I did the 90/90 hip stretch for a week — and my mobility improved in a way I didn't expect

Tom's Guide

5 days ago

My challenges for Tom's Guide usually involve lifting weights, or using my body weight, to build strength and remind me I'm not in the enviable shape I think I am. The challenges are never less than interesting, they are often surprising, and some have impressed me to the point I have continued to use them in my exercise regime (you know when a move is right for you). So when my editor suggested the 90/90 stetch, I thought, 'This is different.' Then I thought, 'I wonder what it is.'
This is not because I'm an ignoramus, but because, like most people, I don't stretch as much as I should. As someone interested in fitness and remaining physically strong, this is the strategy of, well, an ignoramus. So I was more than keen to give it a go. Was it a life-changing experience? I'm not a man given to hyperbole, so, no, of course not. Was it a revealing, fascinating, frustrating and, ultimately, greatly beneficial? It sure was.
This is an immensely effective hip-mobility exercise. Most of us take our hips for granted, and it's only when we're dancing at a wedding that we realise they're not as loose as they once were, or ought to be. Hip mobility and flexibility are vital for general day-to-day activities, as well as for exercise and sports. However, because the muscles, tendons, and joints in the area simply do their job, we often assume they don't require attention. Out of sight, out of mind, until one day you drop your keys and are reduced to hoping someone short is nearby to pick them up for you. Good hip flexibility can also help relieve lower back pain, which, at any given time, afflicts about a quarter of US adults.
The 90/90 works the hips internally and externally at the same time, which is rare for one move. It targets a variety of muscles, including the adductors, abductors, and glutes, as well as some of the hard-to-hit but important muscles such as the psoas and the piriformis. Crucially, it also works the hip capsule, specialised ligaments that stabilise the hip joint. This move asks a lot but boy, it delivers.
Begin by sitting on the floor (I suggest you use a yoga mat for this move), with your right leg bent in front of you at a 90-degree angle, hip rotated out. This means the outside of your leg will be resting on the floor. Your foot should be in a neutral position, so don't point it. It, too, should form a 90-degree angle with your lower leg. Your thigh should be directly in front of your chest. If you feel you are leaning to the right, slide your leg slightly closer to your body, maintaining the angle as best you can.
Position your left leg to your left side, again at a 90-degree angle, hip rotated internally. This means the inside of your leg will be resting on the floor. Make sure your back knee is in line with your hip. If you feel tightness in the hip, bring your leg forward a little, but again, maintain the angle.
Keeping your legs in this position, and with your back straight, chest up, lean from the hips to feel a stretch through your right hip and glutes. Use your right arm to steady yourself as you increase the stretch. Breathe slowly and evenly, and hold the stretch for 60 seconds. Repeat on the other side and aim for two reps on each side.
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I admit I went into this challenge with the cockiness of the clueless. I figured that I'd have no trouble because I wasn't lifting, lowering, lunging, pushing, or otherwise using my muscles. And I already do some stretching. Not nearly enough, as it happens.
On the first day, I got into position, though not as smoothly as I'd expected, as there is something counterintuitive about the shape the body makes with the two legs. It did not feel natural, and as I tried to relax and let my legs rest easily on the floor, I sensed a stretch not in my hips, but in my lower back and across my core. 'This can't be right,' I thought. It wasn't painful, but it was not the stretch I was expecting. I reset myself and tried again, but the result was the same. Afterwards, I decided my torso was twisting to maintain what I thought was the right position.
On day two, I placed a two-foot mirror in front of me, and my indignity was complete. But I could immediately see that I was indeed leaning left or right, depending on which leg was in front. I corrected my position and held it for 40 seconds on each side, but while I felt a deep stretch, it was still not where it needed to be.
On day three, everything fell into place. I got into position, but shifted each leg slightly while holding the 90-degree angle, and I suddenly felt the stretch exactly where I was supposed to feel it, and not across the back or through the core. With this move, feel free to tweak things but maintain good form; you'll be amazed at the difference even a couple of inches makes. From the correct position, I was able to lean into the stretch and hold it for a minute on each side. I did this twice. Over the following few days, I increased the time to two minutes on each side, twice, paying attention to my breathing and always focusing on the location of the stretch. This move did not instantly improve hip mobility and flexibility, of course, but I did enjoy that deeply satisfying feeling of a stretch, and when I rose from my position, feeling fleetingly at one with my surroundings, I almost said 'Namaste.' Almost.
I can't put it any plainer than that. I found it enormously beneficial for the entire hip area, but even getting into the correct position felt like a small triumph. I will continue to get myself into the right position, and even though I won't be able to see the benefits, I will know it's working. That said, I still refuse to dance. It's my gift to the world.
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