05-07-2025
The 5 Hip Stretches I Swear by To Stay Pain-Free in My 60s
As you age, a sedentary lifestyle can cause a whole host of issues, one of the most prominent being the range of motion (ROM) in your hips. Without a generous ROM, you put yourself at risk of muscle fatigue, hamstring pain, lower back discomfort, impaired movement, and injury.
Mobility training is key to keeping your hip flexor muscles—including the iliacus, psoas, pectineus, rectus femoris, and sartorius—in top shape, as they stabilize your lumbar spine and promote healthy daily movement. We spoke with Jerry McCollow, physical therapist at Foothills Physical Therapy at Confluent Health, to learn five hip openers he swears by that keep him pain-free in his 60s and active in triathlons.
'My 66-year-old hips have served me well, but I need to do regular maintenance on them,' McCollow, who's been a physical therapist for 40 years, explains. 'I have two dynamic stretches and three static stretches that are part of my daily routine. Fitness is better than brute strength. All of these exercises are easy and comfortable to do.'
Now, let's dive into the hip openers that keep McCollow pain-free, mobile, and active in his 60s. You can easily weave them into your own fitness routine.'[This exercise] opens up the front of the trailing hip, as well as the chest and ribs,' McCollow explains. 'The abdominal muscles contract eccentrically to control lumbar extension and pelvic tilt, as they do in running.'
Begin standing tall with your feet hip-distance apart, arms at your sides.
Activate your core.
Take a big step forward with your left foot.
Lower into a lunge until your knees form 90-degree angles; your back knee should hover just above the ground.
Reach both arms overhead.
Press off your front heel to return to the start position.
Complete 10 to 15 reps on each side.
'This exercise puts one hip into adduction (toward the midline) and one hip into abduction (away from midline). I love this because it works the gluteus medius muscle (hip abductor) eccentrically, like it works in walking or running,' McCollow tells us.
Begin standing tall, feet hip-distance apart and arms at your sides.
Engage your core and maintain a tall chest.
Take a big step to the left.
Bend your left knee, press your hips back, and lower into a side lunge.
At the bottom, reach both arms overhead, keeping your spine elongated.
Press through your left heel to return to the start position.
Complete 10 to 15 reps on each side.
'[This move is effective] because most of us spend so much time sitting, and then using our hip flexors on a bike ride to pull up the lagging pedal while the other leg pushes down the other pedal,' McCollow says. 'I also want to see my runners getting the trailing knee behind the hip in the late stance phase. This hip mobility unloads the low back and creates efficiency in the gait pattern.'
Begin in a half-kneeling position on a mat—one knee on the floor and the other foot flat ahead of you.
Shift your body weight forward, allowing the hip of your back leg to move forward.
Keep a tall torso and engaged core.
Hold the stretch on each side for 10-15 seconds, completing 5 reps.'This simple exercise [helps] me get my shoes and socks on during the transition from swimming to running. I'm also going into relaxation mode at this time,' McCollow explains.
Lie flat on your back with bent knees and feet flat on the ground.
Position your left ankle over your right knee to assume the 'figure 4' position.
Gently apply some pressure on your thigh to increase the intensity of the stretch.
Make sure your head and shoulders are relaxed.
Hold the stretch on each side for 10 to 15 seconds, completing 5 reps.
'This is where I get deeper into relaxation breathing,' McCollow says. 'After about two to three reps, I can feel my small lumbar intrinsic muscles completely letting go.'
Lie flat on your stomach with your legs extended behind you.
Bring your elbows under your shoulders, keeping your forearms parallel and hands pressed into the ground.
Slowly lift your chest off the floor, pressing into your forearms as you do so.
Gaze forward.
Hold the position for 30 seconds.
Rest flat for 30 seconds.
Repeat 5 times.
The 5 Hip Stretches I Swear by To Stay Pain-Free in My 60s first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 4, 2025
