4 Exercises to Improve Hip, Pelvic and Low Back Mobility

This post draws inspiration from my guy Michael Mash, PT. Thanks Mike, for the inspiration! If you’re not already following his Instagram account: @barbellrehab, do yourself a favor and follow it.
Mike posted a great video about “opening up the hips prior to squats and lunges”. It’s what I would call a ‘runners lunge’ in yoga – I think this is one of the best movement combinations to enhance hip and thoracic mobility simultaneously. Squatting requires thoracic extension along with hip motion. Lack of thoracic extension results in too much low back/hip motion.

Top left: 

This video demonstrates a runners lunge and updog to downdog movement. It utilizes both a hip driver and chest/head driver. In the downdog position, a verbal cue I use is to “push the heart to the knees”. When we enter the runners lunge, I think of “driving the chest forward and up” to create a chain reaction of cervical/thoracic extension.

Top right: 

This video is a regression of the top left video as I’m giving my hips and t-spine more room to go through motion by positioning hands on a step.  Remember,  if you can’t get motion, try position out of the movement to be able to go through the movement. Extension is achieved at both ends of the spectrum here.

Bottom left:

This video demonstrates a progression because a dynamic motion (high lunge) is added to the movement. This increases the amount of core stability needed to maintain balance. The movement sequence is as follows:

Downdog > runners lunge > high lunge (reach up to the ceiling, try & sync the breath for another progression) > downdog

Bottom right: 

This video demonstrates yet another progression.  I add an arm driver in the frontal and transverse planes to the runners lunge. This drives even more thoracic motion/extension with hip motion. I also like it because there is an element of shoulder complex stability by having one arm planted and the other reaching in space.

In conclusion, the t-spine is a money area of the body, along with the hips. I aim to stretch/strengthen/mobilize/stabilize them together at any opportunity I get.