Restorative Pilates: Hip Strength, Stability, Mobility

Our hips, our center, the cradle of our bodies, let's show them some love. In this video clip we will explore a full clam series and get into Glute Minimus/Medius and the team of External Hip Rotators. Maintaining and developing strong, mobile hips is so important for our health, balance and stability. We want our hips ready to support us so we can Lengthen ~ Strengthen ~ Move ~ Groove ~ while walking through the timeline of life.

If you have an interest in learning more about Pilates, please join my class, Restorative Pilates: Every Wednesday at 10:00 am & Saturday at 11:00 am PT, here on Insight Timer.

Transcript

Welcome to Restorative Pilates. My name is Victoria and today we'll be focusing on our hips. We're going to go through a clam series, Which is great for strengthening, Stabilizing, And mobilizing your hips. So here we are getting into a comfortable position on our side. You might want to get a couple of pillows and think about resistance. This is a three pound weight, Which feels pretty good for me. I used to do it at a lower weight. I've tried it at five pounds. That was a lot. You could also do a resistance band. And then of course you don't need to do any resistance at all. Just see where you're at. Go from there and then try to build up. We're going to try to work in a series of 10, But certainly listen to your body and respect where you're at and do the amount of reps that are appropriate for you. So we will start working our glute, Min, And me. Draw that leg up. The slow control we want to think about that low waist lifting up lengthening that top hip Thinking about the knee and foot being at the same line. And here we're really recruiting our core. Side-lying is a great way to connect into your transverse, Really stabilizing. Try not to let anything move. Only the legs. We'll go into some little circles. And with this movement, It is easy for some movement to happen in that top hip. Really try to think about. Making the range of motion a little bit smaller if you're not able to control that waist from moving of course the top of the circle is really where the effort is and then we're going to reverse. Inhaling as the leg goes back and on the exhales we pull into the core we're supporting ourselves at the most effortful part of the exercise which is to the back and up and over really want to think about stirring that femur head in the pelvis Let's go ahead now and move on to our external hip rotators. So bringing those heels back by the tailbone and they pivot together as the toes open away from each other in that movement. In this particular exercise, It's so easy to let that top hip fall back to try to get more range of motion. But really we want to think about our form and keeping that top hip. Stacked over the bottom one. So if you don't go as far, That's okay. It's actually much deeper work if you can keep the pelvis nice and true. Okay, Feeling that for sure. So here we are on the other side thinking about that low waist lifting up which really lengthens out. That top end Here we come. Into the resistance, Really thinking about the 90 degree angles between your torso and thigh. And then between the thigh and the lower. Then you may feel that bottom leg is pretty tired because it was working and now it's stabilizing. So both legs working in different ways. And of course, Really thinking about that core, Pulling in. Try to think about the shoulders and neck are free and open. They don't really have to work right now. We really want to think about the hip. Our leg alignment, And our abdominals. Coming into our little circles. And breathing and again that exhale happening. The most effortful part. And we're exhaling there because that's when it's easiest to pull in our core, Which. . . We really want to utilize the abdominals and working with the movement. So that the whole team is on board together supporting each other. Let's now exhale to the back and inhaling up and over. And again, With these circles, Watch that the top hip isn't, You know, Lifting up. It's easy to break at the waist and sort of do like this thing. So really think about. That long upper waistline and hip which is in part happening because that little waist is lifting. Let's come to our external rotation here. Pour that top hip really. Staying anchored over the bottom which in part is happening not just because of your awareness to it but below abdominal. Are working to Keep all of that in check. So I'm sure you're feeling this. No, I am no matter. . . How many years have I been doing clams? I still always feel it. But it is so good for you. And then when you're done, You're done. Might feel it a little bit the next day, But. . . It's a good feeling because you know that you're getting stronger. And you're doing something positive for yourself. Now that we've done all of that hip work, Let's do a nice hip stretch. So coming into our figure four position, Now this is phase one, Maybe this is enough for you. If you want to do more, You can bring that knee in, Slide your hands in between, And then draw that leg in while using the other elbow. To press that knee away from you. And then you could try some rocking, Especially as you rock. Away from that hip it really deepens the stretch and then Pulling in and pressing out on the way. Try to keep the neck and shoulders free. Let's do the other side, Snaking those hands through. Pulling that leg towards you again using that elbow. Press that knee away from you. And then here we rock. Really let that stretch happen as you go away from that. Breathing in. Listening and finding the right amount of stretch. I hope you found that clip to be helpful. Trying to maintain strong, Healthy hips is so important. I definitely encourage you to do clams on a regular basis. Thanks so much. Bye-bye.