Hip Flexion and Extension
Hip Flexion and Extension
Another great travel workout!
In simple terms, the “hip joint” is the ball and socket joint where the head of the femur meets the pelvis. Flexion at the hip occurs, for example, when you do a sit-up. As your torso apporaches your knees, the hip joint is “flexed” or closed. Hip extension occurs when you are rising from the bottom of a squat to the standing position. In this case the hip joint “opens” as you rise to a standing position.
The primary muscles involved in hip extension are the gluteal muscles and the hamstrings. This movement is important for walking, climbing stairs and hiking on uneven surfaces. If you are an athlete, hip extension capacity is helpful for explosive movements such as jumping and running , for weightlifting movements such as squats and deadlifts as well as the Olypmic lifts such as cleans and snatches.
Many of us do a lot of sitting during our daily lives - especially since the COVID pandemic where so much work is being done on our computers remotely. Spending a lot of time in the sitting position where the hips are flexed, can weaken the hip extensors. For this reason it is important to focus on increasing strength and capacity for hip extension for longevity in performing our activities of daily living and to optimize performance in our athletic endeavors. Today’s workout uses the kettlebell swing to achieve strength and power for hip extension and the V-up to balance the hip extension with hip flexion.
Warm Up
TABATA 20 seconds of work / 10 seconds of rest for 4 minutes. Perform each movement in sequence for 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds until you have performed 4 rounds of each movement.
Ab mat sit-ups (If no ab mat, roll up a towel and put it behind your back
Movement Practice
Take 5-10 minutes to select your weights / options for the workout. Given the volume of repetitions, choose lighter weights/easier options that you can do confidently. The goal is to complete the sets of 27 repetitions in no more than 2 sets.
If no kettlebell, perform a single dumbbell swing (keeping right and left sides even) or a double dumbbell swing.
If V-ups are not accessible to you, substitute the ab mat sit-up.
Workout
Perform each round of movements in sequence: Perform 27 kettlebell swings and 3 V-Ups, then 21 kettlebell swings and 6 V-ups, and so on until you complete the repetition scheme.
27 -21 -15 - 9 - 6 - 3
Kettlebell swings (swing the bell overhead as an advaced oprion or swing the bell to eye level)
3 - 6 -9 - 15 - 21 - 27
V-ups (Watch the video for various options for the V-Up)
Cool Down
This workout is a bit spicy, so be kind to your muscles with this 15-minute hip-opening yoga sequence. #dontskiptheyoga
15-minute hip-opening yoga sequence from Five Parks
A Revolution in Women’s Healthcare is coming this November!
Click HERE to join the waitlist for priority booking
Over nearly two decades of medical practice, I am perplexed and disheartened by how mainstream medicine often overlooks the very foundation of good health: nutrition, physical fitness, and mental well-being.
Women of all ages experiencing changing menstrual cycles, fatigue, and even bone fractures are often handed a prescription and sent on their way with not a single question about their training and nutrient intake. Midlife women experiencing menopausal symptoms are met with the mere “you’re getting older” without exploring simple nutrition and movement strategies that could significantly improve their well-being.
Well, help is on the way! Starting in November 2024, I will be launching a women’s specialty telehealth medical practice serving the reproductive endocrine needs of active and high-performing women from puberty through menopause.
For a special “Sneak peek” into the practice, check out my Consultation Services and the Crown Jewel of my practice, the Health and Wellness Concierge service!.
JOIN THE WAITLIST to be among the first to access appointment bookings prior the official practice launch!