“How’s your external rotation?” is a question often asked by personal trainers. And, if you’re anything like us, the answer will often be: “Not great.”

If you’re unfamiliar with the phrase, then take a moment to sit on the floor, knees bent and feet just slightly wider than hip-width apart. Lean your knees to the left and try to both down to the ground without taking your heels off the floor. Can’t get anywhere close? Welcome to the club.

Certain joints in our bodies need to be able to rotate both internally and externally to function well. But if you’re a runner, cyclist or desk worker, then it’s likely that you’ll have tight hip flexors – leading to a tendency to internally rotate. 

Poor external rotation in the hips can result in lower back pain, overactive and tight hip flexors and knee problems, as well as leaving us more prone to injury, so it’s important to work on loosening those hip joints.

“External rotation at the hip is crucial to improve lower-body stability and help to prevent any pain or injuries in your hips, knees and lower back,” says Katy Reynolds, personal trainer, barre expert and founder of wellness platform Your Barre Studio.

Even if you’re not a gym bunny, you might still benefit from some rotation movements. “Your hip flexors can commonly become tight due to prolonged sitting,” explains Sarah Campus, a personal trainer, nutrition coach and founder of LDN Mum’s Fitness. “Stretching these muscles regularly helps to improve hip mobility, alleviate pain, increase flexibility and help improve posture.”

Here’s our rundown of the five best moves to improve our hip rotation and loosen up our joints, according to the professionals. 

Hip flexor stretches are a staple of good mobility.

How to do a standing hip flexor stretch

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and toes forward
2. Bend your right knee, and bring your right heel up toward your bum 
3. Hold your right foot with the right hand, and gently pull to point your knee toward the floor
4. You can hold on to a counter or chair with your left hand for balance
5. Hold and repeat on the other side

“Supported deep squats are an excellent way to improve rotation,” says Campus. “Their benefits include back pain relief, promoting flexibility, improving core strength, reducing the risk of injury and supporting bone density.”

How to do a supported deep squat

• Start out in a ‘normal squat’ stance, but make your feet a bit wider and your toes a bit more turned out 
• Lower your body while sending your hips backwards, as if aiming for a very low seat or stool, until your hips are as low as they can go. You may feel like you are sitting between your feet
• Hold for a few seconds, relax and repeat

The 90/90 stretch is the perfect stretch for improving your hip mobility, as it targets both of your hips and allows them to move in different ways. 

How to do a 90/90 stretch

1. Start seated with your left leg forward and right leg back
2. Point your front thigh forward with a 90-degree angle at the knee
3. Point your back thigh out to the side with a 90-degree angle at the back knee
4. Place hands on the ground framing the front leg
5. Lengthen your spine and square your shoulders to your front shin
6. Gently pitch your weight forward, keeping your spine long and hold for 20-30 seconds
7. Repeat the stretch two or three times and make sure to swap sides

“It’s important with clamshells to prioritise controlling the movement,” says Reynolds. “Focus on form rather than speed. On your final rep, hold stillness in your widest clamshell for 15 seconds.”

How to do a clamshell

1. Lie on the left side of your body with your left elbow underneath your left shoulder for support
2. Bend knees to a 45-degree angle and stack shoulders, hips and heels
3. With heels remaining connected, draw your right knee upward as high as it can go, keeping your hips stacked throughout
4. Take a big breath and a moment of stillness when your legs are separated in clamshell
5. Then return the right leg back to the starting position
6. Repeat the clamshell 15 times on each side

“This pose focuses on opening your hips, which supports mobility and flexibility in that joint,” says Campus. 

How to do pigeon pose

• Start on all fours, bring your left knee forward towards your right wrist and aim to place your left ankle somewhere in front of your right hip
• Slide your right leg back and point your toes, with your heel pointing up to the ceiling
• Breathe in, lengthen the spine, pull in the belly button and come up onto the fingertips
• Breathe out and lower the upper body to the floor. If possible, rest the arms and forehead on the floor for 20-30 seconds
• Push through the hands and lift the hips, moving back onto all fours and make sure to swap sides

Images: Getty