting parts of a workout. I’m never surprised if I see someone gather up their belongings and head out of class before the stretching begins or rushing in halfway through the warm-up — whether that’s when I’m coaching or exercising in a class myself.
And when I’m stretched for time (pun intended), I’m guilty of doing this myself. But, over the years, I’ve learned to love stretching and mobility routines, and I’ve even started teaching 30-minute classes for those who feel the same as me.
It’s deeply relaxing as a standalone session or as I’m coming down from that familiar endorphin high post-workout. I feel more ready for the day ahead, or getting into bed at night; my technique during workouts has also improved tenfold.
I’ve gone from barely being able to perform an overhead squat using a barbell to loading up 5kg plates on either side for this exercise quite comfortably, and the progress honestly crept up from nowhere.
Squat depth has always been an issue for me, and now it’s one of my favorite things to practice. Plus, mobility drills make me feel super prepared for barbell workouts, and my gymnastics ability has leveled up because of them.
I say this because mobility drills are one of the best ways to protect from injury, increase strength and range in your muscles and joints and help you take things up a notch in whatever exercise regime you enjoy.
But it does take time and consistency, just like the process of building muscle and strength. And that can be boring. Hopefully, this exercise makes you feel good, like it does me, and might even kickstart (or renew) a love for rolling out one of the best yoga mats and getting stuck into it.
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