The Deep Yogi Squat

How this functional movement may help your lower back pain

The hip joint is designed for mobility.

Unfortunately, in our modern, chair sitting world, the hip joint doesn’t get the range of motion it requires.

Lack of mobility in the hip joint often leads to lower back pain.

A simple solution = improve your hip mobility.

A simple way to improve hip mobility – start spending time in a deep squat or some variation of the deep squat.

Let me explain.

The hip is a ball-n-socket type joint. Which means the head of the femur (thigh bone) is shaped like a ball that fits into a socket-like structure formed by the pelvis.

Because of the shape of this joint, the leg can move in all directions.

You can bring the legs together. Or spread them apart.

You can rotate the leg inward or outward. Lift the knee up or pull your foot behind you. Or take the leg in a circular motion.

And if we aren’t exploring the entire range of motion that the joint is capable of. Certain structures get overworked, while others atrophy.

The body sees this as an “injury-type” issue. So, it will build extra connective tissue into the joint area to protect it.

Your body is extremely adaptable. It will mold to whatever movement you are offering it.

Think about it, most days, you probably only move the hip joint in a very small range of motion.

How often do you lift your knee past 90 degrees of the hip?

How often do you draw circles in the hip joint?

Or rotate the head of the thigh bone in the hip socket?

Stiffness in a joint that is made to be mobile (like the hip), creates unnecessary movement in surrounding joints that need to be stable (like the lower back or the knees).

If the hip is not mobile. The knees or lower back will try to compensate.

This can lead to a lot of discomfort, pain and even injury.

So, if your “problem” areas tend to be lower back – or the other nearby joint, the knees – I invite you to practice hip mobility & foldability.

The idea is to begin to spend some time improving your hips ability to fold. Hence, the active deep squat.

The deep squat is a primal & functional movement that our body was designed to do (& do often).

Here\’s a quick 7 minute video where I explain exactly how to do this.

Yoga poses like malasana (aka: yogi squat) or happy baby are great ways to gain more mobility in your hips.

Both these poses improve the foldability of your hip, a shape that creates space in the hip capsule. That space improves blood flow and releases tension.

Benefits of improving your hip mobility & foldability:

???????? Reduce lower back tension & pain

???????? Lessen hip tension & pain

???????? Aid the digestive process

???????? Improve the body’s ability to eliminate waste

???????? Increase flexibility of ankles & feet

???????? Increase strength in the lower body

I invite you to get start today. Move slow & breathe.

If you\’d like to follow-along, here is a 5 Minute Beginner Hip Mobility Routine.

Cheers to feeling good in your body ✌????

-jessi rose