If you are dealing with pain in your hips, this quick read and video may be all you need to find some relief without having to make costly trips to a doctor or therapist. 

Many associate hip pain with age or an injury. But just like your back, hip pain doesn’t discriminate. 

Hip discomfort is something that anyone can experience — from a young high school athlete, a stay-at-home mom, someone that sits at a desk all day, and certainly a gym-goer!

If you don’t have any hip pain now, you probably will at some point, so you may want to bookmark this page for later! 

The exact cause of ANY body pain can often be difficult to pinpoint, but when it comes to the hips, the general location of your discomfort can usually be very telling about the underlying cause.  Important …. because knowing what is causing your pain is essential if you want to find relief! 

Our in-house expert physical therapist Dr. Zaki Afzal says when people are more active, they usually experience pain in the front of the hips. Whereas pain felt in the back or sides of the hips is generally seen more in the elderly or sedentary. 

Since we are focused on helping relieve hip issues that tend to come from being more active, this article and video will focus mainly on reasons you could have pain in the FRONT of the hips and some simple ways to find relief .. fast!!!

No matter where you feel hip pain, if it is due to an injury or accompanied by anything more serious such as (but not limited to) …. 

• A joint that appears deformed
• The inability to move your leg or hip
• Intense pain
• Sudden swelling
• Numbness/tingling
• The inability to put weight on the affected leg

DO NOT try any of these corrective exercises!! See a professional for a one on one assessment! 

If you missed our other FIX YOUR BODY articles and videos, this is actually part four of a six-part series we are doing on how you can fix your body at home!

We have already discussed the neck, shoulders, and lower back. After we talk about the hips today, we will wrap up the series discussing knee and ankle pain!

All previous episodes will be linked at the end of this article if you are interested! To make sure you don’t miss any future episodes – just hit the subscribe button HERE! 

Now, let’s dive into all things HIPS!

FIX YOUR BODY AT HOME: HIP PAIN 

STEP ONE: Perform A Self Assessment

The first thing you need to do if you are certain that your hip discomfort is movement-related is assess what motions you are most limited in. 

Here are two assessments to quickly perform that will tell you if restrictions could be causing your pain. 

Check Internal/External Hip Rotation 

Hip rotation happens when your knee is not moving, and your foot is moving instead. External rotation of the hip occurs when your foot moves inwards, and your hip turns out. When your foot moves out, and your hip turns in, that is internal rotation. 

You want to check both, and it’s really simple to do! 

• Get in front of a mirror, or put your phone in selfie mode so you can better see how you are moving.
• Take a seat with your feet off the ground.
• Hold the quad/knee of the hip you want to check.
• Take your other hand and help yourself rotate that foot in and out.
• Switch sides and repeat.

You should be able to rotate about 45-degrees for external rotation and at least 35-degrees for internal rotation.

If you can’t, we have some exercises below that will help give you better hip rotation range of motion! 

First, perform one more quick assessment!

Check Hip Flexion

Hip flexion is just a fancy phrase for how far towards your chest you can bring your knee. You want to make sure you have a pretty good range of motion here because this motion comes up a lot in your life. Getting out of a chair, out of your car, sitting on the toilet, squatting, lunging, leg press, etc. 

It is really simple to check your hip flexion! 

• Lie on your back
• Pick up one knee, let it bend, bring it toward your chest.
• See how closed you can make the angle between your torso and thigh.
• Check the other side.
• You want this to generally be 100-degrees or higher.
• If you have a limitation, you may notice your hip going “outwards” — this is very telling of how your pelvic is moving.

But wait, aren’t we talking about the hips? Why is the pelvis important?

Dr. Afzal says to look at it this way —  “The pelvis is the train tracks, and the hip is the train. The train is only going to go where the tracks allow.” 

If following your self-assessment, you discover that you are restricted in either of these movements; this could be why your hips hurt! We have some corrective exercises below that should help! 

STEP TWO: PERFORM CORRECTIVE EXERCISES

You can do some fast and easy fixes at home if either of the above movement restrictions is where your hip pain originates. Some of them only take 30 seconds and can often bring instant relief and changes in mobility! 

But don’t forget what we said earlier. If your hip pain is due to an injury or accompanied by anything more serious, do not attempt any of these assessments or corrective exercises.

3 THINGS THAT CAN QUICKLY HELP EASE HIP PAIN 

1: OPEN UP YOUR LOWER GLUTE

If limited hip flexion is your issue, you may need to work to “open up” a particular area of the lower glute just below your hip bone.

Yes, the glutes! Remember that everything is connected! To do this, all you need is a small hard ball (like a lacrosse ball) and the floor!

Ball To Lower Glute Soft Tissue Release 

This exact spot of soft tissue that needs to be worked on can be a little tricky to locate, but you will know when you find it because it will be pretty tender!

You must target the right spot for this corrective exercise to work, so you may want to check out this video for a visual of exactly where it is located and some tips to help you find it! 

Once you locate the “sweet spot,” now you just need to open it up! Here is how to do that in about 30 seconds! 

• Grab a lacrosse ball, tennis ball, or mobility tool that is designed for bodywork. Anything small and firm.
  
• Lie on the ground, flip over onto your back, and put the ball directly on the tender spot. You can also sit up and prop yourself up on your side. How you position your body depends on how much pressure you want to apply to the tender spot and what feels most comfortable for you.
  
• When you hit this tender spot, stop and “sink” into it and do tiny shearing movements. This is NOT going to feel good in the moment, but you only need to spend about 30-60 seconds stimulating the area.
  
• If needed, switch sides and perform on the other glute. 
• Reassess your hip flexion. You should notice a huge improvement in how much closer you can get your knee to your torso! 

Once this area is no longer restricted, you should have more range of motion to squat, lunge, deadlift, or do anything that requires your knee to go to your chest.

This type of compression/shearing is very different from merely foam rolling the glutes. But just like ANY soft tissue work, it’s not a permanent fix. We suggest throwing this into your current mobility work/stretching routine and/or on lower body days! 

2: GET YOUR PELVIS MOVING 

Remember what we said earlier. Your pelvis plays a major role in hip movement. 

If your pelvis isn’t moving how you want, your hips won’t either.

In the previous exercise, you applied steady pressure to the affected tissue. This next corrective exercise is more of an “active” exercise that helps get your pelvis moving. 

It can not only help increase your range of motion — it can also help build strength and muscle!

Front Foot Elevated Split Squat

You will be in a lunge stance and performing a split squat but NOT in the way you would typically perform them.

You will be working through a split squat type movement to see how much you can move your pelvis while your foot is on a platform. 

With this variation, there is one slight (but significant) “shift” of your hips that makes all the difference in whether this is a corrective exercise or not.  

• Place your right front foot on a stable elevated surface of about 4-6 inches and step back with your left foot a little bit. You will sort of be in a split squat/lunge position.
• Shift about 75% of your weight to your front foot and 25% to your back foot.
• You should feel the inside edge of your foot. Be careful not to roll to the outside part of your foot.
• While in that split stance, rotate your pelvis inward toward your front leg. You should automatically feel a slight stretch in your glutes and feel your groin muscle turn on. If you don’t feel it, stay in this position until you do.
• Once you feel it, slowly rotate your hip out and back for several repetitions.
• When you have mastered this back/forth movement and feel the muscles mentioned above are activated, you can move on to the next step and add the actual squat movement. Do not proceed until you FEEL those muscles working.
• Perform a slow and controlled split squat. Ensure your pelvis is rotated toward that front leg and stays there throughout the entire movement. With your hips shifted inward, it should feel totally different and more difficult than a regular split squat.

Dr. Afzal suggests doing 2 sets of 5-6 reps daily. You can do them to start your morning, before any activity you enjoy, or as a warm-up on your lower body days.

Once you have completed the exercise, lie on your back again and check your hip flexion. You should be able to bring your knee much closer to your chest!

You should notice less pinching in the front of the hip, but also, during squatting motions, you should notice your hips are doing most of the work instead of your back getting involved too soon.  

3: MAKE CHANGES IN THE GYM 

We’ve gone over things you can do at home or even as a warm-up before your lift, but what about when you feel pain during the lift itself? 

If you only have pain when squatting, or you have tried the corrective exercises above and still have a pinching feeling when you squat — you probably need to adjust your squat stance.

We touched on this in our back pain episode, but how you begin your squat could also be the source of your hip pain, and there is an EASY fix! 

Adjust Your Squat Stance 

Before you squat down, the “set up” will determine how much motion you have in your hips. 

If you start in an over-extended position (too much back arch), you will automatically shut down the room in the front of the hip. As you squat down, you will run out of room much sooner.

But if you start in a stacked position with your pelvis tucked under, you give the front of your hips more room so you can go deeper without feeling a pinch! 

To show you what we mean, try this. It’s a great visualization!

• Lie down on the floor.
• Go into an arched back position. If you aren’t sure what we mean by that, you can see Vince demo it at the end of the video above.
• Try to bring your knee to your chest. With your back arched like this, you won’t be able to get very far.
• Now, leave your leg up, but put your spine in a stacked position. That will instantly unlock motion that you already had!
  

If you are arching your back and not starting your squat in a stacked position, the pain you feel likely isn’t because of a range of motion restriction. You probably have the range of motion needed, and it’s just your squat set-up that is holding you back and causing pinching pain! Take 5 seconds to fix this, and the pinching should be gone instantly! 

WE HOPE THIS ARTICLE AND VIDEO HELPED YOU 

FIGURE OUT WHY YOUR HIPS HURT AND HOW TO FIX THEM!! 

You need to consider the root of your pain! You should not attempt any of these exercises if your pain is extreme or not related to joints and muscles.

Please talk to your doctor, or if you are in the Las Vegas area, feel free to click here to contact Dr. Afzal. He would love to help you! 

Next week we are moving down the body. Make sure you check back; we will be talking about knee pain! 

In the meantime, if you have any questions about this hip pain article and video, you can leave them in the comment section below.

The post Fix Your Body At Home Episode 4: Hip Pain appeared first on V Shred.

If statistics are correct, most people reading this can expect to

Good thing you found this article because we aren’t going to let YOU be “most” people! Lower temps do not have to equal larger waistlines! You just have to have a plan! 

In this short read we will …

• Explain why winter weight gain happens. Knowing why is important if you want to prevent it and the reason is probably not what you think. In fact, it is partially not even your fault!
• Tell you why fall/winter is actually the BEST time to start a diet and training plan.
• Give you 7 easy pro tips that will help guide you through the next few months. 

You may believe winter weight gain happens because of the holidays. Those extra home cooked meals and holiday parties are certainly a factor.

But there is a DAILY issue you need to be prepared to fight if you want to avoid packing on winter pounds.

WHY YOU REALLY PACK ON POUNDS AFTER LABOR DAY

In the spring and summer months, you are given what we call a fitness freebie.

You get a seasonal motivation boost that doesn’t happen when temperatures start to drop, and you begin to pull out the chunky sweaters and comfy leggings. 

Not only is the sun shining (which makes you happier because of Vitamin D), you are wearing LESS clothing in the summer months.

I don’t know about you, but knowing I’m going to be exposing more skin makes walking in the gym a little easier. 

Covering up in layers, no doubt leads to the temptation to slack on body goals!

Knowing your arms, legs, and abs will be less exposed can easily be an excuse to slack.

Also, being layered up often means you don’t SEE the extra pounds, so they are easier to ignore.

But there is more to it than being bundled up….

The #1 reason you slack on health and fitness goals in colder months ISN’T EVEN YOUR FAULT!!

Of course, you have a part to play in all of this, but there is actually a scientific reason why you have less desire to train and eat healthy when the sunshine of summer fades.

We will explain why a little further down. But ya know what really stinks?

The scientific reason why we all experience these motivation slumps in the winter only adds to an even bigger issue with motivation.

It doesn’t matter what season it is motivation ALWAYS comes and goes!

Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter – you can NEVER rely on it!

So, what can you do when lack of sunshine and warm temps leave you even more tempted to hit snooze and reach for comfort foods?

You certainly don’t throw your hands up in the air and wait until January to make a resolution to crash diet to get your body ready for spring. Believe it or not, RIGHT NOW is actually the IDEAL time to get started! 

To help you out, and give you an extra edge on beating winter weight gain, we are offering a special end of summer 40% OFF promotion on ALL Sculpt Nation Supplements!  


CLICK HERE TO SHOP and use code: LABORDAY for 40% off your order!

Sculpt Nation supplements are a great addition to any fitness program to help you push past plateaus and take your results to the next level.

This sale is  only available for a limited time, so stock up for the winter months with 40% off while supplies last!!

Just click here and use the code LABORDAY at check out to redeem your discount.  

If you START NOW, you will develop discipline and a routine heading into the holidays. This will put you in a great place mentally and physically to relax and “indulge” a little more at all those holiday gatherings!

Look at it this way ..
Would you rather head into the holiday season already making progress toward your goals and be in a great spot (where it would be okay even if you did gain an extra pound or two?)

Or would you rather put it off and only add more fat on top of what you want to lose?

The answer is clear— the solution to getting the motivation needed to make it happen, not so much.

But don’t worry! We’ve got ya covered (no pun intended) with a few easy motivation hacks!

7 TIPS TO STAY MOTIVATED AS SEASONS CHANGE

One of the number one questions we always get is … “I am just not motivated. How can I motivate myself to train and eat better?”

As we mentioned earlier, it doesn’t matter what season it is, you can’t always rely on motivation. 

When you have it, great! You should certainly take advantage of it! But you have to know that it is totally normal to not have much of it. Even professional athletes lack motivation. 

You have to develop other daily habits that create discipline if you want to succeed long term!

Here are a few of our pro tips that we use with our clients, specifically when temperatures drop, and motivation seems to be at its lowest! 

TIP #1: Switch To An At Home Training Program

If you know that getting out of bed and stepping into the winter elements is going to be an excuse trigger, make a plan to train at home during cooler months! Some of the most effective and challenging workouts only require your body weight and maybe a set of dumbbells or some resistance bands.

A good fat-blasting, muscle-building sweat session can 100% be achieved from the comfort of your home!

Adjustable dumbbells, ankle weights, resistance bands, a jump rope, etc., are all things that are inexpensive and can easily be stored in a closet or under your bed and pulled out anytime you don’t feel like leaving the house.

But if you have the right training program, you don’t need any of that. 

Our favorite at-home bodyweight-only program is called MOVE. It was designed to help you achieve your fitness goals without a single piece of equipment, and each workout is under 20 minutes!

Learn more about MOVE by watching the video below!

CLICK HERE to get your copy of MOVE: 30 Day At-Home Program!

If you need a little extra “nudge” to get up and get moving, another pro-tip we use is keeping some PRE WORKOUT on your bedside table. Have it already blended up and chug it as soon as your alarm goes off!

By the time you have brushed your teeth and put on your workout clothes, you will have a nice little jolt of energy and tons of motivation to get going before you have a chance to come up with an excuse! 

At the bottom of this article, we will tell you about a big end of summer sale happening so that you can stock up on our favorite PRE WORKOUT for 40% off when you use code: LABORDAY at checkout! 

TIP #2: Make Your Workouts Seasonal

Embrace the change of seasons and take advantage of activities that you can only do in fall or winter! 

• Go on a fall hike and view all the gorgeous foliage.
• Try rock climbing.
• Walk around a corn maze or pumpkin patch with your family. 
• If you live in a snowy climate, go skiing, sledding, build snowmen with your kids, etc.
• Go ice skating.
• Lace-up your sneakers, go for a walk or run at night, and admire all the Christmas lights and decorations.

There are some things you can only do and see during specific times of the year. So instead of missing sunshine and water sports, focus on all the positive things that only come about with cooler temps!

TIP #3: Try Something Totally New

Sometimes a change of routine is all you need to boost motivation.

If you have been doing all your gym lifts alone, recruit a gym buddy! Try switching up your cardio by skipping your solo runs and joining a group fitness class instead. 

Another option is to allow yourself to slow down! If you have been crushing it all spring and summer with intense training and hardcore workouts, it may actually be time to take it down a notch. 

Going full force 365 can cause your stress hormone cortisol to increase. This can lead to a host of drawbacks, including weight gain, muscle loss, poor moods, fatigue, and occasional issues sleeping! 

We aren’t saying you should become lazy! But if you have been crushing it 24/7 all spring and summer, your body (and mind) may need to slow down.

Use the next few months to embrace a slower routine. 

• Commit to daily yoga.
• Focus on becoming more flexible.
• Switch to low or moderate-intensity cardio, instead of HIIT.
• Try out some bodyweight workouts instead of heavy lifting.

Giving your body a couple of months to recover might even make you more responsive when you decide to kick things up again come spring/summer!

TIP #4: Stay Accountable

The best way to stick to a plan is to have someone that you report back to. This could be a friend, family member, a social media community, or even a coach. 

Including someone else, or even just telling someone else about your health and fitness goals and asking them to check in with you to make sure you are sticking to the plan, is a great way to keep the promises you make to yourself.

If you prefer to fly solo, it helps to create visuals. Make a vision board, create a daily checklist you can mark off after each workout, or keep an accomplishment journal.

TIP #5: Set A Spring Goal

March may seem like a long time away, but it will be back before you know it, and 6 months is a long time to make significant changes. 

Setting a goal is a great way to encourage yourself to push past discomforts and temptation, but there is a science to goal setting.

The key to creating goals that stick .. be REALISTIC and SPECIFIC!

Let’s start with reality. You should always focus on one goal at a time and make sure you are being honest with yourself if that goal is really attainable.

If you know that your schedule will never allow you to work out 6 days a week, why would you choose a program that requires you to do that?

If you know it’s not healthy to attempt to lose 10 pounds a week, why would you aim that high?

If you love carbs, why would you go on a KETO diet? 

Doing these things will essentially set yourself up for failure. Set attainable goals that fit YOUR lifestyle. You can always bump things up if your schedule allows, or you notice you aren’t pushing yourself hard enough. Just keep in mind that being realistic isn’t the same as not believing in yourself or making excuses. 

Moving on to being specific. The more specific you are about your goals, the more likely you will be to reach them. 

It may seem like it’s good enough to say things like .. I want to look good, lose weight, or get ripped! But you have to dig deeper than that!! 

Wanting to “lose weight,” for example, is an excellent place to start. But ask yourself what that means to you?

If you expand on that and say — “I want to lose 10 pounds of fat. I will do this by not eating any sweets and doing the V Shred MOVE program for 30 consecutive days. I am doing this because I want to have better self-esteem and a head start on bikini season.” — that makes your goal more specific.  

The more specific (and attainable) your goals are, the more likely you will be to not give up!

TIP #6: Reward Yourself

Once you have checked a “mini goal” off your list, treat yourself. Knowing that you have a reward coming to celebrate your efforts will make you want to achieve it even more. 

It may be tempting to make your reward one of your favorite “forbidden foods” but we never suggest that you reward yourself this way.

You aren’t a dog. You should never reward “good behavior” with food. Having this mentality can create a really unhealthy relationship with food.

You need to eat healthy MOST of the time, control your portions, and see food as fuel. But if you are craving something that isn’t quite as healthy as your grilled chicken and rice, never feel like you need to lose 20 pounds to “deserve” a bite of cake, or nice dinner out with your family. 

Instead of rewarding yourself with food, buy yourself something you have been wanting. Maybe some new workout clothes, a massage, or an extra $20 bucks in your vacation fund! 

If you think you need some nutrition guidance or want to learn more about creating a healthy relationship with food, take our free body type quiz and we’ll tell you exactly what type of diet will deliver results for your goals and specific body type. 

TIP #7: Make Mental Health Top Priority

Earlier, we mentioned that cold weather motivation dips may not be your fault.

I’m sure you have heard of winter blues. Well, it’s a real thing. Less natural light can cause dips in serotonin, the neurotransmitter that regulates mood.

The dark and dreary days of winter can also cause your body to produce more of the sleep hormone melatonin. This shift can disrupt your body and impact your sleep patterns and overall mood.

Here are a few ways that you can focus on improving your mental health.

• Invest in a light therapy box that simulates natural daylight.
• Make sure you are supplementing with or eating plenty of foods with Vitamin D.
• Start journaling. There is a lot of scientific evidence that supports putting your thoughts on paper provides a long list of benefits, including stress management, self-confidence, and goal setting. 

Suppose you still find yourself struggling with negative seasonal motivation shifts. In that case, you may need to experiment with taking naturally sourced herbs to help support brain health and a positive mood.

Here are a few with some great scientific backing to help boost mood.

• EnXtra: A natural caffeine-free patent-pending botanical ingredient that has been shown to help increase dopamine levels.**It is also one of the first and only natural caffeine-free patent-pending botanical ingredients shown to boost mental alertness & acuity for hours or ending in a huge caffeine energy crash.
• Piper Nigrum Fruit Extract: A very specific type of black pepper that has been shown to help increase both serotonin and dopamine.
  
• L-Theanine: A powerful amino acid that is believed to help reduce occasional anxiety brought on by stressful situations.

You can find all of these natural herbs (plus 3 more) in a one of a kind supplement called NEUROCTANE.

As part of our big end of summer sale, this brain and mood booster along with Sculpt Nation’s entire line of body optimizing supplements are 40% off for a limited time!

Just click here to shop and use code: LABORDAY at checkout for 40% off your order!

BOTTOM LINE IF YOU WANT TO STAY MOTIVATED YEAR ROUND
When you put away the shorts and swimsuits and shift out of bikini season, it’s common for motivation to “fall back” with the clocks. 

The seasons have to change (unless you live near the equator) – so you have to figure out ways to not let your fitness goals go into hibernation mode! Pumpkin spice lattes are only here for a limited time, but getting into shape isn’t seasonal! It’s a year-round commitment!! 

Combining Sculpt Nation supplements with V Shred’s diet and training programs is a great way to get a head start on keeping those winter pounds at bay this year. 

This combo has helped tens of thousands of happy customers reach their goals faster and easier!

(Click HERE now and use code: LABORDAY for 40% OFF — Prices will go back up after Labor Day weekend!)

The post 7 Ways To Avoid Seasonal Burnout appeared first on V Shred.