Loosen Up Tight Hips

This post is geared towards improving your high step but will help overall flexibility, too. Check it out and let me know how it works for you…

I've been teaching yoga for 13 years and climbing since the early 90's and am combining the two in some posts to help out all of us who beat on our bodies and have so much fun doing it. Any suggestions on anywhere else I can share this article would help!

Paisley

theinspiredclimber.com/2013…

This is great- and especially important if you are tall! I usually do a hip sequence of trikonasana, side angle, high lunge, low lunge, pidgeon, and an old-fashioned seated wide angle stretch. I'm curious what advanced hip mobility poses would be, for those who want to really push their range of motion (if anyone recalls Tommy Caldwell's high step on "30's the new 20" in the film Progression, you know how useful active hip flexibility can be).

Don't forget high stepping 'flexibility' is just as much about hip flexor strength through full range of motion, as it is about flexibility. I've never seen high steps as a weakness for myself, so I haven't done any exercises/stretches for it to give any recommendations.

Wow Rajiv, you obviously practice! Good job... I like trikonasana and pigeon too; those are some of my favorites.

To start opening your hips deeper, move towards the foot in the armpit or behind your head direction. From pigeon this would mean moving your foot forward and widening it and your knee until your foot is in line with your chest, armpit or forehead. Also twisting or walking your torso to the side can open up your low back and hips more. Look up yogi dandasana for a cool seated pose to open your hips. Beyond specific poses it gets into the mechanics of what you are doing with your leg muscles to move your bones. To much for a response here... but the gist is widening your pelvis and low back.

Nate, I totally agree that strength is also needed. Core strength will help with this a ton, not just hip flexors. A good choice would be leg lifts...

Thanks for reading and responding!

I'm just wondering here, but wouldn't it be more efficient if one designed a stretch specifically for high-stepping?

That is, instead of drawing from some established yoga stretches, which were presumably designed for something else, why not just do some action that more clearly resembles high-stepping? For example, just playing around, I found that I could put one foot on a chair, then put the other knee down on the floor, in a simulated high-step, and then stretch the inside groin muscle by pulling my body closer to my high knee. I'm sure one could build a simulated high-step on a wooden wall and come even closer to the real action.

I used to have bad flexibility, especially in my lower body (I think it's the running and hiking). No matter how I stretch (even with PT), the problem comes back as soon as I stop. After I started basic weight lifting program, using front and back squat (full, deep squats), deadlift. My flexibility problem went away. I can high step all day.

divnamite wrote:I used to have bad flexibility, especially in my lower body (I think it's the running and hiking). No matter how I stretch (even with PT), the problem comes back as soon as I stop. After I started basic weight lifting program, using front and back squat (full, deep squats), deadlift. My flexibility problem went away. I can high step all day.

I used to have a "low" high step also, just couldn't seem to get my foot up. I'm pretty lanky and attributed it to my longish legs. Tried stretching to no avail. On a whim, I started doing squats and now I can high step better than ever. My lack of flexibility was masking the real culprit - a limited muscle range.

Sure you can do high step specific stretches. I just like to get more bang for my buck and do things that make my whole body feel good and flexible! (I love that you created your whole own stretch, though, that's so cool!)

Also, I had no idea that doing squats could improve your high step. I hate squats and haven't done one in years, ha ha. But I'm glad to know it works.

As for stretching and keeping the flexibility... Without getting too long winded, what I've learned is that passive stretching only stays with you so long. When I began yoga, that is what I did; put my body in a pose and reach to my maximum edge. I'd let the framework of the posture do the work and was pushing from an outside-in direction to fit it into that framework as best I could. I felt great later, but the flexibility never stayed with me.

Later I learned to engage my muscles and use them to push and pull my bones around into deeper alignment. That is when results stayed with me and I could do much harder yoga poses. This was more of an inside-out approach that involves being a lot more active on a lot more levels than just hanging out in a pose.

Sounds like I might need to write an article on this, huh?

Jake Jones wrote: I know you mentioned that the above outlined poses are best for improving high steps and will help improve overall flexibility in the hips. My question is: Are there poses or stretches that can be done to specifically address my particular malady (in addition to the ones you've already mentioned), or are these great for that problem as well? Thanks!

Yes, all these poses will help. Also look up and practice: triangle pose, wide-legged forward bend (from standing), horse & cobbler's pose a.k.a. butterfly.

And have fun :-)

Paisley Close wrote:what I've learned is that passive stretching only stays with you so long.

That's what I found as well, until I started strength training. I think my muscles are stronger because the push and pull from squat. And my flexibility stays with me even if I stop squating because my strength is still there. Also, the more I run, the more stiff my legs become even if I dial back the miles. I start to think running actually interfere with my climbing.

yogajournal.com/poses/finde…

yogajournal.com/poses/finde…

The only problem with yoga is that it takes time away from actual rock climbing!!

Thank you so much for sharing this!!!

Thank you so much for this! I'm a climber in my late 40's, and I'm struggling with extreme hip tightness... I need to do a lot more stretching like this!

Excellent blog, Paisley!

Russ Keane wrote:The only problem with yoga is that it takes time away from actual rock climbing!!

Depending on your lifestyle, that isn't really true. Especially if you have a decent home practice. You can do it in the morning before work or in the evening after a climbing session. The real problem isn't the time it takes, but rather that it is an additional training load that your body has to recover from. If I'm prepping for a trip or aiming towards a hard send I'll take a week off of yoga before just let my body get as energized up as possible. That said, I do Ashtanga three times a week and it is the best thing I've found to help prevent muscular imbalances and to strengthen the core.

I'll be doing these before my next ski tour for sure. Good stuff.

Pretty neat!
Thanks!

Glad you are all psyched to keep mobile and do these stretches! And I'm happy to help.

I totally agree with what Adam said, that it may take some time for the body to adjust to yoga as another type of training/workout, especially if you're new to it. That said, there are many different types of yoga and ways to practice. One of my favorites to do when I'm in rest/recovery mode is restorative yoga.

If I'm really pushing my body, I'll do one restorative practice a week, mixed into my regular practice. If I'm a little more sedentary (which almost never happens!) I'll do it once a month or so.

Here's a link from my yoga site with one of my favorite poses. Its great for post ski/hike/run/day on your feet...

paisleyanne.com/2014/01/01/…

Enjoy y'all!

Paisley Close wrote:Glad you are all psyched to keep mobile and do these stretches! And I'm happy to help. I totally agree with what Adam said, that it may take some time for the body to adjust to yoga as another type of training/workout, especially if you're new to it. That said, there are many different types of yoga and ways to practice. One of my favorites to do when I'm in rest/recovery mode is restorative yoga. If I'm really pushing my body, I'll do one restorative practice a week, mixed into my regular practice. If I'm a little more sedentary (which almost never happens!) I'll do it once a month or so. Here's a link from my yoga site with one of my favorite poses. Its great for post ski/hike/run/day on your feet... paisleyanne.com/2014/01/01/… Enjoy y'all!

Well said!
Also, I often use that very inversion in the evenings when I'm suffering from a bout of insomnia. I learned it and a couple of similar restorative inversions from a really great Yin Yoga instructor. It really helps with relaxing when stress is keeping me up at night.