Emory Blake is a NASM Personal Trainer and a former NFL player. His guidance will help you explore the importance of hip mobility and the benefits of heel taps. The 90-90 stretch and its variations strengthen your joints, increase flexibility and reduce injury risks.
Emory focuses on increasing comfort and confidence in the gym, which is evident in his heel taps. Explore his demo to learn how to perfect this exercise.
The Importance of Hip Mobility
When considering your core, you likely think about your abs and lower back. However, your hips are integral to your body’s center. These joints connect your upper and lower body and affect your daily movements. Altogether, your hips contain 15 muscles to help movement. You need all of them to maximize your athletic performance, whether you are a beginner or an advanced athlete.
Consider different sports and how you use your hips in each one. In baseball, you rotate your hips to give your upper body the power to hit the ball. Basketball players need excellent hip rotation to stop on a dime and change direction on the court. Even less strenuous sports like pickleball need solid hip rotation as you control your racket and aim for accurate hits.
Realizing the Power of Hip Rotation
How does the importance of hip mobility affect you? Here are a few reasons you need this midsection functionality:
Better range of motion: Mobile hips open your physical abilities tremendously. Good hip health makes jumping, running, diving and weightlifting more manageable.
Easy everyday tasks: While your performance is critical, hips help your daily routine around the house. For instance, getting in and out of a car becomes more manageable. Good hips also help with bending over or stepping up and down.
Injury prevention: Injuries can occur because your hip and pelvis are sensitive to strains and impingements. Fortunately, you can do exercises to strengthen this part of your body and reduce the injury risk.
How to Do the 90-90 Stretch
The 90-90 stretch is effective because it engages your hips and aids your range of motion. This exercise gets its name because each leg creates a 90-degree angle. After doing the 90-90 stretch, you’ll appreciate the importance of hip mobility and your body’s range of motion. Here’s how to do it:
Set up the stretch: Sit on the floor and put your right leg in front of you. Bend your knee to make a 90-degree angle and put your left leg behind you. Repeat the process by bending your left knee behind your back.
Straighten your back: Keeping your back straight is critical to the 90-90 stretch. Proper posture ensures the exercise targets your hips and doesn’t strain your lower back or spine. Experts say chronic lower back pain is prominent in the U.S., so watch your form.
Lean forward: Once your back is straight, you can focus on moving your torso. Lean forward with your shoulders and angle your tailbone up. This emphasis works your hips and provides an excellent range-of-motion stretch.
Learn How to Do Heel Taps With Emory
While it’s a fantastic exercise, there are 90-90 stretch variations to elevate your workout. For instance, heel taps demonstrate the benefits of hip-focused regimens. Here’s how Emory does heel taps:
Get in position: Heel taps start similarly to the typical 90-90 stretch. Get into the correct position by creating 90-degree angles with your front and back legs. Press into your hips to make the exercise more effective.
Make room: This exercise requires room for your legs, so give yourself enough space to rotate your body as needed.
Tap the heel: Move your back leg by driving your knee up and touching your heels. After the touch, bring your leg back while keeping your knee and ankle off the ground.
What Are the Benefits of Heel Taps?
While variations are fun alternatives, they have tangible advantages that give you a well-rounded workout. What are the benefits of heel taps? Here are the gains you get from this exercise modification:
Range of motion: Emory says range of motion is a critical benefit of heel taps. This exercise improves your internal and external rotation capabilities, thus giving you increased freedom of movement. Experts say these targeted exercises can alleviate hip problems by strengthening your muscles.
Increased control: Heel taps may seem initially challenging. However, they’ll get easier as you build hip strength and control. Once you improve the stretch, you’ll feel more in control and better able to perform each movement.
All-around movement: Heel taps improve other integral fitness areas by elevating your all-around movement. You may notice an easier time lifting weights or doing Russian twists because your core strength is better.
Find the Benefits of Heel Taps and Hip Mobility With Chris Protein Personal Training in Austin
Hip mobility unlocks your athletic performance and makes daily tasks easier. Are you ready to explore the benefits of heel taps and core strength? Take your workouts to the next level and book a free Transformation Session with Chris Protein Personal Training. This consultation outlines your fitness plan and what you need to achieve your goals.
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