T Hip Mobility

One of the most common mistakes people make during the T hip rotation (a.k.a: half moon, hip airplane rotation, SL RDL position with rotation) is side bending of the trunk on the same side of the down leg.

When this happens you almost always also get rotation at the knee or ankle to make up for the rotation no happening at the hip joint.

One of the simple tools to counter this is too use a pelvic leveling (and unleveling) drill as a prep. Pelvic leveling or side bending (hip hike) to the opposite side helps to center the hip joint and activate the deep hip rotators.

This is because the piriformis on the fixed leg and the quadratus lumborem on the opposite side work together!

QL on the same side as the pirifomis they actual counter each other. So same side hip hike means less piriformis activity which means not as great hip rotation.

Try it out, here are the steps: (PS: video speed is increased, move slowly with intention)

1️⃣- in standing shift your weight to the stance leg and imagine pushing your foot through the floor, full how this push imitates a lift of your pelvis on the opposite side and lift even higher.

2️⃣- Now that you have the hang of the motion, try in a T hip position. Lengthen your down leg side feel that active foot and slide the pelvis up towards the ribs on the leg in the air. Be sure to keep your knee angle fixed!

3️⃣- find the same starting position of step two, engage a bit of the opposite leg hip hike and then rotate. Take time to notice how different this movement feels and what range of motion changes there are!

Share this with all your clients and get more bang for your buck in this great movement!