HEALTHY HIPS & HAMMIES PROTOCOL

Props are your friends. The mantra is “No pain, MOST gain.”

1. Love Your Feet

Deep fascial and subtle energy pathways begin in the feet, extending up the backs of the legs. Rolling out the feet with tennis balls can release tightness contributing to restricted hamstrings. Pick things up with your feet, walk barefoot, massage your feet nightly with oil, walk on uneven surfaces, and move your feet in a variety of ways daily.

2. Engage Your Quads

Flex the opposite muscle of the one you’re stretching (ex. engage the quads when stretching the hamstrings in forward fold). Look at your knees in forward folds and lift the knee caps by engaging your quads. Notice if the knee lifts straight up or tracks to the side.

3. Engage Your Glutes

Move slower and hold yoga postures, allowing time to engage the glutes anytime you hold one leg behind you in hip extension. Disengaged glutes in one legged poses or backbends can put unnecessary strain on the low back and hamstrings. Incorporate your glutes in everyday actions like walking and standing after sitting.

4. Maintain Pelvic Neutrality

Sit on your sitting bones! They are meant for sitting. Practice sitting on the edge of a chair, without leaning back. Keep both feet on the floor and stack your shoulders over your hips. Tipping the pelvis excessively forward (anterior tilt) or backward (sacrum sitting in a posterior tilt) can lead to discomfort and postural imbalance. Neutralize the pelvis when seated, lying down, and standing.

5. Embrace a Variety of Movement

Try different types of movements every day. Stay hydrated and lubricate the joints with oil massage and a diet rich in healthy fats. Move your body at least 5 minutes every hour. Take at least 10 conscious breaths per day, and send a love note to your body for all it does for you. +