Hip pain is something that we have chosen, too often, to take for granted. Our “seated society” creates very predictable pain patterns- especially for those who don’t move beyond the walk from the office to the car to their house and vice versa.  This week’s “medicine” shares a simple routine that you can bring into your daily routine that will help to wake up and enliven the spine as well as balance the hips and sacrum.

Here are few other movement tips for keeping those hips fluid and unlocked:

1.  You want to strive to move in ways that you don’t normally move.  For example, try making 5-10 hip circles each direction at least twice a day.
2. Set a timer at your workstation if you have to be seated.  Have it go off every 15 minutes.  At that point, assess where your tailbone is.  Is it curled under?  Are you sitting on your sits bones?  Put your weight into your sits bones, slightly squeeze your glutes and then lengthen the core, allow the shoulders to drop.
3. Core Walk.  (Post coming 4/29/19) Post will be titled “Core Walking Revolution”.
4. Find ways to move throughout the day.  Who made it a rule that you have to stand stock still staring at the gas pump while you fill your car with gas?  Will people come and hit you with sticks if you don’t stand still and quiet in line at the grocery store? Stretch and move when everybody else is standing still.
5. Deep lunges, Pigeon Pose, Figure 4 Stretch. Work these stretches and more into your wake-up or pre-sleep routine. Get into a yoga class.  Check out Core Transformation if you are local to Hotchkiss and Paonia, CO.
6. Relax your body before going to bed.  Check out 5/3/2019 blog post on Deep Sleep Routines.
7. If you are married, make love more.  Everybody, dance.  Dance some more. Dance joyfully.
8. Work to consciously connect your core muscles to your hip and glute muscles as you move.  Don’t think of your body as isolated parts. Work to make the whole body move in synchronicity and fluidity.
9. If you have children, and even if you don’t:  Find ways to engage in childlike movement.  When was the last time you did a somersault?  Go to the playground when kids aren’t there and run yourself through the paces.  Swing, climb, slide, maneuver through obstacles.  Challenge yourself to do things and move in ways your body hasn’t in years.
10. Swim!  Swimming works the hip muscles deeply and without harsh impact to the knees or joints.  A little dip in the jacuzzi wouldn’t hurt either.

Share some of the ways that you keep your hips moving and fluid below!

Enjoy this video detailing a simple secret that will not only loosen those hips but energize your body and wake your brain up.

#MovementisMedicineMondays