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.

You may be an ideal weight.

Your last check-up may have resulted in a clean bill of health.

You take daily vitamins, move your body, and get decent sleep .. but are you SURE you are giving your body what it needs to function at 100-percent?

How about your gut? Is it in perfect balance? And your mental health… how is it holding up these days?

The truth is, most of us know that we aren’t doing everything we should do to take care of ourselves. We rationalize and reassure with wishful thinking rather than actual truth.

Now more than ever, it is essential to take a step back and take a long (very honest) look at how healthy you REALLY are and seek ways to be healthier.

There isn’t a better time to self-reflect on this… than WORLD HEALTH DAY!

Every year the World Health Organization (WHO) deems April 7th as World Health Day.
A global health awareness day focused on promoting healthy living habits that promote human health and well-being.

When it comes to health … your number one goal should be taking steps to be PROactive instead of REactive.

Hand washing, coughing into your elbow, limiting potential exposure to germs, and other common-sense practices are indeed important… but there are other things you must do to ensure you are healthy and provide support to help keep your immune system strong!

Our team here at V Shred and Sculpt Nation brainstormed to expand on the “health tips” you are hearing day in and day out.

We hope that the additional information we are providing within each of these tips will help you out during a time where proactive health measures are more important than ever!

5 PROACTIVE WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY

(1) Get Enough Quality Sleep

We know sleep is important, yet it’s often the first thing we sacrifice to fit everything into our hectic schedules.

Sleep is essential if you want your brain and body to work at full capacity. Not getting enough shut-eye trickles down into every other part of your life.

In terms of immune health, studies show sleep deprivation can impact your immune system, leaving your defenses down and slowing recovery from workouts..

Being exhausted can also affect your ability to lose weight, especially stubborn fat. This is primarily because not getting enough shut-eye has a significant impact on your hormones.

Your stress hormone cortisol goes into overdrive when you don’t get enough sleep. Excess production of cortisol can lead to some unpleasant effects, including weight gain, inefficient immune system function, and digestive issues.

Your “hunger hormones” (leptin and ghrelin) are also thrown off. Leptin decreases hunger and ghrelin stimulates your appetite. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, ghrelin spikes, and leptin plummets. This leaves you hungry (even if you aren’t) and more prone to make unhealthy choices.

You want to INCREASE your leptin levels. The way to do that is… deep sleep.

Sleep quality matters just as much as how long you are sleeping!
Restless sleep is not fat-burning & immune-supporting sleep!!

Your best defense is a supplement that will not only help you fall asleep but get you into that restful deep sleep your body needs to balance these hormones.

Sculpt Nation BURN PM does just that!

It gets you into your REM cycle (fat-burning state) quicker and then keeps you there longer. The perfect way to battle occasional sleeplessness. This will support an increase in your leptin levels, lower your cortisol, and put you into a virtually 24/7 fat-burning state.

BURN PM contains 6 hand-selected super powered nighttime fat burners that attack fat from every angle… supporting an increase in how much your body burns while you do nothing .. but sleep!

Many of our routines are thrown off right now. This makes sticking to our usual sleep schedule difficult. It is important that you keep a regular bedtime and wake time to stabilize your sleep.

Our bodies crave consistency… BURN PM will help you wind down so that you can get to bed at your usual time.

Everyone’s sleep requirements are different. The general suggestion is to get between 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

(2) Exercise Regularly

Something else that will help you sleep better and feel better .. is exercise!

For decades, researchers have investigated how exercise affects the immune system.
Most agree that a little bit of activity every day will help maintain a healthy immune system.

You don’t need to live in the gym 24/7 to reap the endless health benefits of exercise.
Simply going for a daily walk or jog can be a great first step.

However, to see the most health benefits, it’s important to get in 30 minutes of some sort of physical activity every day. A few days a week, incorporate longer exercise sessions that incorporate strength training.

These strength training sessions do not need to be at a gym.

Training at home is the only option for many people. And right now, home workouts are something we are all having to adapt to.

It only takes a few small purchases, or even just a little creativity using items lying around your house, and you can build your own home gym!

It can be overwhelming trying to figure out how to make the most of your home workouts, especially if you are used to having access to fancy gym equipment.

We’ve got you covered!

Over on our YouTube channel, we have a FREE At Home Playlist. It includes over 60 WORKOUTS that you can do from home! You do not even need equipment for these sweat sessions!

This HOME WORKOUT PLAYLIST is in addition to the thousands of workout tips, videos, and full follow-along workouts we already have on the channel. Again .. ALL FOR FREE!

For those of you looking for something more specific, that includes a diet and at-home training plan catered to your specific fitness goals, can take our free quiz and we’ll match you with the best at-home training and diet plan for you. Find your perfect plan here by clicking here.

(3) Follow A Sustainable Nutrient-Rich Diet

Most people see the word diet and picture a plate full of nothing but bland lean protein and green vegetables and believe that is what it takes to be healthy.

You do not need to starve yourself, and you do not need to restrict food groups. Doing these things is the opposite of “healthy” and will almost always backfire!

In terms of fat loss, in most cases, you will need to eat in a caloric deficit to lose body fat.
If you aren’t sure where to start, try using our free macro calculator tool that will tell you exactly how many proteins, carbs and calories you should consume a day to reach your fitness goals. Use our free macro calculator tool here.

Just know that reaching your goals does not mean you need to fall victim to a fad diet. These types of eating plans are usually the opposite of healthy.

You can still eat foods you enjoy as long as you prioritize nutrient-rich foods that are not overly processed. Focus on eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats.

The biggest hole we see in most people’s attempts to “eat healthy” is lack of diversity.

Even if you manage to consume enough quality fruits and vegetables, you probably stick to the same 3 or 4 that you enjoy the most.

Sculpt Nation Greens provides a diverse profile of veggies and nutrients all at once. In addition to those micronutrients your body needs, our GREENS are packed with collagen, alkalizing greens, adaptogenic herbs, and antioxidants

One scoop a day will provide the nutrients that are needed to prime your body and brain to burn fat, build muscle, increase performance, and support immune health!

If you are trying to keep your immune system strong and create a healthy body from the inside out, start incorporating Sculpt Nation GREENS into your diet!

(4) Focus On Mental Health

The World Health Organization defines health as… “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.”

Take a moment today to ask yourself how you are feeling MENTALLY!

A healthy body is not going to do you much good if you do not have control of your mental health.

In fact, it may be impossible.

Mental health and physical health are very connected. If you aren’t in a good headspace, you will be less likely to start (and then stick) with healthy behaviors.

On the flip side, when you aren’t physically healthy or have negative body-image issues… this can have a serious impact on your mental health.

Don’t wait until you are in “crisis mode” to make mental health a priority. Start forming healthy mental habits today that will help you cope better with stress that pops up in the future.

Here are a few things that may help you out….

• Talk To Someone
  Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Whether it is a professional or a trusted friend, do not keep your emotions locked up inside.
• Be Positive
  Negative thoughts will quickly put you in a bitter mood. Researchers found that long term pessimists had an almost 20 percent higher risk of dying than those who were optimistic! No matter how bleak things appear, there is ALWAYS a silver lining. Seek the positive and try your best to focus on that!
• Find Things To Be Grateful For
  It’s no surprise that researchers found that people who focused on gratitude (even as little as once a week) were happier and had fewer physical complaints! One study even found that expressing gratitude may have LONG lasting effects on the brain. Speak things you are grateful for, write a gratitude letter, or keep a gratitude journal!
• Help Others
  We are hardwired to love! Doing something kind for someone else will leave you with “feel good” emotions that will positively impact your own self-esteem!
• Improve Your Life Outlook
  Try meditating, mindfulness, positive affirmations, and/or prayer. These practices can provide instant stress relief. Over time, they can help make positive thinking more automatic.

(5) Prioritize Gut Health

If your gut health isn’t optimal, your immune system can’t be either. 70-80% of the cells that make up your immune system reside in your gut wall!

Immune support is only one reason you need to place a high emphasis on gut health.

Did you know your gut is the only organ that has it’s very own nervous system?! It has more neurotransmitters than your brain! A healthy gut is crucial for optimal mental health and brain function.

Your gut also houses a second set of genes (that many call the second genome) that you probably didn’t even realize you have! These are not the same genetics passed down from your parents. You have the ability to change these genes. But like the genes you can’t change, your second genome can impact the way your body looks, feels, and functions.

Inside your gut is over three pounds of bacteria… known as your gut microbiome.
Many things can cause unhealthy bacteria to populate and take over.

• Age
• Stress
• A Poor Diet
• Not Enough Digestive Enzymes
• Environmental Toxins
• + More

Too much harmful gut bacteria and not enough good bacteria can result in serious trouble for your health and waistline!

The good news is that you are in complete control and can change your gut flora!
You simply need to feed it… GOOD bacteria!

The easiest and best way to achieve this is by taking a QUALITY PROBIOTIC.

We didn’t cut any corners when developing our formula for Sculpt Nation Probiotics. We spent years looking at scientific studies on gut health.

We wanted to make sure we included the right strains in the right amounts.
It had to be THE BEST on the market.

The result is a blend that contains 7 different live probiotics, as well as a prebiotic. This is an important combo because probiotics can’t do their job unless they are fed. The prebiotic in our blend is a special kind of fiber that acts as a fertilizer. It feeds the probiotics what they need… to work!

A healthy gut is essential for overall GI health, energy balance, emotional support, optimal brain health, and immune support.

Take one capsule of Sculpt Nation Probiotics a day to get your gut back in balance! The result will be better digestion, promoting a more robust immune system, and support for an easier time losing weight!

Prevention can’t be preached enough!

The most important relationship you will ever be in is the one you have with your own body!
Take a look at the stay healthy checklist above and be brutally honest with yourself about the areas where you know you need to improve.

Vow that you will begin to consistently incorporate these ”5 Stay Healthy Tips” and encourage those around you to do the same!

Having people hold you accountable, offer advice, and give you ideas to stay happy and healthy… is a great way to remain positive and stick with your wellness goals.

We have an amazing community of people that come from all walks of life here at V Shred.
If you aren’t already part of our virtual “family” … join us!

Check out our Instagram, Facebook groups, and our YouTube Channel.
You will find endless support, motivation, and further ideas to help you get fit and healthy!

We are all in this together…
Encouraging each other to be PROACTIVE when it comes to our health is, no doubt, the best approach we can take!

We hope you allow WORLD HEALTH DAY to serve as a reminder of just how vital a PROACTIVE approach to your health is… EVERY DAY!

The post World Health Day: 5 Ways To Proactively Manage Your Health appeared first on V Shred.