HOW: Get in a seated position on the ground with one knee straight from your keeping your lower leg pointing in creating a 90 degree angle. Position your other knee out out to the side with your lower leg pointing straight back. Stay in an upright position as you try to lift up your lower leg slightly off the ground rotating that hip. Release that down, then try to lift the other leg’s lower leg off of the ground. Alternate lifting each leg up for the prescribed amount of reps. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in both hips. You will also feel the deep hip muscles working as you rotate each hip in a different direction. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your back upright, don’t slouch forward as you try to lift your lower leg up. Try to keep your knee on the ground and just lift your lower leg.

HOW: Begin on the ground with one leg out in front of you with one knee bent to the inside. Your other leg should be out to your side with your knee bent. The first stretch is rotating towards the leg out to the side. The second part is leaning straight forward over the front leg.  Then, position yourself into a lunge position with the front knee down on the ground and the leg that is out to the side up with your foot flat on the ground. Shift your weight forward to feel a stretch in the front of your hip. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch all around your hip. 

 

COMPENSATION: Make sure your legs are in the proper starting position. Keep your chest up as you lean to each side.

HOW: While laying face up on the floor cross one leg over and across the other. The closer you bring your foot to your butt on the leg that is on the floor the further you will stretch your opposite hip. If this is not enough of a stretch, you can thread the needle by elevating your leg that was on the floor and hugging your shin bone in towards your chest. If the crossed leg is slipping you can hold onto it with your opposite hand.

 

FEEL: You will feel a deep stretch in the back hip on the leg that is crossing. The closer you hug your legs in the stronger the stretch. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your arms slightly out from your side to achieve the 30 degrees of abduction, don’t have them right at your side.

HOW: Start with your knees on the ground spread in a wide position. Your hands should be about shoulder width apart on the ground. Use your hands to push your hips back towards your heels and hold that stretch for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your inner thigh muscles. 

 

COMPENSATION: Make sure your knees are spread apart, not close together.

HOW: Begin by lying on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Take the knee of one leg towards the chest and the elbow of the opposite side arm towards the feet. Using a ball or yoga block, connect the elbow and the knee for a static hold. From here, take the other leg towards the chest, getting to a right angle at the hip and at the knee. Holding the right angle at the knee, slowly lower the heel to tap the floor. Return to knee to chest position. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your front and side abdominals. You should feel the front of the hips working as you drive your knee towards your chest. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting the shins sag down. Avoid any strain in the neck, option to rest the head. Avoid arching your low back.

HOW: Loop a band just above your knees in a standing position. In this example, the tempo relates to the time it takes to lower into a squat, hold the squat, come back up, and the time in between reps. 5-3-1-0 is used for this squat. Five seconds to bend your knees, hinge slightly forward at the waist, and push out on the band as you lower into a squat. Three seconds to hold that squat at the bottom for an isometric contraction. One second to return to the starting position, and zero seconds in between reps. Perform this type of squat for the tempo that is prescribed to you. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your lower body muscles working during the squat. You should also feel your hip muscles working extra to push the band outward. 

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t cheat yourself on the times prescribed.

HOW: Begin in a squat position, with a majority of your weight in the balls of your feet. Take a large step out to one site. Allow your opposite leg to slowly meet with the leg that stepped out. Make sure to keep tension on the band for the entirety of this exercise, avoid bringing the knees to close together. Repeat taking a step from side to side.

 

FEEL: You will feel the entire leg with this exercise, majority of the burn will likely be in the glute and quad muscles.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid allowing the knees to cave in during this exercise, make sure to keep the knees spread into the band. Also avoid allowing the knee from going forward past your toes.

HOW: Start this exercise on your back in a 90/90 position, with your knees over your hips and your arms in front of your shoulders. Keep the small of your back pushed into the floor by activating your core. While maintaining core activation, perform a chin tuck and lift your head/neck off the ground. While maintaining head/neck position, drop one leg and the opposite arm towards the floor. The closer you drop the arms and legs towards the floor, the more challenging this exercise will be. Return to starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

 

FEEL: You should feel the abdominal muscles engaging while you perform this exercise as well as the front of your neck muscles working.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not let your low back arch or lose head/neck position.