Your hips are the biggest ball-and-socket joint in your entire body. So when you have hip issues it can cause a lot of problems throughout your body that have a big impact on your quality of life. Here’s what you need to know about your hips and how they can unlock pain-free movement as you age.
What are your hip flexors & why are they important?
Get up and move. Well, not so fast if you have tight hip flexor muscles. Your hip flexor muscles get your body moving, and in fact, they are the muscles that hold the most responsibility for your movement, such as walking, kicking, bending, and swiveling. In addition to having your hip flexors nimble, your hip extensors also play a crucial factor in your movement. Hip extensors are primarily your gluteus maximus (glutes) and hamstrings. We’ve heard a million-plus times that our body is all connected. We aren’t here to argue that either because we know it’s true.
Strong glutes can free you from lower back pain
Having strong glutes is critical to keeping your pelvis aligned and assisting with lower back support. Since your hip flexor muscles connect your thighs to your spine, having them tight can lead to long-term posture issues. Many people workout but neglect their hips and therefore can lead to muscle imbalance. It’s also been said that sitting can lead to disease. It also makes your hip flexors short, tight, and weak. For all these reasons, to keep your health up, you must do regular hip exercises.
Stronger hips reduce knee & back pain
Adding hip renewal exercises to your daily routine can be a difference-maker in your overall physical health and movement by reducing injury to your knees and back. Keep in mind, doing regular hip exercises isn’t just for people with existing hip conditions. Since your hips are multidirectional, moving in three ways, forward, backward, and across your body, doing these exercises can help prevent future chronic issues. Using hip flexor and extensor muscles goes unnoticed until you feel the pain from them not being strong enough. Having weak joints and muscles in your hips makes it challenging to do everyday activities, such as standing or stairs.
The importance of safe hip exercises for seniors
We recommend doing simple hip exercises for seniors like the ones in our video below to help with stability and flexibility. There is a balance with working these particular muscles; you want to work them to keep them strong and flexible but don’t want to overwork them, creating pain from overuse. Hip strength is necessary at any age, even more so amongst the aging demographic. Not only is strength important, so is flexibility, making stretching just as important.
As you age, your bones naturally become weaker, making you more susceptible to fractures. Your hips are the primary source of power in your movement, and keeping them strong reduces the risk of falling and helps with arthritic pain. It is no secret that hip issues increase in the senior population. Unfortunately, hip fractures in seniors due to falling can often lead to decreased mobility.
How to increase hip strength & flexibility to unlock pain-free movement at 55+
Getting healthy, solid, and flexible hips is simple. Sign up for the Better5 Hip Renewal class, and Dr. Ben will walk you through a 7-day renewal program, teaching easy-to-do techniques while you learn about hips and some common problems that can occur due to weak muscles in this area. Doctor Ben’s proven exercises will help you:
- release your hips
- create overall comfort in your everyday life
- aid in the reduction of aches & pains
20 Minute Hip Renewal Class For Older Adults
Take a sneak peek of the 7 day program! Here’s day 1:
The Better5 Hip Renewal class is excellent for ANYONE, especially seniors, as all exercises are designed to be slow & gentle. Whether you need hip recovery or preventative exercise, these 20-minute classes will help you get your hips working to their full ability—and free up the rest of your body to function the way it’s meant to. Start strengthening your hips to unlock pain-free movement as you age!
