How to Do a Hip Hinge: A Hinge Health Guide

The hip hinge is a type of functional exercise that mimics the way your body naturally moves when doing things like lifting heavy grocery bags off the ground or cleaning up around the house. It essentially trains you for daily life. This move also promotes hip stability, as well as core and lower body strength that can translate to reduced back pain and better ease of movement. Read on for more info and a how-to.

What Is a Hip Hinge?

A hip hinge is an exercise where you stand and lower your torso toward the floor, keeping your back and legs straight so your body forms an “L” shape. 

What Muscles Does a Hip Hinge Work? 

• Glutes: The gluteal muscles play a significant role in extending the hip joint and maintaining stability when performing the hip hinge. Strong glutes allow you to do things like get up from a sitting position and climb stairs with more confidence and less pain.

• Quadriceps: Located on the front of the thighs, your quads are important for knee joint stability and lessening pressure on your knees during activities like walking. 

• Hamstrings: This group of muscles, located on the back of your thighs, is crucial for activities like brisk walking, running, climbing stairs, sitting down, and bending forward at the hips. Strong and flexible hamstrings make all of these movements easier. 

• Erector spinae are muscles in your back that run along either side of your spine. They’re involved in back extension, rotation, and stabilization. Strong back muscles can reduce low-back pain.

• Transverse abdominis. This abdominal muscle lies deep in your lower belly and acts as a stabilizer for your core and pelvis.

Benefits of a Hip Hinge

• Increased flexibility and mobility.Research has found that the hip hinge exercise can reduce tightness in your hamstrings and improve stability and range of motion in your hips.

• Improved posture. Although there’s no such thing as perfect posture, tight hamstrings can pull on your pelvis and cause your natural posture to shift. Keeping your hamstrings loose can help you maintain a comfortable sitting and standing position throughout your day. 

• Better lower body strength. The hip hinge targets your posterior chain — a fancy term that refers to the muscles on the back of your body, including your butt, hamstrings, and back. 

• Less back pain. There’s good evidence linking a strong lower body with reduced back pain. By working your core, the hip hinge exercise may also promote less strain on your spine.

Hip Hinge: Exercises and Modifications 

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

• Start by standing with your feet about hip width apart and your hands on your hips.

• Now, keeping your back and legs mostly straight, hinge forward at your hips and lower your chest toward the floor. Focus on keeping your back mostly straight as you hold this position.

• Squeeze your butt muscles as you lift your chest and return to the starting position.

• As you do each rep, you might feel your back, hips, and the back of your leg muscles working.

Your progress is unique to you so let's look at how to make hip hinge easier, or more challenging.

Para facilitar una bisagra de cadera:  

• Limita cuánto bajas el pecho hacia el suelo.

Para endurecer una bisagra de cadera: 

• Sujeta una pesa o un objeto pesado, como una jarra de detergente, cerca del pecho mientras haces el ejercicio. 

Cómo puede ayudarte Hinge Health 

Si tienes dolor en las articulaciones o los músculos que dificulta el movimiento, puedes obtener el alivio que has estado buscando con el programa de terapia de ejercicio virtual de Hinge Health. 

Lo mejor es: no tienes que salir de casa porque nuestro programa es digital. Eso significa que puedes obtener fácilmente la atención que necesitas a través de nuestra aplicación, cuando y donde te funcione.  

A través de nuestro programa, tendrás acceso a ejercicios terapéuticos y estiramientos para tu condición. Además, tendrás tu equipo personal de cuidado clínico para guiarte, apoyarte y adaptar nuestro programa a tus necesidades. 

Verifica si cumples con los requisitos de Hinge Health y confirma la cobertura gratuita a través de tu empleador o tu plan de beneficios, aquí.

Este artículo y su contenido se proporcionan únicamente con fines educativos e informativos y no constituyen asesoramiento médico o servicios profesionales específicos para ti o tu afección médica.

Referencias

1. Liu, C-J., et al. (2014). Revisión Sistemática del Entrenamiento Funcional sobre la Fuerza Muscular, el Funcionamiento Físico y las Actividades de la Vida Diaria en Personas Mayores. Revista Europea del Envejecimiento y la Actividad Física, vol. II. 11, nº 2, pp. 95-106. doi:10.1007/s11556-014-0144-1

2. Jung, M., y otros (2022). Efecto Inmediato del Estiramiento del Ejercicio de Bisagra de Cadera sobre la Flexibilidad del Miembro Inferior, el Ángulo de Inclinación de la Pelvis, la Propiocepción y la Dinámica balance en Individuos con Tensión de los Isquiotibiales. Ciencia de la Rehabilitación Fisioterapéutica, vol. 11, nº 2, pp. 259-268. doi:10.14474/ptrs.2022.11.2.259

3. Michaud, F., y otros (2021). Lesión Lumbar Bienestar y Sensibilización de la Bisagra de Cadera con Columna Neutra Utilizando Sensores Portátiles durante Ejercicios de Elevación. Sensores, vol. 21, no. 16, p. 5487. doi:10.3390/s21165487