When Shakira sang ‘Hips don’t lie’, she may as well have been referring to how crucial hip mobility is for your daily functioning — from your balance and posture, to protecting your lower back and knees from pain and injury. And so, when Shilpa Shetty recently shared a hip mobility challenge with her social media following, fitness experts including Juhu-based wellness yoga practitioner, Rashika Chellwani welcomed the move.
The ‘Cradling the baby’ routine can help ease into the Butterfly pose
“Our hips are central to almost every movement — walking, bending and even, sitting. But long hours of sitting make them tight and underused. Hip mobility routines help maintain joint health, improves circulation, and reduce lower back discomfort. They also enhance posture, balance, and even support reproductive health by improving pelvic blood flow,” she explains, adding that since we store emotional tension in our hips, moving and opening them mindfully helps us to feel lighter, not just in the body but also in the mind.
The routine should conclude with the 90/90 stretch
Getting hippy with it
Always begin any workout, including a mobility challenge, with a light warm-up. From here, you can progress slowly into deeper stretches. Instead of focusing on flexibility, work on control and breath, Chellwani advises. If you have any hip, knee or lower-back issues, it’s best to begin a new fitness routine under guidance. Consistency and awareness matter far more than intensity, she observes. When attempting this routine, she suggests being mindful of your alignment and control.
Rashika Chellwani performs the pigeon pose
1 Seated Start: Sit with your right leg folded and the left leg extended straight in front of you.
2 90/90 Transition: Take your left leg behind into a 90/90 position (both knees bent at right angles). Bring your leg to the front again, with your foot resting on the floor. This opens both internal and external hip rotation.
3 Controlled Lift: Engage your core and glutes to lift yourself onto your right knee without using your hands. Move with awareness and steady breath; the aim is stability, not speed.
Low lunge
This short sequence helps to build your hip strength and mobility without strain. However, if you are still early in your fitness and mobility journey, she suggests a few easier alternatives that are more accessible and yet equally effective for releasing tightness and tension.
>> Malasana (yogic squat): Begin with sumo squats and slowly progress into Malasana for about 20 mindful repetitions.
>> Butterfly pose (Baddha Konasana): Start by cradling the baby. Rock each leg 10 times and then move into the Butterfly, finishing with a gentle forward fold.
>> Low lunge (Anjaneyasana): Keep your back knee on the mat and gently pulse forward and back to stretch the hip flexors.
>> Knee circles (on all fours): Make 10 large circles with each leg, both clockwise and anticlockwise, to lubricate and open the hips.
>> 90/90 stretch to Pigeon pose: Start with the stretch and gradually work towards the Pigeon for deeper external hip rotation and release.
