This Stretch Will Help Men Over 40 Loosen Up Tight Hips

Milo Bryant is a performance coach as well as an experienced journalist. He’s also in his 50s—and his book Unstoppable After 40 gives you the roadmap to do more than merely remain active as you “mature.” Milo trains hard and recovers even better so he can do what he wants, when he wants. Get ready to use his methods to become unstoppable. This isn’t your dad’s middle age.

Shakira and Wyclef Jean had it right: The hips don’t lie.

That’s especially true for men over 40. You’ve probably spent an inordinate number of hours sitting on your butt, whether you’ve been planted at a desk, in the car, or on the couch. Your hips don’t like that—and if you’ve experienced any dull pain in that region, they’re letting you know. Think of it like wearing the same pair oh-so-comfortable but oh-so-worn-out shoes every single day. Your hips don’t like the resulting pounding either. You’re wearing them out as much as the shoes.

But you can’t change hips like you change your shoes, so you need to take better care of them. It helps to understand a little bit more about the joints. The hip is the bigger of the body’s two ball-and-socket joints (along with the shoulder). And as much as men like to say the weight of the world is on their shoulders, it’s the hips that carry you everywhere every day.

menshealth.com Unstoppable After 40

menshealth.com Unstoppable After 40

The head of the femur (upper leg bone) sits in the acetabulum, a socket in the pelvic bone to create the hip joint. The joint should move smoothly in all directions.

This 90/90 stretch is an exercise you can do a couple of times a week (2 sets of 5 to 10 reps each side) that will maintain, and gain, in some cases, much needed hip mobility. The 90/90 stretch hits the four main muscle groups that help move the hip.

How to Do the 90-90 Stretch

●Sit on the ground with your right leg in front of your body, your right knee bent at a 90-degree angle. Your left leg should be to the side, with the knee bent at a 90-degree angle pointing in the same direction as the right knee.

●Keeping your torso straight and your feet in place, rotate your knees so your left leg is in front of your body at a 90-degree angle and the right leg is out to the side at a 90-degree angle.

●Putting as much pressure on your right glute as you put on your left, try to close the gap between the right side of the pelvis and the ground.

●Rotate side to side for 10 total reps.

Best Coaching Cues for the 90-90 Stretch

● Don’t force this movement. Use your hands to help brace your as your easing into position

● Keep the core active and tight throughout the stretch.

● Make sure there is no hip pain before doing this exercise. Tightness is fine. Pain is not. Visit a physical therapist or some other movement specialist if you’re feeling hip pain.

Helpful Tip for the 90/90 Stretch

Remember you’re stretching four different muscle groups that help move the hips. Feeling tightness in any one or all of those areas could be common. If there is a lot of tightness in one area, note it and do extra mobility work on that area.