CGX: Hip Mobility

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. This is a really nice recovery level/rest day workout that focuses on the hips. Unlike most of Caroline’s other workouts, this is not an interval workout. There is no timer. It is set to music with no talking. She does preview the next move before you transition to it. You also get beeps to alert you when to change exercises. As the word “mobility” in the title suggests, there is a lot of moving. For the majority of the workout you will flow in and out and move within a pose. Near the end you hold some nice, deep stretching. This is a very feel good workout. My hips do feel open and stretched.

Hip Mobility is 27:05 minutes. Equipment: fitness mat and a wall or chair back for balance. There is a bar at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

1. Child’s pose to cobra (flow between these two moves)
2. Alternating 90/90 (reclining back) (sit on mat with both knees bent and feet on mat, lean back with hands on mat behind hips, lower both knees to same side so that legs are in a pretzel position on the mat with knees both bent at 90 degrees, alternate sides)
3. Upright 90/90 (same as #2 except torso is not leaned back and hands move side to side so you can lean forward over front leg to deepen stretch)
4. 90/90 one side (remain in the 90/90 position on one side w/ torso hinged forward over front leg, flow deeper in and out of stretch)
5. Repeat #4 on other side of body
6. Alternating 90/90 to hip extension (same as #3 but when you are in 90/90, place back hand on mat behind hip and lift hips, reaching other arm overhead into a side bend/spine arch)
7. Knee lift (remain in 90/90 position, lift and lower back knee)
8. Repeat #7 on other leg
9. Hip flexor stretch (in kneeling lunge, place both hands on mat and lean forward to stretch hip flexor, place same side hand on knee to move leg around as you flow in and out of the depth of the stretch)
10. Repeat #9 on other leg
11. Alternating lunge to hip flexor stretch (start in straight arm plank, bring one foot forward so you are in deep runners lunge with back knee elevated off mat, alternate legs returning to plank between each side)
12. Down dog with static walk (hold downward facing dog and pedal feet)
13. Down dog to alternating hip opener (still in down dog, raise one leg into 3 leg dog and bend knee to open hip, alternate legs)
14. Pigeon pose (slowly and incrementally go deeper into pose)
15. Repeat #14 on other side of body
16. Hip circles (on hands and knees, slowly draw large circles with one leg, keeping knee bent at 90 degrees, alternate directions)
17. Repeat #16 on other leg
18. Frog pose (kneel on mat with knees as wide as you can open them and ankles in line with knees, forearms are on mat in front of you, push hips back)
19. Cross leg pose (sit cross-legged on mat, place hands mat outside of knees, hinge torso forward and flow side to side)
20. Repeat #19 but swap which leg is on top
21. Standing hip opener (stand and hold onto something for balance (wall/chair), hinge forward and lift one leg out straight behind you, start with chest/torso facing floor then rotate chest/torso to side, flow between these two positions)
22. Repeat #21 on other side of body
23. Lying hip opener (lay on back on mat, one leg is extended straight on mat, bring other knee into chest, with same side hand on knee, open bent leg out to side then bring it back to start)
24. Repeat #23 on other leg
25. Repeat #23 & 24
26. Happy baby
27. Modified lunge (kneel on mat and extend one leg out straight to side, hinge torso forward, with hands on mat flow torso forward then back, pushing glutes back toward heel behind you)
28. Repeat #27 on other leg
29. Deep squat (lower into deep yogi squat, elbows press against inside of knees to deepen the stretch, shift body side to side)
30. Deep squat to forward fold (alternate yogi squat with forward fold)
31. Repeat #12
32. ROC Downward dog (hold down dog with legs straight, shift hips side to side)
33. Forward fold (wide legs); reach hands between legs behind you
34. Stand and reach arms overhead, stretching body long (the way Caroline ends every workout)