pivot points

Maintaining hip health is a lifelong joint venture.

› By Angelique Anacleto

It’s all in the hips. And flexibility is key because this intersection impressively marries your abdomen, legs, buns and spine, allowing you to rotate forward, backward or sideways. Try zig-zagging down a ball field, executing that golf swing or hoisting little ones without hip assistance. Not to mention, that agility also earns bonus sexy points in the boudoir. To stay especially swivel-happy, augment your usual yoga and Pilates with these hip tips.

go-go gadgets

Considering hips’ wide range of movements, John R. Camp, a certified personal trainer at Ocala’s Frank Deluca YMCA Family Center, encourages testing an assortment of e ective exercise gear to train surrounding muscles and keep workouts interesting.

To strengthen muscles and connective tissues of the LPHC (lumbar spine-pelvic girdle-hip joint complex), Camp recommends performing glute bridges, which involve lying on your back with bent knees and raising hips upward.

“Try glute bridges on a stability ball or bosu ball (featuring curved and flat sides). The addition of a yoga ring can squeeze hips together on the way up, and yoga band tension can open thighs,” he says.

“Kettle bell swings from a crouching to standing position thrust hips forward. And balancing atop a bosu’s flat side incorporates stability. Front, rear and side lunges can also be done on either a bosu, connected to TRX suspension straps or with slider discs underneath feet.”

Ex Time

Got a swamped schedule?

Pete Navarro, physical and sports therapist at Performance By Achievement clinic in Inverness, suggests splicing in flex movements throughout the day.

“Try 10 reps of air squats twice a day. Or if you are too weak or have knee issues, stand up from a chair. Also touch your toes for a simple hamstring stretch,” he says. When time permits, “Walk, bike or swim for at least 10 to 15 minutes.”

...he tumbled down a flight of stairs and still appeared that same night to plug his title on Late Night With Conan O’Brien.

Star Power

Carl Reiner’s, Now You’re Ninety-Four is a must-read book for anyone planning on longevity. At 95, this comedic legend demonstrates and advocates a lifetime of daily morning stretching before feet hit the floor. As proof, consider that he tumbled down a flight of stairs and still appeared that same night to plug his title on Late Night With Conan O’Brien

Hipster Trend

After copious conditioning, it’s time to flaunt those hipbones. Declared the new erogenous zone, strategic clothing cutouts invite sideways peeks at the hipbones of runway models and celebrity provocateurs. To pull o this look, pair a high-cut bodysuit with that pair of lowrise jeans or pants from the aughties. So hip!