Hip flexors exercise
Standing Hip CirclesHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Hip flexors, Glutes
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Standing Hip Circles?
- Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips and your knees slightly bent.
- Put your hands on your hips.
- Slowly move your hips in a circle: side, front, other side, back.
- Do 5–10 circles, starting small and getting bigger.
- Repeat in the other direction; hold a chair or wall if your balance is unsteady.
Cues
- Feet stay planted.
- Hips lead, head stays central.
- Slow, smooth circles.
Common mistakes
- Swaying the whole body: keep your head still and move from the hips.
- Locking your knees: keep a soft bend throughout.
- Rushing: take about three seconds per circle.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Standing with feet apart and knees soft, hands on the hips, the hips drawing slow horizontal circles while the feet stay planted and the head stays roughly central. This is how the Special Olympics, BYU and Cadence warm-up guides describe standing hip circles. The one-leg knee-circle drill (Arthritis Foundation's "hip circles") is a different move and is not shown.
Starting position
Stand tall, feet a little wider than hip width (about shoulder width, 30–35 cm between the heels), toes forward, knees softly bent (10–15° flexion). Hands on the hips, fingers forward, elbows out. Stomach lightly braced, chest up, eyes forward.
The movement
Push the hips out to the right, then round to the front, to the left and to the back, in one smooth continuous circle. As the hips go forward the pelvis tucks slightly under; as they go back it tips slightly forward; to each side the pelvis dips a little on the far side. The upper body leans gently the opposite way to keep the head near the centre. After the set, circle the other way. The feet stay flat and still.
Breathing
Breathe slowly and evenly throughout.
Tempo
About 3 s per circle. Real sets: 5–10 circles each way, growing larger as the hips warm up.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Head moves no more than about 5 cm from centre; trunk counter-leans up to about 10°.
- Knees stay 10–15° flexed; feet flat, no heel lift.
- Hands stay on the hips throughout.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Standing Hip Circles is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
