The 3 best hip alignment exercises on planet earth.

Planet earth!? That's a bold statement, I know.

But I've been where you are - looking for hip alignment exercises to get my hips more level.  

I've experimented with HUNDREDS of exercises for this exact purpose. 

Let me save you the time and energy, yeah? Those other exercises won't work.

Why? Because 99% of exercises put too much focus on the hip that is out of alignment. 

The body just does not work like this. To get better hip alignment, we need to zoom out and look at the whole picture. 

Of course, we need to target the hip that feels "off" but only as part of the whole. Not as an isolated deficiency that needs troubleshooting. 

The human body is not a computer. It's a living, breathing and dynamic organism. It needs stimuli to reflect this reality. 

If we want better hip alignment, we need exercises that bring the whole body back into alignment. 

That my hipster, is the way toward a more aligned, balanced and pain-free body. 

In this post, I’m going to share with you 3 of my favorite exercises to help get your hips into better alignment. 

Each exercise will have its own section so I can explain what makes it so valuable. 

Hip Alignment Exercise 1 - Glute Conversation

This is one of my favorite exercises in the world. It is my go to if my hips are feeling stiff and out of alignment.

The beauty of this exercise is the simplicity of it. Get your body into a good position and then get out of its way.

Not only does this exercise help align the lateral hips but it also brings the entire body into alignment.

By placing the pelvis into a good position and keeping the feet hip-width apart, the body is placed in an aligned, healthy and neutral position for an extended period of time.

The target muscles are the lateral hip muscles. This includes the gluteus medius but it also stimulates lesser known but equally important muscles in the hip.

These muscles are responsible for helping us stand, walk, run and do many other dynamic activities with proper balance.

You’ll know this is an exercise you need if you feel one side of your body much more than the other.

If you experience this then I recommend you double-down on this exercise and do it everyday until things start feeling a little bit more aligned.

Hip Alignment Exercise 2 - Shoulder Reset

Yo Maks, why are you giving me shoulder exercises, man? I thought this was a tutorial on hip alignment?

Well my dear hipster, that’s because the shoulders affect the position of the hips. . . A LOT.

I’m willing to bet that most people reading this article need this exercise more than the other two in this post. 

The shoulders attach to the rib cage which attach to the pelvis which attach to the . . . HIPS!

Nothing in the body works in isolation. This is especially true with the hips and shoulders because these are the two most mobile joints in the human body.

This means that the hips and shoulders are the most likely joints to be out alignment.

And because they are attached via other structures, they will compensate for what the other joints are unable to do.

The hips will do what the shoulders cannot do. And the shoulders will do what the hips cannot do.

This is why if you are looking to get better hip alignment, you MUST spend time on the shoulders. This is not optional.

It’s like going on a diet and not eating less calories. It won't work. 

For most people, you’re going to want to pull your shoulders back for this one. The only exception is if your typical posture is a protruding chest with scapular winging.

If that’s you then you can experiment with pushing the shoulder blades apart instead. 

Hip Alignment Exercise 3 - Sitting Block Squeeze

The last exercise to align the hips is the sitting block squeeze.

This exercise targets the hip flexors - the other major muscle group that surround the hips.

The hip flexors, along with the glutes, are the muscles most likely to pull the hips out of alignment.

This also means they are the best muscle groups to target to bring the hips back into alignment.

This one might be tough because it’s difficult for many people to dip the pelvis forward into an anterior tilt.

But it will get easier in time. And it’s worth the investment of your energy.

Developing this skill (anterior tilt while engaging the hip flexors) is paramount to getting better hip alignment.

It’s also a foundational skill of becoming a better mover.

The ability to move your pelvis forward and back while contracting the appropriate muscle groups shows a high level of hip function.

A higher level of hip function means better hip alignment. Which means less pain, stiffness and discomfort.

Which is what we all want right?

Conclusion and Programming

I recommend doing this exercise as an entire workout. The workout shouldn't take longer than 20 minutes once you understand how to perform the exercises.

I suggest performing the workout at least 3 times a week but there is no harm performing it more. You can do it everyday as this routine is not very taxing on the body.

If you follow my instructions, I’m confident that your hips will feel more aligned in a few weeks.

Will it fix whatever problem you have with your body? Maybe. But I wouldn’t dismiss these exercises if you don’t see a 100% improvement.

Instead, I would ask myself whether I felt ANY improvement.

If your hips feel even a little bit more aligned after a few weeks of these exercises, I would say you’re on to something yeah?

And maybe it’s worth exploring more.