Hip mobility is one of those things that quietly affects everything — your stride, your knees, your back, your squat depth. And almost every adult is losing it without noticing. Here's why it matters and how to fix it.
Why hips lose mobility
Sit for eight hours. Train for an hour. Repeat. The flexors at the front of your hip get shortened by the chair. The glutes at the back get switched off by the lack of use. The capsule of the joint itself loses its full range. This happens to runners, office workers, parents, drivers — anyone whose day is dominated by hip flexion.
How to test your own hips
- Couch stretch test. Foot on a couch behind you, opposite leg kneeling, body upright. Can you hold this without arching your back? If no — front of your hip is tight.
- 90/90 test. Sit on the floor, one leg in front at 90°, one behind at 90°. Can you sit upright comfortably? If no — rotational mobility is restricted.
- Single-leg squat. Can your knee track over your toes without your hip dropping or your trunk leaning? If no — you've got a control issue, not just a mobility issue.
What to do about it
Mobility work is necessary but not sufficient. The pattern that holds: open up the range with mobility drills, then immediately load that new range with strength work. Range without strength is gone in 24 hours. Range with strength sticks.
Tight hips are a symptom, not a diagnosis. The fix is variety of movement and strength in the new range — not endless static stretching.
If hip mobility is limiting your running or training, book in — we'll assess what's actually limited and design specific drills, not generic stretches.